A couple in Spain - Toledo: The Cathedral, the labyrinth and the time traveller.

Toledo has several medieval gates. Choose one and go up!! Why go up? Because Toledo was built on a huge hill, and the drawing of its streets is very intricate!! It’s the kind of place where the pathways meet and get lost very easily. And when you cross those gates, leave behind the modernity and immerse yourself in an amazing urban landscape full of memories, stories and spectacular constructions.

The place where we stayed is next to that entrance.

From the outside in.

From the inside out.

Note the Arabic format of the arches.

In this place we drank a delicious beer while we admired the architecture details.

Outside.

One gate, a bridge, another gate.

A city that was the scene of four historical periods in the last 2000 years: Roman, Visigod (Christian), Muslin and the reconquest by Christians in the 14th century (and there are impressive constructions from each period). If you can stay in a hostel inside the walls, so better, and that’s what we did, staying in a family pension.

Roman pavement.

An ancient Mosque from the 9th century, transformed into a Christian Church after the Reconquest.

Inside the Mosque/Church.

Ancient pictures hidden under recent paintings.

For being on a hill, Toledo requires strong legs and willingness to be discovered. Or at least willingness. Going up the streets is an essential condition to enjoy Toledo. There is no way to see the city without breaking a sweet (we were there at the end of may, and the sun punished us, poor tourists, with unnecessary cruelty hahaha!!). And it’s also a great place to get lost. Even if you have a map. A big open-air labirynth. You swear you're on one side of town, but, amazingly, you've arrived on the other side and did not realize it.

In the heart of the labyrinth.

And now, which way to go?.

If I am already lost and there is nothing else to do, then let me take a picture.

Over the labyrinth (the two large buildings are The Cathedral Tower and the Fortress).

There was even a day, that was late, already dark, and no people in the streets to ask for directions (because we were completely lost). We tried to return from the Catedral to the Pension, with a map in hand. After a 15-minutes walk, guessing and correcting paths, arguing and despairing (I really needed to go to the bathroom!! hahaha), we finally arrived . . . back to the Catedral! Hahaha!! But this is the charm of Toledo, and it was getting lost that we found the places we liked the most.
The places we found just getting lost!

Another gate, on the other side of town.

A small hidden square.

A castle!!!

About the Catedral, it really impressed us. Hidden and squeezed in the middle of the city, it seduces all eyes. There is also an audioguide and it helps a lot.

The Cathedral Tower. We are almost there!

Imponent!

At night

Inside

And walking aimlessly through those streets we ran into a doctor. A strange doctor. A black death doctor. He and his stork’s beak (as we say in Portuguese). Then, as a revelation, I quickly understood what was happened: a rip in the fabric of space-time had probably allowed that visitor of past centuries to come to our time. Gesticulating, I asked him to take a picture with me. Surprisingly, he understood and agreed. He even struck a pose. Before we left, we could see him slowly fading away in space and time. The people around us told us they did not see anything. But people have been very distracted lately. . . and with no imagination.

It's worth to say that along those days, we drank one beer in each city medieval gateways. Or at least in those where there were bars around. Thus, we created a spontaneous and personal tradition. Just a suggestion. . .

On the third day morning we went through those gateways for the last time. Next stop: where our hearts were pointing, savoring the transcendent freedom of not having a destiny in the world . . . Bullshit!! We would go to Segovia. And that was already decided and planned two months ago hahaha!!

SOME TIPS

• by accident, we found a women clothing store whose floor is made of glass. Below it, you can see some Roman ruins of a bathhouse (Calle Armas, 1, 45001, Toledo, Espanha)

*If you want to use the dressing room, you will have to go through the Roman arches.

• the Catedral entrance costs 8 euros. Audioguide included. At the end of the tour, you can watch an animated movie which tells the story (or history) of its build.

• if you want to take a panoramic photo of the city, there is a bus leaving the Zocodover square that takes you to a distant place where you can get the shot. We tried to walk there. On the map it seemed so close! But it wasn’t! Fortunately, before we did this insane walk, an old man warned us that it was a very bad idea. It would take at least 2 hours of walking, with many steep slopes. We immediately gave it up. But it seemed so close . . .

• if it's easy to get lost in the city even with a map, try to imagine how easy it would be without having one. In other words: have a map! It’s free at the Toledo tourism office (Plaza del Consistorio, 1, Toledo).

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