October 28, 2022: We took the train to Toledo for a day trip away from Madrid, visiting the Cathedral and the El Greco Museum, among other things.
Elaine and her buddy Cervantes
Toledo is known for its steel blade work. Here is William on the Iron Throne in a knife and armor store.
The Toledo Cathedral ceiling. Our sole picture of the interior.
A busker
“The Burial of the Count of Orgaz”, by El Greco, at the Church of Santo Tomé.
Widely considered among his finest works, it illustrates a popular local legend of his time. An exceptionally large painting, it is divided into two sections, heavenly above and terrestrial below, but it gives little impression of duality, since the upper and lower sections are brought together compositionally.
The El Greco Museum. The Marquis of Vega-Inclán bought this 16th century house in 1905 hoping it was a one-time residence of El Greco. It turned out that he was wrong, but he decided to turn it into an El Greco museum anyway.
The courtyard of the El Greco Museum
The museum basement’s historical interest relies on being the only preserved part of the palace that Samuel Levi, treasurer of Pedro I, built in the Jewish quarter in the middle of the 14th century.
Pretty tilework in the basement.
The streets in Toledo can be very narrow.
Same street with better view of the cathedral.
The cathedral’s other tower.
Taking a rest at the Plaza de Zocodover in Toledo as we prepare to go back to the train station.
View of a bridge across the Tagus river from Toledo.
Iconic keyhole arch on our way down to the river.
The western entrance to the Puente de Alcántara, a bridge built by the Romans over the Tagus River.
The Tagus River from the bridge.
The Puente de Alcántara. Pilgrims had to cross this bridge in the middle ages to get to Toledo.
We crossed the bridge and took this picture of Toledo.
We took the train back to Madrid and found a musical performance in the street near our AirBnB
