First of all, we must share how to pronounce Toledo. It is not like Toledo, Ohio in the states; Tuh-lee-doe. Toledo, Spain is pronounced, Tuh-lay-dow. Now that we’ve got that cleared up, let us tell you about our day in Tuh-lay-dow.

Toledo is about an hour drive south of Madrid and was the first capital of Spain until 1561. It was originally an early settlement before the Romans captured and expanded the walled fortress in 200BC. The muslim Berbers conquered the city in 712AD and established a mosque, before it was retaken by Christians in 1085. Toledo is called the “City of Three Cultures” because of the historical coexistence of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities, which left a significant architectural and cultural legacy. As such, the entire old city is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

Our guide today was Ernesto, from Tours by Locals, and our van driver was Victor. Both did an awesome job of getting us to vantage points by car, and then once inside the walled city which is nearly impossible to drive, we walked. Our first vantage point across the river from the city was breathtaking. We had picked up churros and chocolate on our way into town and we spent a few minutes enjoying those while taking in the sights.

After our drop-off in the old city, we first stopped at Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, no longer a working monastery but impressive in its design and craftmanship. At one time, this monastery would have had hundreds of cloistered monks living there. Such beauty, yet only the monks would have enjoyed it.

We made our way up the winding city streets to the home of the governor, which happened to be open today for tourists. This was built in the mid 1500s, considered relatively “new”, and had an impressive courtyard. We passed a few cars, one of which was being driven by two nuns. While one deftly maneuvered, the other moved massive wooden doors to present a hidden garage, of which they drove into. We were impressed!

We stopped for lunch at a very quaint establishment run by a couple that Ernesto knows. Taberna el Botero won “Best Tapas” last year and we know why. We had venison, pork, cod, potatoes and some local wine. We thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with Ernesto and learning about his life.

Our final stop was the magnificent Catedral Primada De Toledo. Constructed between 1227 – 1493, it has a unique blend of Mudejar and Gothic styles. We thought yesterday’s Salamanca Cathedral was impressive but this one was so unique and different, we decided this one was unrivaled. The buttresses were spectacular but most impressive was the use of frescoes and sculpture to create life-like scenes of nature and heaven. Our photos do not do it justice.

There was so much to see in Toledo, we think you could spend a week here and not get bored. After our drive back to Madrid, we recounted the day at a local restaurant called Happy Greens. This establishment is known for its fresh and unique blending of ingredients and we gobbled our salads like it was our last meal. Sorry, forgot to take photos!

Tomorrow: Madrid