We told Kit and Stephen that we thought they should visit Toledo as Ton and I think it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. It is located about 80 kilometers south of Madrid so we guessed the trip would take about 90 minutes factoring in Madrid traffic.
We arrived at the campground outside of Toledo about 11:30 and headed right into town. Toledo was built on a bluff overlooking the Rio Tajo River. It is a beautiful location for a city.
The city is known as the city of three religions. At one time it had large, Christian, Jewish, and Moslem populations living together. There are well preserved synagogues, and a mosque, as well as the Catholic Cathedral.
Ton and I enjoy the town because it really maintains its medieval feel. There are lots of small pathways and staircases between homes and businesses that are only suitable for foot traffic. This is a city that really makes you feel like you have gone back in time.
We spent several hours wandering the town and enjoying the sites. The only problem with Toledo is that you are either walking up hill or down hill, there is almost no flat to the town. Stephen at one point told me the people in this town must be really fit.
Our path led us to the base of the town, so we were facing a long up hill climb to get back to our next stop in the city. Luckily I spotted a series of escalators built into the hill to take you back to the top. We all appreciated the towns investment in this people mover which saved us climbing about 300 feet up hill.
After about 4 hours of walking the town we crossed over the old footbridge to the road to the campground. We were only about 30 minutes from the campground but it was going to be all uphill. Ton, Stephen and Kit told me they would gladly pay for a taxi. After about 15 minutes we flagged down a taxi and were quickly deposited in the campground.
Everyone was pretty tired after the last couple of days so we all relaxed for a couple of hours. Just as Ton and I had decided we would snack for dinner, Kit once again surprised us with another wonderful meal.
