Sunday, May 25, 2014

Off The Beaten Path - Toledo, Spain

We were in Spain for such a brief time.  We had to make the most of our days there.  On our last day in Madrid we took the high speed train to Toledo.  It is 70 miles away and took only 30 minutes to get there.
Madrid Atocha train station

Renfre high speed train


My husband in our car.


Approaching the train station in Toledo


Add for one of the museums


Inside the train station.



Old ticket windows

The streets of Toledo









The main cathedral in Toledo.





Minor repairs to the ancient cathedral, no elevators!


Inside the cathedral, finished in 1492.











Choir seats

Detail of one choir seat.  Each one had different carvings  on them.



The Lions Gate









All of the Popes




Ceiling of the dome.



Toledo was a rare city in it's time.  Christians, Jews and Muslims all lived together  in peace.  Then came the Spanish Inquisition.  Many of the buildings in Toledo share a cultural mix in their buildings.




Michelangelo, no, there is no glass, yes, we could stand a foot away, yes, pictures were allowed, no flash






Illuminated Manuscript.


This is a hugh Monstrosity.  It was made with the very first shipload of gold, silver and gemstones that were brought back from the New World.  It is HUGE!





I bought Mazapan here!

The owner insisted on a picture together!

Ancient and new.


The Jewish Quarter existed until 1492, when history decided to eradicate them from the town.






Maybe a sign for the Mikvah?





Inside one of the synagogues that was made into a Catholic church.





The route of Don Quijote!

Entry to the Franciscan Monastery that is in the old Jewish Quarter.




























LLadro!



This used to be the tower of a mosque.  It is now a church tower.







The only yarn store I saw on my trip.  They only had Kattia yarn.

This replica of the cathedral is made out of Mazapan!

The old city wall that still surrounds the oldest part of Toledo.
Back at the station waiting for the train.  We sat in the cafe and had a bottle of water.  The room was so colorful!




Back in Madrid, when we reached our hotel there was a protest by bicyclists and roller bladders for more bike lanes.  They do this once a month.  There had to be 200 riders, and their dogs!  Some of the dogs were running with the bikers, others were in baskets on front or back of a bike, or both!


Travel safe and enjoy the world!
Regards,
Karen
One Planet Yarn and Fiber

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