Feb 15, 2010 - Iberian excursion, day 4 - Toledo


We wake up to a rare snow in Madrid and walk to a cafe for breakfast.
(It is only mid-February and I've seen snow in GA, IA, MN, OK, WI and now Spain. Crazy year.)


After breakfast, mom drives to the windy labyrinth of Toledo, where Ella immediately relaxes on the bed.


Such a cutie!


Here is her crib, where she has a great view of Toledo and its snow.


Behind our hotel is an alley that leads to Toledo's main street, which still qualifies as an alley to me.
The bell tower and church to the bottom right is Santo Tomé, which houses...


one of El Greco's most famous works, The Burial of Count Orgas.


Up on the main street, Calle de Trinidad/Calle de Commercio (and a couple of other names, depending on where you are), Ella peers out from under her weatherproof hood to check out this new city.


Toledo has one of the most specacular cathedrals in all of Europe.


While its 13th, 14th, and 15th century exterior is awesome, it is even more impressive inside.


Jill and mom huddle against the wind and wet snow.


Winding streets promise even more wonders ahead.


We continue down the main street to Plaza de Zocodover, Toledo's main square, which isn't all that "main."
It is home to the largest and oldest marzipan store in town (and Toledo's only McDonald's).


We didn't eat at either spot. We went back to a cafe that has the pudding-thick hot chocolate and warm, churros. 'Chocolate con churros' is one of our favorite treats in Spain.


Random church facade.


We had to cut our walking tour a bit short due to ice collecting on the hilly, narrow streets.
This is back near our hotel looking south across the Río Tajo (Tagus River), which makes Toledo a penninsula of sorts.


Just a cool building.


So is this. No idea what it is.


This is the street our hotel is on.


Looking back at out hotel (the vertically-middle building on the left)


We warm up, gather our nerve, and brave the snow for a walk to a local pub-restaurant.
Mom and Jill have very different pork dishes,


while I get the special featuring ox tail stew (10 o'clock), potatoes, venison, a local pork dish, and fried peppers (center). It was awesome.

today's original itinerary