Blog #4: Six-Day Tour of Andalucia - August 20-25
Day 1 – Cáceres (August 20)
Cáceres is a city in western Spain's Extremadura region. Founded by the ancient Romans, it retains widespread evidence of subsequent occupation by many different cultures. Its old town, Ciudad Monumental, has a mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, with cobbled medieval streets, fortified houses and palaces. Encircled by 12th-century Moorish walls, it also has around 30 towers, some occupied by nesting storks.
We arrived in Sevilla in the late afternoon and were given a couple of hours at our Hotel Catalonia Santa Justa to rest up. Instead of resting, Nadia and I headed off by bus to a nearby shopping center, as we were determined to find a trendy low sleeve shirt we had seen before, one Nadia could wear at night to the flamenco performance we had bought tickets for. The trip was a waste of time, and we came back to the hotel empty-handed, hungry, tired and pressured for time. We had one half hour to shower and get dressed before the tour bus came to get us.
The performance at Palacio de Flamenco was worth the money. The dancers, singers and musicians were all flamenco professionals whose passion for the dance was contagious. The one and a half hour performance went by quickly and ended up on a very high note of ¡Olé! Dinner at the hotel was mediocre, but we were too tired to be picky.
The next day was spend in full in Sevilla, a city well deserving our time. In the morning, a local tour guide, a woman by the name of Gloria, joined our bus that took us on a panoramic tour of Sevilla’s “Plaza de España” and surrounding grounds that display the grandeur of Sevilla. After spending an hour or so in the stunning Plaza de España, where I bought several Sevillan fans for souvenirs, we crossed through “Jardines de Murillo” to reach the gate of the famous “Barrio Santa Cruz.”
I note that the Barrio Santa Cruz today is the primary tourist neighbourhood of Seville, and also the former Jewish quarter of the medieval city. Santa Cruz is bordered by the Jardines de Murillo, the Real Alcázar, Calle Mateos Gago, and Calle Santa María La Blanca/San José. The neighbourhood is the location of many of Seville's oldest churches and is home to the Cathedral of Seville, including the converted minaret of the old Moorish mosque La Giralda.
When the walking tour ended, Nadia and I purchased a ticket to enter the impressive Cathedral and then made our way up to the famous tower La Giralda by foot. To reach the top, we climbed 36 zigzagging ramps well worth ascending. From here, we admired the massive bells and delighted in a 365-degree view of Seville.
Afterwards we wanted to visit El Alcázar, yet our hearts pulled us towards the Jewish Museum of Sevilla – “Casa de la Memoria, Museo de Interpretación, Juderías de Sevilla ”– located in the heart of Barrio Santa Cruz. The tiny museum houses a small collection of Sepharad’s original Jewish artefacts. On its walls it retells the story of the Jews in Seville, the expulsion of Jews from Spain, and of course, the actual Inquisition Decree. The one and only curator, tour guide, greeter and receptionist spent quality time with us explaining academically the various exhibits in historical context. One of the exhibits caught my attention, a small dark room with old keys hanging from an egg-shaped ceiling. She explained that these were the original keys of repossessed Jewish homes after the expulsion. This display reminded me of my grandmother who spoke about the house key she had to let go when the Sephardic Jews left Turkey several centuries later. For the Jews, the exile repeats itself again and again, always for the same reason: fleeing antisemitism and surviving as Jews.
https://www.juderiadesevilla.es/
That evening, all three of us, Nadia, Carline and I enjoyed an outdoor concert featuring Mawwa (Arabic) music at the very place, Jardines del Alcázar. The concert setting, the minty gardens, tall palm trees, and warm and starry night was truly unforgettable. However, the concert was deceiving, because the three very talented musicians used the stage to voice their support for their brothers and sisters “who are not free and live in occupied lands under oppression.” This unexpected agenda turned off my romantic mood, and drove my attention away from the Mawwa music, which I found interesting and a bit monotonous.
This great day ended on a good note. We took a cab to our hotel, as there was no way we could find the energy to walk back. At midnight, Seville streets were packed with tourists and locals drinking beer and eating tapas. Before catching the cab, we even had an ice cream to sweeten our return.
The City of Seville houses several UNESCO World Heritage Sites including El Alcazar, La Catedral, La Giralda and el Archivo de las Indias.
Chttp://www.andalucia.com/travel/world-heritage/seville.htm
Plaza España in Sevilla
In day four we visited two sites, Ronda and Torremolinos in Costa del Sol. In Ronda we spent approximately three hours walking around this small, yet charming city.
Ronda is a mountaintop city in the province of Malaga that’s set dramatically above a deep gorge. This gorge (El Tajo), separates the city’s circa-15th-century new town from its old town, dating to Moorish rule. Puente Nuevo, a stone bridge spanning the gorge, has a lookout offering views. New town’s Plaza de Toros, a legendary 18th-century bullring, is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
The Ronda’s balcony offers scenic views of a varied landscape. Ronda, the City of Dreams in Andalusia, is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
http://www.rondatoday.com/rondas-request-to-king-juan-carlos-for-unesco-world-heritage-status/
In Ronda we passed though La Plaza de Toros, La Alameda, la Plaza Mayor, la Iglesia de Santa Maria and the downtown core where I bought a couple of summer dresses. Needing a washroom urgently, I used the city’s public facilities, and was charged “.60 céntimos” to get in, but had no complaints about cleanliness.
In the afternoon we headed off to Torremolinos in Costa del Sol and landed at the Sol Principe Hotel around 3:30pm. Torremolinos is a Mediterranean resort town on southern Spain's Costa del Sol, known for its sandy beaches such as El Bajondillo and La Carihuela. Nightlife, dining and shopping are centred on Calle San Miguel. Away from the beachfront and its high-rise hotels are several golf courses and amusement parks, as well as pockets of traditional Andalusian culture such as the village of El Calvario.
Our hotel room had a marvellous beach view, and in no time we found ourselves at ease, enjoying the view and got tempted to walk to the beach. After fighting to get a couple of beach towels (had to sign a voucher and leave a deposit of 10 EU for each towel), we made our way to the shore and nested on beach beds that were free of charge. Then we found our way to the water, walking painfully through the rocky shoreline. The Mediterranean water was quite cold, yet refreshing.
Dinner at hotel was very enjoyable. The colourful buffet spread out through huge dinning rooms filled with guests from all over the world. After dinner, we enjoyed a band playing groovy music around the pool.
We wished we could stay longer at this location to recover from the constant rush, but it was wishful thinking because our tour guide made it very clear we were leaving at 7:30am the next morning.
Granada is a city in southern Spain’s Andalusia region, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It's known for grand examples of medieval architecture dating to the Moorish occupation, especially the Alhambra. This sprawling hilltop fortress complex encompasses royal palaces, serene patios, and reflecting pools from the Nasrid dynasty, as well as the fountains and orchards of the Generalife gardens.
Our tour bus dropped us off in front of the Alhambra in Granada at approximately 9:30 am. The place was bursting with tourists and tour guides from every part of the world. At the entrance of this magnificent hilltop fortress, our local Spanish tour guide, a young man by the name of Sergio took very good care of us. He was amazingly knowledgeable, friendly and funny and really led the way with gusto, flavour and passion.
I shall not attempt to describe the magnificence of this Moorish fortress, also used as a palace and a government office, because my words will not do it justice. When one stands before a piece of art that takes the breath away, the intellect becomes dumb and the emotions take over, as they should, into a speechless sense of awe. I can only say that such feeling elevated me to the point of acknowledging the miracle of God’s creation, the natural world He created for us, of course, including the creature he created in His own image, the human being that is capable of unlimited creativity that surpass the boundaries of reason.
Under scorching heat, we visited the fortress and surrounding gardens. At one point we got tired and opted out on a last visit to one of the fortress’ edifices. I was happy to take many photographs that speak for themselves, yet come pale in comparison to the real time experience.
I wish to share how our brilliant tour guide enhanced my experience of this magical place. When we were in the main palace, after he explained the distribution of space and decor, he invited us to envision the Caliphate’s chamber in actual Moorish time. He described the rooms in great detail: stained glass windows filtering light through the artfully stitched arches; on the other side, he described the Caliphate’s chamber, also his bedroom, submerged in dim light, its walls covered with multi-pattern rugs, oil lamps forming shadows, and incense travelling through the air. Sergio continued – “As the Moorish ruler sits in the dark on layers of cushions, perhaps surrounded by fruit platters and nuts, imagine his subjects, one at a time, standing before him unable to see him, while he can see them all, and from this very spot hear his fate, whether he is spared or sentenced.”
Granada UNESCO World Heritage Site
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/314
In the afternoon we were given the choice of either joining an optional tour of the Albaicín, or free time. Nadia and I chose the latter, as we were tired and needing our own space. After resting a bit, we took a cab that took us to a high point, “Mirador de San Nicolas,” where we admired the view of the Old Medieval city. Then we walked up to the Albaicin, where the middle-class Andalusians live, including the gypsies. As we ascended we felt a change of vibe, let’s say, we were not in a nice neighbourhood. We were hungry and had a very bad experience at a local restaurant. The place was unclean, flies all over the place, a parent led his little boy to urinate under a tree only two meters away from our table; also, the restaurant owner was deceiving, serving us food that did not match what we had ordered, and he even refused to give us the advertised free tapas. We walked away still hungry and upset after confronting his terrible treatment of tourists and mediocre business practice, even though Nadia did not want me to get upset. I seem to have little tolerance for mediocre service and disrespect to customers. C’est la vie.
We made our way downhill until we reached the downtown and enjoyed the free time.
The ancient city of Toledo sits on a hill above the plains of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. It is located only 70 kilometres away from the Spanish capital. The region is known for the medieval Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments in its walled old city. It was also the former home of Mannerist painter El Greco. The Moorish Bisagra Gate and the Sol Gate, in Mudéjar style, open into the old quarter, where the Plaza de Zocodover is a lively meeting place.
Toledo is also known as the Capital of Sepharad, as well as the Jerusalem of the West. The Jewish presence in Toledo is documented since the time of the Visigoths, and ever since the Muslim reign Jews were considered “Men of the Book,” enjoying ample rights. Under the Christian rule of Alphonse VI, their growth and material wealth continued to flourish. Since the 8th Century the Jewish Quarter of Toledo was established in the southwestern part of the city, within its walls. It had five neatly differentiated quarters, with more than ten synagogues. Some of them can still be visited nowadays. Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue, also known as the New Synagogue of Yosef Ben Soshan, and the Transito Synagogue or Synagogue of Semuel ha-Levy, where the Sephardic Museum is installed.
UNESCO declared Toledo a World Heritage Site in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage and historical co-existence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures.
It was wonderful to be there, but it was very frustrating to be there such a short time. We were rushed through the streets of Toledo and did not have the time to savor its splendor. Wanting to purchase a wall plate I ended up upsetting the tour guide who waited for me. The truth is that everyone wanted to have free time there to wonder around as there was so much to see and admire, but we were on a tight schedule. The tour was coming to an end that day and in fact we made it back to Madrid by 6:00pm as scheduled.
We left Madrid on August 20 from Hotel Principe Piu. Even though the tour pickup location was within walking distance, we didn’t want to risk getting there by foot dragging our burdensome luggage or failing to find the right spot, so we arrived timely in a cab.
Aboard the bus were approximately 15 travellers, including Moroccans and Latin Americans, as well as Carline, a young woman from Ottawa with whom Nadia connected.
Our first tour stop was Cáceres, a monumentally walled city with a population of 1000. Facing the main plaza, or “Plaza Mayor,” is the entrance to “Torre de Bujaco,” where one could climb up to the top to get a glimpse of the city. We opted out, given the short free time we were given to walk around. Also facing the plaza is “El Palacio de la Isla,” currently a Historical Archive.
My focus was to visit the Jewish Quarter, so after picking up a map at the tourism office we started our way up the hills of Cáceres, heading towards the Old Jewish Quarter. I was advised to focus on the old Quarter only, as the newer one had nearly vanished.
In one and a half hour we walked up a picturesque narrow-winding road filled with a brilliance of medieval architecture, narrow streets, luminous, whitewashed houses, and flowers brightening up windows and balconies. Climbing up under the scorching heat we were able to reach the Old Judería signaled with a street sign reading “Barrio de San Antonio” next to a Star of David. My heart leaped. As we continued, embedded in the cobble-paved road I spotted a metal plated logo with the word “Sfarad” in Hebrew. This was the first of many such signs we would find along the ”Red de Juderías de España, Caminos de Sefarad” (Jewish Quarter Network, Paths of Sepharad.) I was particularly moved when I stood in front of the Christian Chapel “La Ermita de San Antonio,” formerly a synagogue.
I note that Cáceres is one of Spain’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
We rushed back to the comfortable, air-conditioned tour bus to continue our way to Córdoba.
Day 2 – Córdoba (August 21)
Córdoba is a city in the southern Spanish region of Andalusia, and the capital of the province of Córdoba. It was an important Roman city and a major Islamic center in the Middle Ages. It’s best known for La Mezquita, or El Alhambra, an immense mosque dating from 784 A.D., featuring a columned prayer hall and older Byzantine mosaics. After it became a Catholic church in 1236, a Renaissance-style nave was added in the 17th century.
The age of splendor of the Spanish Jews first began under the Emirate, and later during the Umayyad Caliphate, reaching their Golden Age in Cordoba during the 10th and 11th Century, when they attained the highest levels of well being and culture. During these centuries, some Jews in Cordoba became ministers of the Muslim monarchs, such as Hasday ibn Shaprut, and there were also wise men and philosophers, as important as Moises ben Maimon, –Maimonides– who brought Jewish thought to all all-time peak. The Center of Jewish religion and culture became established in Cordoba, with the rabbinic academies of Cordoba and Lucena.
A magnificent Jewish Quarter is preserved in the area designated “World Heritage” by UNESCO.
We arrived in Córdoba in the evening and Nadia and I took a stroll downtown. At the main plaza, we befriended a Muslim Moroccan family and enjoyed good conversation.
The next morning, a local tour guide led us through Cordoba’s Plaza Mayor and unto the impressive Cathedral, previously a Mesquite. The Moorish architecture, exquisite, artistic and detailed stonework, tile work, stained window and woodwork permeated through the heavy Christian paraphernalia. After spending several hours in the many chambers of the cathedral, we headed to the world famous Jewish Quarter. Here, while my heart beat faster, my attention was directed to taking photographs that could speak of the cultural heritage before me. We quickly found ourselves at the heart of the Jewish quarter in the Plaza Maimonides. At the center, an impressive and beautiful sculpture of Maimonides speaks of a time where Jewish culture and religion climaxed.
Cordoba, the City of the Three Cultures, captivated our hearts from the start, and it is hard to know where to draw the line when one experiences awe and admiration at an amazing place that opens up the mind and the heart from within. It was here where all three religions reached a historical peak of understanding that ended at the time of the Inquisition. In the late afternoon we headed off to Sevilla.
Day 2/3 – Sevilla (August 22-23)
Sevilla is the capital of southern Spain’s Andalusia region. It's famous for its flamenco “tablaos”, particularly in its Triana neighborhood. Major landmarks include the ornate Alcázar castle complex, built during the Moorish Almohad dynasty, and the 18th-century Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza bullring. The Gothic Seville Cathedral is the site of Christopher Columbus’s tomb and a minaret turned bell tower, the Giralda.We arrived in Sevilla in the late afternoon and were given a couple of hours at our Hotel Catalonia Santa Justa to rest up. Instead of resting, Nadia and I headed off by bus to a nearby shopping center, as we were determined to find a trendy low sleeve shirt we had seen before, one Nadia could wear at night to the flamenco performance we had bought tickets for. The trip was a waste of time, and we came back to the hotel empty-handed, hungry, tired and pressured for time. We had one half hour to shower and get dressed before the tour bus came to get us.
The performance at Palacio de Flamenco was worth the money. The dancers, singers and musicians were all flamenco professionals whose passion for the dance was contagious. The one and a half hour performance went by quickly and ended up on a very high note of ¡Olé! Dinner at the hotel was mediocre, but we were too tired to be picky.
The next day was spend in full in Sevilla, a city well deserving our time. In the morning, a local tour guide, a woman by the name of Gloria, joined our bus that took us on a panoramic tour of Sevilla’s “Plaza de España” and surrounding grounds that display the grandeur of Sevilla. After spending an hour or so in the stunning Plaza de España, where I bought several Sevillan fans for souvenirs, we crossed through “Jardines de Murillo” to reach the gate of the famous “Barrio Santa Cruz.”
I note that the Barrio Santa Cruz today is the primary tourist neighbourhood of Seville, and also the former Jewish quarter of the medieval city. Santa Cruz is bordered by the Jardines de Murillo, the Real Alcázar, Calle Mateos Gago, and Calle Santa María La Blanca/San José. The neighbourhood is the location of many of Seville's oldest churches and is home to the Cathedral of Seville, including the converted minaret of the old Moorish mosque La Giralda.
When the walking tour ended, Nadia and I purchased a ticket to enter the impressive Cathedral and then made our way up to the famous tower La Giralda by foot. To reach the top, we climbed 36 zigzagging ramps well worth ascending. From here, we admired the massive bells and delighted in a 365-degree view of Seville.
Afterwards we wanted to visit El Alcázar, yet our hearts pulled us towards the Jewish Museum of Sevilla – “Casa de la Memoria, Museo de Interpretación, Juderías de Sevilla ”– located in the heart of Barrio Santa Cruz. The tiny museum houses a small collection of Sepharad’s original Jewish artefacts. On its walls it retells the story of the Jews in Seville, the expulsion of Jews from Spain, and of course, the actual Inquisition Decree. The one and only curator, tour guide, greeter and receptionist spent quality time with us explaining academically the various exhibits in historical context. One of the exhibits caught my attention, a small dark room with old keys hanging from an egg-shaped ceiling. She explained that these were the original keys of repossessed Jewish homes after the expulsion. This display reminded me of my grandmother who spoke about the house key she had to let go when the Sephardic Jews left Turkey several centuries later. For the Jews, the exile repeats itself again and again, always for the same reason: fleeing antisemitism and surviving as Jews.
https://www.juderiadesevilla.es/
That evening, all three of us, Nadia, Carline and I enjoyed an outdoor concert featuring Mawwa (Arabic) music at the very place, Jardines del Alcázar. The concert setting, the minty gardens, tall palm trees, and warm and starry night was truly unforgettable. However, the concert was deceiving, because the three very talented musicians used the stage to voice their support for their brothers and sisters “who are not free and live in occupied lands under oppression.” This unexpected agenda turned off my romantic mood, and drove my attention away from the Mawwa music, which I found interesting and a bit monotonous.
This great day ended on a good note. We took a cab to our hotel, as there was no way we could find the energy to walk back. At midnight, Seville streets were packed with tourists and locals drinking beer and eating tapas. Before catching the cab, we even had an ice cream to sweeten our return.
The City of Seville houses several UNESCO World Heritage Sites including El Alcazar, La Catedral, La Giralda and el Archivo de las Indias.
Chttp://www.andalucia.com/travel/world-heritage/seville.htm
Plaza España in Sevilla
Barrio Santa Cruz, previously La Judería
El Alcazar
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| La Giralda |
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Centro de Interpretación, Juderías de Sevilla
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| Home Keys of the Last Sepharadim Haniging from a ceiling |
Day 4 – Ronda and Costa del Sol (August 24)
In day four we visited two sites, Ronda and Torremolinos in Costa del Sol. In Ronda we spent approximately three hours walking around this small, yet charming city.Ronda is a mountaintop city in the province of Malaga that’s set dramatically above a deep gorge. This gorge (El Tajo), separates the city’s circa-15th-century new town from its old town, dating to Moorish rule. Puente Nuevo, a stone bridge spanning the gorge, has a lookout offering views. New town’s Plaza de Toros, a legendary 18th-century bullring, is one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
The Ronda’s balcony offers scenic views of a varied landscape. Ronda, the City of Dreams in Andalusia, is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.
http://www.rondatoday.com/rondas-request-to-king-juan-carlos-for-unesco-world-heritage-status/
In Ronda we passed though La Plaza de Toros, La Alameda, la Plaza Mayor, la Iglesia de Santa Maria and the downtown core where I bought a couple of summer dresses. Needing a washroom urgently, I used the city’s public facilities, and was charged “.60 céntimos” to get in, but had no complaints about cleanliness.
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Roman Bridge in Ronda
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Our hotel room had a marvellous beach view, and in no time we found ourselves at ease, enjoying the view and got tempted to walk to the beach. After fighting to get a couple of beach towels (had to sign a voucher and leave a deposit of 10 EU for each towel), we made our way to the shore and nested on beach beds that were free of charge. Then we found our way to the water, walking painfully through the rocky shoreline. The Mediterranean water was quite cold, yet refreshing.
Dinner at hotel was very enjoyable. The colourful buffet spread out through huge dinning rooms filled with guests from all over the world. After dinner, we enjoyed a band playing groovy music around the pool.
We wished we could stay longer at this location to recover from the constant rush, but it was wishful thinking because our tour guide made it very clear we were leaving at 7:30am the next morning.
Torremolinos, Costa del Sol
Day 5 – Granada (August 25)
Our tour bus dropped us off in front of the Alhambra in Granada at approximately 9:30 am. The place was bursting with tourists and tour guides from every part of the world. At the entrance of this magnificent hilltop fortress, our local Spanish tour guide, a young man by the name of Sergio took very good care of us. He was amazingly knowledgeable, friendly and funny and really led the way with gusto, flavour and passion.
I shall not attempt to describe the magnificence of this Moorish fortress, also used as a palace and a government office, because my words will not do it justice. When one stands before a piece of art that takes the breath away, the intellect becomes dumb and the emotions take over, as they should, into a speechless sense of awe. I can only say that such feeling elevated me to the point of acknowledging the miracle of God’s creation, the natural world He created for us, of course, including the creature he created in His own image, the human being that is capable of unlimited creativity that surpass the boundaries of reason.
Under scorching heat, we visited the fortress and surrounding gardens. At one point we got tired and opted out on a last visit to one of the fortress’ edifices. I was happy to take many photographs that speak for themselves, yet come pale in comparison to the real time experience.
I wish to share how our brilliant tour guide enhanced my experience of this magical place. When we were in the main palace, after he explained the distribution of space and decor, he invited us to envision the Caliphate’s chamber in actual Moorish time. He described the rooms in great detail: stained glass windows filtering light through the artfully stitched arches; on the other side, he described the Caliphate’s chamber, also his bedroom, submerged in dim light, its walls covered with multi-pattern rugs, oil lamps forming shadows, and incense travelling through the air. Sergio continued – “As the Moorish ruler sits in the dark on layers of cushions, perhaps surrounded by fruit platters and nuts, imagine his subjects, one at a time, standing before him unable to see him, while he can see them all, and from this very spot hear his fate, whether he is spared or sentenced.”
Granada UNESCO World Heritage Site
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/314
In the afternoon we were given the choice of either joining an optional tour of the Albaicín, or free time. Nadia and I chose the latter, as we were tired and needing our own space. After resting a bit, we took a cab that took us to a high point, “Mirador de San Nicolas,” where we admired the view of the Old Medieval city. Then we walked up to the Albaicin, where the middle-class Andalusians live, including the gypsies. As we ascended we felt a change of vibe, let’s say, we were not in a nice neighbourhood. We were hungry and had a very bad experience at a local restaurant. The place was unclean, flies all over the place, a parent led his little boy to urinate under a tree only two meters away from our table; also, the restaurant owner was deceiving, serving us food that did not match what we had ordered, and he even refused to give us the advertised free tapas. We walked away still hungry and upset after confronting his terrible treatment of tourists and mediocre business practice, even though Nadia did not want me to get upset. I seem to have little tolerance for mediocre service and disrespect to customers. C’est la vie.
We made our way downhill until we reached the downtown and enjoyed the free time.
Day 6 – Toledo (August 26)
On our 6th and final day we visited Toledo, the medieval city that breaths art, history, conquest, religion and redemption and seduces the visitors with its unparalleled beauty. It is no wonder that this is the city that gave inspiration to Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra to produce El Quixote de la Mancha.The ancient city of Toledo sits on a hill above the plains of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. It is located only 70 kilometres away from the Spanish capital. The region is known for the medieval Arab, Jewish and Christian monuments in its walled old city. It was also the former home of Mannerist painter El Greco. The Moorish Bisagra Gate and the Sol Gate, in Mudéjar style, open into the old quarter, where the Plaza de Zocodover is a lively meeting place.
Toledo is also known as the Capital of Sepharad, as well as the Jerusalem of the West. The Jewish presence in Toledo is documented since the time of the Visigoths, and ever since the Muslim reign Jews were considered “Men of the Book,” enjoying ample rights. Under the Christian rule of Alphonse VI, their growth and material wealth continued to flourish. Since the 8th Century the Jewish Quarter of Toledo was established in the southwestern part of the city, within its walls. It had five neatly differentiated quarters, with more than ten synagogues. Some of them can still be visited nowadays. Santa Maria la Blanca Synagogue, also known as the New Synagogue of Yosef Ben Soshan, and the Transito Synagogue or Synagogue of Semuel ha-Levy, where the Sephardic Museum is installed.
UNESCO declared Toledo a World Heritage Site in 1986 for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage and historical co-existence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures.
It was wonderful to be there, but it was very frustrating to be there such a short time. We were rushed through the streets of Toledo and did not have the time to savor its splendor. Wanting to purchase a wall plate I ended up upsetting the tour guide who waited for me. The truth is that everyone wanted to have free time there to wonder around as there was so much to see and admire, but we were on a tight schedule. The tour was coming to an end that day and in fact we made it back to Madrid by 6:00pm as scheduled.
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