Happy New Year!
I spent the last day of 2018 in Toledo, Spain (where nearly everything was closed because it was a Monday) and the first day of 2019 in Segovia!
ADIOS, 2018!
Toledo is an ancient city, known for having three cultures living side-by-side for centuries. There is a fast train from Madrid that takes about 30 minutes, and I was there for most of the day. I took a bus to the top of the hill, to the Plaza Zocodover, and from there I walked. And walked and walked. I loved it, and took a ton of photos because the city is so beautiful. Enjoy!
These guys were in front of every other souvenir shop.
Toledo is well fortified, sitting on top of a high hill, surrounded by walls (at least it was once), with a river to add another barrier to invasion.
I read somewhere that the chains hung from the side of this church were the chains of Christians who had been rescued from Muslims in the Middle Ages.... there must be more to that story, though, because for much of the Middle Ages, Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived side by side in Toledo.
January 1, I went with two sisters to Segovia, to have cochinilla for lunch (it's a little pig, you'll see below!). Segovia is another small ancient town with many layers of history showing.
Most impressive to me was this, a Roman aqueduct, built without mortar, just stone on stone. Built in the first century. Amazing.
Segovia, like Toledo, has city walls and fortifications to protect from invasion. And a gigantic cathedral.
That church is St. John of the Cross, and I think it's where he's buried. Segovia lies next to Avila.
All said, it's been a lovely couple of days. Now, I got the cold that's been going around and so here I am online! Tomorrow I move to Granada to spend a week there. And then on to Almeria!
One last thing before signing off. You never know where you will encounter a friend from far away. For me, it was in the line to enter the Cathedral in Toledo. So good to see you, Raymond!
ADIOS, 2018!
Toledo is an ancient city, known for having three cultures living side-by-side for centuries. There is a fast train from Madrid that takes about 30 minutes, and I was there for most of the day. I took a bus to the top of the hill, to the Plaza Zocodover, and from there I walked. And walked and walked. I loved it, and took a ton of photos because the city is so beautiful. Enjoy!
These guys were in front of every other souvenir shop.
Toledo is well fortified, sitting on top of a high hill, surrounded by walls (at least it was once), with a river to add another barrier to invasion.
I read somewhere that the chains hung from the side of this church were the chains of Christians who had been rescued from Muslims in the Middle Ages.... there must be more to that story, though, because for much of the Middle Ages, Christians, Muslims, and Jews lived side by side in Toledo.
January 1, I went with two sisters to Segovia, to have cochinilla for lunch (it's a little pig, you'll see below!). Segovia is another small ancient town with many layers of history showing.
Most impressive to me was this, a Roman aqueduct, built without mortar, just stone on stone. Built in the first century. Amazing.
Segovia, like Toledo, has city walls and fortifications to protect from invasion. And a gigantic cathedral.
That church is St. John of the Cross, and I think it's where he's buried. Segovia lies next to Avila.
All said, it's been a lovely couple of days. Now, I got the cold that's been going around and so here I am online! Tomorrow I move to Granada to spend a week there. And then on to Almeria!
One last thing before signing off. You never know where you will encounter a friend from far away. For me, it was in the line to enter the Cathedral in Toledo. So good to see you, Raymond!
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