Medieval City of Toledo

Two medieval towns on opposite ends of the tourism scale, and we crammed both into our itinerary in a short 3 days.



After two nights at the charming provincial town of Cuenca where tourism still takes a backseat to agriculture, we moved straight to the middle of the beaten path at Toledo, an ancient city reborn as one of Spain's most popular destinations especially after the opening of the high speed rail spur from Madrid.



Boasting a medieval centre full of marvellous architectural gems from its 2000 year history, Toledo was once what Madrid is today -- capital of the Iberian Peninsula and royal seat of a kingdom stretching from the French border to North Africa. This was in fact the heart of the Spanish Empire at its height when a seemingly endless supply of gold and silver flowed in from the New World, contributing to a level of opulence still apparent at its cathedral.



From its Roman stone bridge across River Tagus to remnants of Moorish mosques to a renowned stronghold that held back fierce Republican gunfire during the Civil War, Toledo itself is a fascinating contraction of Spanish history. We would have preferred two nights, but that would have reduced Cuenca, Segovia or Salamanca to just one. Such is the universal dilemma facing all curious travelers.



We arrived at Toledo on the high speed AVE train via Madrid -- we would have taken the highway bus directly from Cuenca if the timetable were more favorable. Greeting all travelers from a distance was the classic image of an stalwart medieval fortress on a hilltop, blessed with the natural defense of a river gorge on three sides and a colossal wall on the fourth.



Our rental apartment was a short bus ride away next to the local bus hub of Zodocover Square, a 2-minute walk from the imposing Alcazar and right across the street from the cleverly camouflaged escalator that led towards the long distance bus station just outside of the town walls.



It was a bachelor suite in the form of a small rooftop cabin with its own private patio, complete with a small but functional kitchen and satellite TV, at a 40% discount compared with our Barcelona apartment. Not quite as cheap as Cuenca, but just about anything was cheaper than Barcelona as we're about to find out.



The best part of the apartment was of course the spacious rooftop patio, four storeys up above the town walls with sweeping views of the Tagus and the rolling Manchegan plains on the horizon. It took willpower to pull ourselves away from this view and start exploring the town.



Our first stop was the 600-year-old Sinagoga del Transito, built by the king's Jewish treasurer and served as a private family synagogue for over a century until it was converted into a church after the expulsion of Jews in 1492. Jewish inscriptions from Psalms entwine seamlessly with Mudejar flourishes and intricate Moorish stucco work that echoes the Alhambra.



More Mudejar panels grace the ceiling of Monasterio de San Juan de Los Reyes, an impressive Gothic church originally intended as a mausoleum for arguably the most renowned of Spanish monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella who unified the Spanish crowns, completed the Reconquista of the Moorish south and sent Columbus to discover the New World.



The centerpiece of all is the Cathedral of Toledo, an 800-year-old Gothic masterpiece best known for the so-called El Transparente, a baroque altarpiece ingeniously illuminated by an unusual skylight cut into the cathedral's back wall. Gleams of sunlight would pass through another expertly carved hole in the altarpiece and strike the tabernacle, only once a day.



Facing the congregation is an older and arguably even more elaborate altarpiece, a 3-storey gold-gilded wood panel illustrating the life of Christ from nativity to crucifixion and ascension. Look no further in case you're wondering what this former Spanish capital did with its New World gold that Pizarro and contemporaries pillaged from the Incas.



The cathedral's bell tower offered a panorama of Toledo's medieval skyline, pleasant though slightly obstructed compared with the view from the smaller church of San Ildefonso in the next block to the west.



But the most iconic view of Toledo is actually from across River Tagus at an elevated view point known as Mirador del Valle, just below the posh state-owned Parador hotel. Here one can appreciate medieval Toledo's prowess as a majestic stronghold, shielded on three sides by a sharp bend of the river and accessible only via a three heavily fortified stone bridges.



Our original plan was to take a quick taxi to the Mirador then a 3km downhill hike to the 14th century arched bridge of Puente de San Martin. At the end we got lazy and hopped on the touristy train-bus for a 60 minute trip around the perimeters of the walled town, including this highlight stop at the Mirador.



Towards the end of the trip we passed by the 16th century town gate of Puerta de Bisagra, impressively crenellated and prominently bearing the imperial emblem of the Habsburgs, proud reminder of an era when the mightiest empire in the world was centered right here in Toledo.



In the evening we spent much time on our private patio, enjoying the panorama of the lower town while hundreds of local families passed underneath towards an end-of-summer fiesta and concert held just outside the Gothic cathedral. One hectic day at arguably Spain's best-preserved ancient cities was far too short as we suspected.

Enough of sightseeing. What about the food you ask?

Just last year Toledo was honoured as Spain's Capital of Gastronomy for its distinctive dishes with rustic roots. While the locals may assert -- and correctly so -- that the best eateries are all in the countryside away from the tourist action, that didn't stop us from conveniently sampling a few native dishes within the medieval walls.


LO NUESTRO (Toledo)
Location Map

For lunch we stopped at this tourist-focused restaurant (i.e. English menus that I try to avoid if possible) on an easy-to-miss alley in the Jewish quarter, steps from Sinagoga del Transito and a few minutes' walk from either Monasterio de San Juan de Los Reyes or from the Cathedral.



What drew us in were Menus del Dia promising a range of regional dishes such as the pictured oven-baked Migas with jamon and raisins, plus deer and partridge from the local hunters. Prices weren't exactly cheap -- nor would I expect such at a town full of day-tripping tourists -- but were somewhat reasonable at 17 euros for 2 courses with drinks.



Blessed with the lush foothills of Montes de Toledo, this region is nationally famous for its tradition of game meats ranging from wild boars to venison to partridges and hares. We shared two such dishes starting with this Ciervo en Salsa, or venison slow-braised in red wine and served in a clay cazuela. In fact this was my most memorable dish in Toledo, a true meat-lover's favorite with its rich, unabashedly gamey flavors and generous portions.



Much less flavorsome was the Perdiz con Pochas, another local favorite of stewed partridge with white beans served at just about every restaurant within the old town. Honestly I could not even tell the difference in terms of flavor between this partridge and a generic chicken. After one remarkable dish and two lackluster ones, I'm not sure that I would recommend this restaurant.

Bill for Two Persons

Menu del Dia	17 Euros
Judias con Perdiz	10 Euros
Cerveza Artesana	3 Euros
Vino Castilla la Mancha	4 Euros
TOTAL	34 Euros (CAD$51)

That final dish must have been disappointing enough that I wanted to give Toledo's partridges one more chance to redeem themselves on my tastebuds. That led us to our next restaurant.

RESTAURANTE FABULA (Toledo)
Location Map

This was the authentic local eatery that we had been searching for: small and cozy, a wholly Spanish clientele that typically preferred to stand at the bar than to sit, and a single waitress who spoke only Spanish. Needless to say we were the only non-Spanish clients that evening.



And the menu feature none of the celebrated Toledano classics like Ciervo en Salsa or Perdiz a la Toledana, opting instead for the same ingredients in refreshed interpretations catering to the local townsfolk. Remember the flavorless stewed partridge from lunch? Here our partridge was deboned, pulled and tossed into fresh salad, and the gamey essence of the wild partridge was day-and-night compared with the earlier dish. This was the Toledano partridge that I had been salivating for.



We also ordered an appy of sauteed mushrooms and this well-executed dish of seared duck breast with rock salt and vinegar reduction. Not exactly a standard Toledo dish, but a pleasure at less than 10 euros.



Surprisingly the partridge salad turned out to be the most expensive dish in a moderately cheap dinner with an appy, two mains and a dessert -- an airy orange soufflé pictured above -- to share, plus wine and beer, for about 19 euros per person. This was much better value in retrospect compared with our choice for lunch, and finally a restaurant in Toledo that we thoroughly enjoyed.

Bill for Two Persons

Ensalada de Perdiz	13.5 Euros
Champinon a la Plancha	5 Euros
Magret de Pato	9.5 Euros
Souffle de Naranja con Chocolate	4.5 Euros
Glass of Red Wine	2.2 Euros
Cana of Beer	2.5 Euros
TOTAL	37.2 Euros (CAD$55.8)

Venison and partridge aside, Toledo is arguably even better known for its Mazapan, a local recipe for the glazed almond-sugar confection that boasts its own Denominacion de Origen. We picked up 6 pieces -- the lavish pine-nut-covered variety being our favorite -- from the 160-year-old Pasteleria Santo Tome for snack and as part of our breakfast the next morning.

Bill for Two Persons

Pasta de Pinon x 2	2.38 Euros
Mazapan de Delicia x 2	1.79 Euros
Pasta de Almendra x 2	1.03 Euros
TOTAL	5.2 Euros (CAD$7.8)

The nutty aroma of the Mazapan went surprisingly well with a platter of certified, hand-cut Jamon Bellota Iberico from Salamanca that we picked up in a vacuum pack from the local supermarket. Ingredients for this decadent breakfast probably totaled more than 12 euros, unprecedentedly expensive for our Spanish trip but certainly worth every cent.