I didn't think I would like Toledo. The tourist buses arrive in the morning and park in the lower town. The daytrippers head for the escalators and by 10 a.m. the upper town is awash in visitors. The entry point into the city is Plaza Zocodover (which boasts both a McDonalds and a Burger King) and the streets radiating outward are lined with gift shops selling gimmicky junk.
We checked into our hotel in mid-afternoon before wading into the crowds. As expected, I was not impressed and my mood soured. As we were being jostled along Calle Commercio, however, I stopped in a shop selling bocadillos jamón ibérico, a crusty bread roll filled with thinly sliced Iberian ham, for €3.50. I took one bite and thought, oh my, this is some good stuff.
Click on the image for a larger view on Flickr and more details.
My mood was now noticeably improved and we continued our exploration of the city. The more I saw of Toledo the more I liked it. To put it simply, Toledo is a beautiful place. It's a shame that so many people see it only as a side trip, a place to spend a few hours, when we found plenty to do for three days.
Another pleasant surprise was how inexpensive Toledo was. We had been to Madrid a few times, and Barcelona, and thought them to be pricey, but not so Toledo. We got into the tapas way of eating and in the evenings were filling ourselves with food and drink for less than €25.
From Toledo we took the bus back to Madrid then rode the train out to Ávila, famous for the intact medieval wall that surrounds the city. We arrived on the weekend marking the Coronación Nuestra Señora de las Vacas, the coronation of Our Lady of the Cows. In the 13th century, the Virgin appeared in a corral amidst some cows. What this means in the 21st century is that some young men have a lot of fun carrying Nuestra Señora around on their shoulders, accompanied by a loud marching band and everyone else in the town, with lots of loud fireworks and hurrahing.
Like Toledo, Ávila is beautiful. I was completely enchanted by the lovely streets, buildings, and parks. We walked on top of the medieval walls, outside the walls, up and down the length and breadth of the old town, to several sites outside, and out to the Cuatro Postes overlook for the panoramic view.
Also like Toledo, Ávila had plenty of things to do to keep us busy for our three-night stay. Among the usual local museums, churches, and convents, the Palacio de los Superunda was especially impressive. Once the home of the painter Guido Caprotti, it is now an elegantly restored museum exhibiting many of his works as well as two full-length portraits by Joaquín Sorolla.
Next up, a blog post with words and pictures about part two of our trip, to Salamanca and Segovia.
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