Toledo

La Puerta del Sol

At the end of my trip, I would really like to see Toledo. I fly out of Madrid, so I think that this should definitely be do-able, since Toledo is so close to Madrid.

Toledo seems really interesting to me because it has to much Jewish influence. It seems like all of Spain you can say that there is a Catholic and Muslim presence. Probably Cordoba also has a strong Jewish presence as well. But I feel like in Toledo there is a clear emphasis on the synagogues and "Jewish quarters" when you research the city.

The historical importance is also a big factor. Toledo used to be the capital of Spain, until King Felipe II moved to the capital to Madrid. It was easier to expand in Madrid, and that is where he built the famous El Escorial, so that he could see the cathedral from his bedroom. El Escorial interests me greatly, but I am not sure I will get the chance to it. I also would like to see Valle de los Caidos, the famous mausoleum in the mountains that Franco created, but I'm not sure that will be possible either. Anyway, back to Toledo. Toledo is surrounded by the Tagus river, so it was impossible to expand the city.

Another thing that really makes me want to visit Toledo is the influence this city had on El Greco. El Greco is one of the most famous painters, and he features the city of Toledo in many of his works of art. I want to see the El Greco museum, supposedly its in his house. But many people online have said that its not his real house and that the paintings inside are fake....

Below are some photos of Toledo, places I would like to see:

Catedral de Toledo

Bridge of San Martin

View of Toledo  by El Greco

Iglesia de San Ildefonso

Exhibit inside El Transito Synagogue

El Transito Synagogue

There are a ton of cool museums I would like to visit, but I just do not think I will have the time. There's one on the history of magic in Spain, which looks really cool. I think I would enjoy that one. Below is a link the website. 

http://paseostoledomagico.es/museo-de-la-espana-magica/

I think what I will enjoy the most about Toledo is just the architecture itself. It seems like it will be like taking a walk back in time through history, seeing all the different kinds of people that have lived in this one area.