Toledo is just south of Madrid and is a popular day trip for visitors. We took the train in March, 2001 when we first visited Toledo. The train ride is a bit over an hour and is easier than driving and trying to find parking. Given the narrow twisting streets of Toledo, don’t even think about driving there.

Toledo is situated on a hill, surrounded on three sides by the river. Its very charm is derived from this mix of cultures over the years and the fact that most of the newer, modern building has been done outside the city center, in the outlying suburbs. We found it most enjoyable to simply walk about, exploring this alley and that, shopping a bit, and only occasionally visiting the monuments. Toledo is famous for its marzipan to which many shops will attest - if you enjoy marzipan at all, this is the place to try some. Since Verna’s mother loves marzipan, we had tried some in other cities, but this was by far the best. We also found the most unusual forms here as well - our favorites were the small coconut balls (though they would have been even better dipped in dark chocolate!) and the “Imperial” - small logs of sweet, delicate marzipan, covered in toasted almonds.

The other items Toledo is renown for are knives and scissors (yes, a new pair of sewing scissors for Verna) and damascene decorations (gold or silver encrusted items such as jewelry and plates). Verna’s folks picked up several handmade damascene bracelets for relatives back home. Both the knife-making and the damascene come from Toledo’s history as an excellent sword-making center.

We did visit the Toledo cathedral and found it to be a lovely haven with the most interesting 18th century embellishment, the Transparente. It is an elaborate sculpture along the wall (left) up to the vaulted ceiling where it begins a painting that extends to the apex. There, unexpectedly, is another domed ceiling leading to the skylight above. This dome is also painted (right) and bordered with sculptures of angels with musical instruments. The result truly gives the sense of rising to heaven. 

After so much walking around (a lot of it up steep hills) we needed a break and stopped for lunch around the corner from the cathedral at the restaurant by the same name: La Cathedral. What caught our eye was their paella menu, but when we got seated, we were presented with a very upscale menu (with no paella). We asked for the paella menu and the menu del dia, which were brought to us (but with something of an attitude). Most of us tried the menu of the day since it was not your normal offering (see menu at left). Definitely the right choice! There were limited choices, so we ordered such that we tried everything - and it was all exquisite. Very small portions but so rich, it was more than enough. The Crema de Patata was like very creamy mashed potatoes, full of butter, while the ensalada was very fresh cod served with oranges. For the main course, the first one was a loin of hake with cooked apples and a light cheese mousse on the side. The second was finely shredded duck wrapped in something like a won-ton wrapper, fried and served in its own rich juices. Oh - and dessert was like a marzipan flan. All of it was exquisite. And for only 1500 ptas, it was a real bargain. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Toledo.

If you find typographical errors or have any other problems when looking at the site please contact the Webmaster describing the problem and the page involved.