Tapas And More: 9/25/2015: Toledo

We had an eventful conclusion to our evening on Thursday. On the reccommendation from Ramirez, we went to a (non-tourist) flamenco club. It was right off Plaza Major. We walked in and were sent down a narrow stairway to a small underground restaurant. The were, maybe, 12 tables scattered about. In front, was a stage. A flamenco group of four were already performing. There was a male and female dancer, a guitarist and a percussionist (cojone). The male dancer was just finishing his set. A very small fixed menu was offered. We enjoyed the second half very much. This was real flamenco.

Friday, we went to Toledo. This is a town of about 80,000. It is about an hour from Madrid. It is in the foothills with the Tagus River running through it. Toledo has a long history of being a center of importance in Spain. It originally was under the control of the Romans. The Romans used Toledo as its second most important City after Córdoba. In the 8th century
the city was under the control of the Moors. It became a center of learning for the region. Ironically, The Moors were very tolerant of the Christians and Jews. Beginning in the 11th century Christians began to take control of Toledo. This developed into control by the Catholics. During the Catholic inquisition, The Jews and Moors were expelled from the country. Part of our tour included viewing many of the works of El Greco. He lived in Toledo the last 40 years of his life. There will be a short test on this at the end of the blog.

Afteer, almost, literally missing the tour bus, we joioned a small group going to Toledo. The town is noted for its steep and confusing roads. They are also very narrow. Without a guide, it would be very easy to get lost. Also, these roads are used for transportation by kcars and trucks. Pedestrians have to move to one side of the road in order to let the vehicle pass

The tour basically followed the history of the three religious groups in Toledo. We started in a smal
museum Mosque of Crizro de Luz. This was originally was a Moorish Mosque. As the name
indicates it was later used by Chiristienn Organiztions. We then went to the main Cathedral. It is very large. It is the second largest in Spain next to Seville. Inside it is massive. There are numerous elaborate works of art and religious works. As is typical of that era, they are very ornate. This cathedral,also, had a room dedicated to primarily The art of El Greco.

We visited the Synagogue del Transista. This was a small synagogue used by Jewish people until they were expelled. As you you can see in the photos, there are now crosses depicted in some of the imagery. This building was, also, used by the Catholics. There is beautiful arch work still remaining inside.

There is, also, a large monastery. If I remember correctly, it's now under control of Fransiscan Monks. It is, also, very massive and ornate. Hopefully, the photos will explain better than I can. This
place has an impressive cloister with a beautiful garden.

Our evening (read Becky's) was spent trying to wash clothes. What works on our machine in the states confuses this machine. Tomorrow some more sightseeing. Possibly shopping.