Spain - Toledo

From Madrid, Toledo is just a short train ride away (30 minutes), and it's totally worth spending a day there. It's a place where you get to see the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian influence all in one place. The city has has definitely had a wide range of influence, from Roman to each of the three Abrahamic faiths. You can even see a part of a Roman road while you're there.

There's a beautiful train station in Madrid...

It's even cooler inside, with its own greenhouse.

The train ride is only 30 minutes, like nothing!

 

Once you arrive in Toledo, it's easy to get into town with just a short walk, which I'd recommend doing instead of a cab or something.

A beautiful fortified city on a hill awaits... it looks like something out of Game of Thrones.

The bridge dates from Roman times and was remodeled by Islamic and Christian rulers as well.

Once in town, you can hop from one place to another pretty easily walking through the old city. Our first stop was Alcazar de Toledo.

Goes all the way back to Roman times, check out more about its history here.

After that I checked out a catapult museum that had a dungeon in it! Yes, apparently there is such a museum...

Lots of catapults in here... I'll save you all of the photos I took of them.

There's even a dungeon!

This would have sucked...

So THAT'S why they call it a battering ram!

 

We checked out the Santa Iglesia Cathedral next, which is the largest and most important one in the city.

Built in the 13th century, this is a Gothic cathedral with a fascinating history.

The inside is pretty ornate.

St. Ursala, the maiden saint who stood up to Atilla the Hun, is in the crypt.

 

Next I checked out the Juderia Districa, or Jewish District. Most of what survives from Islamic and Jewish influence was turned into a church at some point in its history after the Reconquista, when Christian forces pushed Muslims and Jews out of Spain.

The Sephardic Museum, which outlines Jewish history in Spain.

Interestingly, you can see Islamic influences inside, like you can in the other Jewish synagogues.

Next I grabbed lunch...

Would definitely recommend this place.

Up next I checked out the Sinagoguge de Santa Maria Blanca, which seems strange until you realize that it's a repurposed synagogue that survived the Reconquista by becoming a church.

Once again, the Islamic influence on the synagogue is obvious.

...as is the post-Jewish Christian influence.

 

I checked out the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes next, which is a 15th-century monastery built by Isabella and Ferdinand.

It's not an active monastery, in fact that stopped a while ago.

Inside is a pretty beautiful cloister.

Next up, I checked out a mosque, the Mezquita de Cristo La Luz, which also survived by becoming (what else) a church.

The facade is definitely Islamic influenced.

So is the inside. It sits on top of a Roman road and cistern.

Over the centuries though the Christians definitely left their mark.

 We were hungry and needed a bathroom, so we checked out a restaurant for some dessert and a much-needed break.

I got to try my first rum old fashioned, which was delicious and came with chocolate for some reason. I'm not complaining.

Mmm... good.

Up next, I just wanted to relax a bit, so I found a nice spot for drinks with a good view near Alcazar and settled in for a bit.

The view from the top.

=

My view with my Manhattan.

Finally, it was time to head home. I would definitely recommend this day trip, and I would probably consider staying there longer, but more was left to do in Madrid, so ultimately I'm glad I stayed there and just did a day trip. Can't wait to see it again sometime!

Last but not least: Barcelona is next.