Seniors in Spain 2018: 8/9/2018-Toledo-Cathedral, Zamorano, pool, Plaza de Zocodover, Santo Tome, dinner at El Trebol

Up early enough to catch the sunrise. Breathtaking. You can see how the sun is hitting parts of the city as the sun comes up to start the day. First order of business is breakfast. We head to our hotel's room where they are serving breakfast. Breakfast time is almost over by the time we get here. Breakfast was not included in our booking which is probably for the best as Richard has been told by the doctor to stick to a bland diet for the next 3 days. We order scrambled eggs and toast for each of us. Tea for Richard and coffee for me. Cost €12.63 which will be added to our hotel bill. I'm happy to see my husband eating again. He says he feels just a tiny bit better. Hope that diarrhea medication will help. I do check out the breakfast buffet just out of curiosity. The extra charge would have been around €20 pp per day. There's fruit, breads, juice, cereals, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, yogurt, meats, cheeses, sweets like apple cake/almond cake/donuts. Not a huge spread but not bad either.

Sunrise

Can see the sun hitting some of the buildings

Hotel breakfast room

Coffee and tea

My scrambled eggs and toast

Richard's scrambled eggs and toast

Buffet breakfast items

Juice

Fruit

Yogurt

Cereals

Sweets

Now it's time to contact the travel insurance. The hotel staff are wonderful. They will do whatever they can to help us. The hotel helps by calling the number I have for overseas emergency help Allianz Insurance. I talk to a rep who explains my coverage, what I need to do, how to file a claim when we get home, etc. I will need to make the arrangements myself to get a flight home. I cancel the booking for our hotel in Madrid. Thank goodness I chose the cancel free option when I did the booking and today is the last day to cancel without any penalty. Sorry to lose our time in Madrid but...... When I'm on the computer checking for flights I'm aghast at how much a ticket costs last minute like this. I finally manage to secure 2 one way economy tickets on TAP Portugal-Madrid/Lisbon/Newark/Buffalo for 8/11 cost-$3313.22! I paid 1/3 of that for our original round trip tickets! Unfortunately I also have to book new train tickets. The ones we had were for 8/11 Toledo to Madrid but our new flight leaves early and on a Saturday when the trains don't run as much as on the week days. New train ticket for 8/10 Toledo to Madrid booked through Loco2 is $14.99 each. The hotel prints out our tickets for us. They have even told me we won't be charged for our 3rd night due to the circumstances. They really had every right to do so but this is just another example of their kindness in this horrible situation. I managed to find a reasonable hotel that is close to the Madrid airport and also offers free shuttle service. So everything is now arranged and I decide I'm going into town to see some sights with the little bit of time I have. Richard says he wants to come. The hotel gets us a taxi and we make the Toledo Cathedral our priority.

TOLEDO CATHEDRAL. Magnificent Catholic church. Mostly Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, and Neoclassical. Elaborate wrought iron. Lavish wood carvings. Several stained glass windows. Ornate side chapels. Took more than 250 years to build-1226-1493. Get tickets and the audioguides in a building across from the Cathedral. Cost $20.92 senior rate for us both which included the audioguide. I had to leave a €50 deposit for the audioguides which I would get back when I returned the audioguides. Entering the church to the right and to the left are several side chapels.

The main/high altar is a sight to see. Stunning. Real gold on wood-Flemish, French, and local artists. Wall of scenes from the life of Christ, frame by frame. Assumption of Mary in the center with 6 angels. Christ on the cross is on top. Beautiful gold plated iron grille.

The choir has fine carving. Lower wooden stalls show scenes showing the city by city conquest of the Christian Reconquista over the Moors/Muslims. Retaking of towns around Granada. There's a castle with the reconquered town's name on it. Upper stalls feature Old Testament figures starting with Adam and Eve to Joseph and Mary. Seat backs made from carved walnut featuring New Testament features. 2 pipe organs-one is Baroque and the other is Neoclassical. 13th c. statue of Madonna/Virgin Blanca and child. Domingo de Cespedes built the iron grille.16th c.

The Chapter House/Sala Capitular was undergoing restoration and unfortunately not open for visitors. 😞

Altarpiece called the El Transparente. 18th c. The altarpiece was poorly lit so Narcisco Tome cut a skylight in the ceiling. Baroque. Lots of angels. Located behind the main altar.

Sacristy. Paintings by El Greco, Goya, Titian... Ceiling-Naples artist Lucca Giordano 1690. El Greco-The Spoliation/Christ Being Stripped of His Garments-1579. Goya-Betrayal of Christ. Chapel of San Blas-tomb of a bishop.

Treasury. Huge monstrance designed to hold the Holy Communion wafer during the Festival of Corpus Christi and paraded around the city. Diamonds, emeralds, rubies, gold plated silver. Inner part is 100 years older solid gold. Base is later addition from Baroque period.

We have spent 2 hours 20 minutes here. We return the audioguides and get the deposit back. Then I purchase a cool Templars sword letter opener for our brother-in-law Dan and Damascene earrings for myself. Cost $17.55. A bargain.

Main/high altar

Assumption of Mary in the center with crucified Christ on top

Exquisite detail

Gold plated iron grille

Choir

Lower wooden stalls with scenes of retaking one city at a time from the Moors

Pipe organ

Virgin Blanca-patron saint of the cathedral

Rose window-stained glass

Chapter House/Sala Capitular undergoing restoration

What the inside of the Chapter House looks like

Skylight

Altarpiece-El Transparente

El Greco-The Spoliation

Goya-The Betrayal of Christ

El Greco-St. Joseph and the Christ Child

Ceiling

Monstrance has precious gems

Chapel of the New Kings

St. Louis bible 700 years old

Ceiling

Damascene earrings I bought at the Cathedral gift shop

Letter opener I bought for my brother-in-law

They had a good variety of differently designed sword letter openers

Cathedral

We walk to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. There's the City Hall. But that's not what I'm looking for when by luck I see the sign. Zamorano. Knife shop mentioned in my guidebook. I buy myself a small hand made knife with a display base and a beautiful Damascene pendant. I get a 10% discount because I have my Rick Steves guidebook with me! Cost $35.56. I think Richard has had enough so we get a taxi back to our hotel. It's 6:00 PM. He's going to have a short rest before dinner and I decide to check out the pool. The pool is a good size and there are several loungers positioned with a view looking toward the old town. Lovely. I test out the pool but only briefly as the water is cold. It's much later than I would normally be at a hotel pool. I do relax for a short bit on one of the loungers facing the old city.

Knife/sword shop

Damascene pendant I bought for myself

Letter opener I bought

Taxi back to our hotel

Driving by the viewpoint

Loungers with a view

Hotel pool

Relaxing on a lounger facing the old town

Taxi to Plaza de Zocodover. This is the main square and the gateway into the old town. I figure we can find a place for dinner around here. There's a Burger King! A McDonald's! And then I see something from my list that I didn't expect to see-Santo Tome. This store sells the famous marzapan. Individually and in boxed sets. I'm so happy! I buy marzapan and truffles. Cost $18.56. Now I'm looking for a place from my guidebook that should be in this area. Find it. This is where I want to have dinner.

Tourist train

Truffles

Marzapan and cookies

Dinner-El Trebol. Outside and inside seating which is on 2 levels. We don't have a reservation and it looks like all the outside table are occupied but we get a table on the 2nd level inside. Drinks-Water for Richard and tinto de verano for me. Richard orders a ham croquette that is cured ham and chicken. I get carcamusas which is a pork stew with chorizo, peas, green pepper, and tomato sauce. We also get a Greek salad to share. All the food is great and I really loved the stew. Richard said his croquette was very good but it was very filling with the cheese? inside. At least he thinks it was a cheese or maybe just a sauce?? I told him he should have ordered what I had! Cost without tip $21.46. I was hoping Santo Tome would still be open as I had seen some yummy looking fruit tarts that I would have bought and taken back to our hotel for dessert. Alas it was closed. Taxi back. Beautiful evening with old town all lit up. Sitting on the balcony, taking pictures, relaxing. Tomorrow we head to Madrid and then home.