We took a day trip to Toledo, the old capitol of Spain. My opinion of Toledo in a single word – LOVE! It is only about an hour drive from Madrid. Thanks to my sis for recommending it. Plus, our hotel, Hotel Atlantico, happended to be one of the spots where the bus stops to pick up/drop off passengers. How about that for luck!
We had a great day, and were joined by Jim, a lawyer from Chicago who we met the night before at the hotel bar! Started the day with a brisk walk (I think it was freezing temps!) to the military museum located at the Alcazar palace and fortress with outstanding views from the top.
Jewish Museum
We then made our way to the Jewish neighborhood, which is home to a couple of old synagogues and near the El Greco museum.
El Greco
After lunch, it was all about El Greco, an artist from the Spanish Renaissance, and whose background was Greek, hence the name. We made our way to the Iglesia de Santo Tome first. This church is tucked away off the main shopping street in the Jewish quarter and houses one of Greco’s most famous paintings, El Entierro del Senor de Orgaz. He was commissioned to paint it to depict the burial of the count of Orgaz. It was extraordinary. It is divided into two sections, heavenly above and terrestrial below. We then made our way to the Greco museum.
We then took the walk back to the bus, taking in the beauty of the city!
Vista Voyages 