Athena Pappas

Adventures in New York City and around the world
  • About
  • Adventures in New York
  • Cooking
  • Creative Writing
  • Restaurant and Bar Reviews
  • Travel
  • Monthly Archives: January 2020

    • Adventures in Spain: Toledo

      Posted at 10:00 am by athenapappas, on January 14, 2020

      effects_original

      Just a short train ride away from Madrid is the charming fortified city of Toledo. This city’s history dates back to the Roman empire and is often associated with two of its most famous residents, El Greco and Cervantes. When planning your trip to Toledo, I would recommend booking train tickets ahead of time. In addition to being a popular tourist destination, this is also a commuter train route in and out of Madrid.

      img_9830
      img_9832
      img_9833

      One of the hallmarks of Toledo are the varied architectural influences that can be seen throughout the city. The different gates of the city represent the different cultures that have called Toledo home from Visigoths to the Moorish empire.

      img_9834
      img_9836

      When entering the walled old city, one of the largest sites is the Alcazar, the former main military fortification of the city. While we did not stop to tour the military museum housed within, it is worth stopping for the views.

      img_9842
      img_9841
      img_9844

      Our next stop (and mid morning snack break) was one of my favorite places in Toledo…the Museo del Queso Manchego!!

      img_9846
      img_9848

      This was one of my absolute favorite places we visited. In the back of the small shop are displays outlining the history and production of the region’s specialty cheese, Manchego. After viewing the museum, it was time for the tasting! For a small fee of about 12 euro, we were able to sample three different aged cheeses along with pate and a glass of local wine. The very sweet and knowledgeable employee walked us through the tasting notes and productions of each cheese. Delicious and informative! The small shop also sold a wide array of local wines, beer, and foodstuffs. I grabbed a few bottles of the local craft beer to take home as a souvenir.

      img_9839
      img_9837

      Despite the light rain, we continued our our walk through the old city of Toledo. The area is so compact that it is easy to explore in a day.

      img_9850
      img_9854
      img_9852

      In a city of churches and cathedrals, one of the most impressive is the Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo. In addition to ornate woodworking, there are many paintings from the masters such as El Greco, Caravaggio, Van Dyck and Goya. The wealth of this region is evident in the spectacular decorative elements. 

      img_9856
      img_9857

      Our next stop was the Convento De Santo Domingo El Antiguo, the convent in which El Greco is buried. A warning to visitors, there are no pictures allowed. The nuns on duty are very strict about the rules. 

      After all these El Greco sites, it was time for a quick bite. We ducked into Taberna Embrujo for a patatas bravas and tapa break. The service was fast and efficient, we refueled to continue our tour.

      img_9863
      img_9864
      img_9865

      The streets of Toledo offered a myriad of interesting architectural features.

      img_9866

      Nearly ancient, elaborate doorknockers adorn many of the buildings. It is well worth it to slowly amble through the twisty streets, taking in all of the details.

      img_9873
      img_9880
      img_9877

      The Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes is another highlight of the city. This two storied cloistered monastery is beautifully ornate. The Gothic arches and beautiful landscaping provide a picturesque scene. 

      img_9882
      img_9885
      img_9883
      img_9889

      Toledo isn’t just stunning architecture, churches, and El Greco, they have some fun bars and restaurants including Korokke. What made Korokke unique was that they had an entire display case of different croquettes from savory to sweet. All you had to do was pick out the ones you wanted, and they were fried on the spot for you. What’s better than a fresh fried croquette? They had several local wines and brews available. I tried a delicious white white. I also had to try the eponymous Cantharellus Korokke, a mushroom Saison. I can’t say that I tasted any hits of mushroom, but it was an earthy Belgian style beer.

      img_9895
      img_9892
      img_9894

      Late afternoon was a approaching as was our train back to Madrid. Just to be safe, we had booked our train tickets ahead of time.

      The central square, Zocdover square, is home to the Cervantes statue and plenty of souvenir shops.

      Even the train station is beautiful! If you are in Madrid for more than two or three days, I highly recommend taking the day trip to Toledo. I don’t think a guided tour would be necessary, we found taking the train and doing a self-guided tour to be pretty accessible.

      img_9897
      img_9896

      Back in Madrid before taking a much deserved siesta, we stopped to get a box of secret nun cookies. Seriously, secret nun cookies. Monastery of Corpus Christi is known for their cloistered nuns who sell their baked goods through a very unusual process. To the side of the monastery is a small door with a buzzer marked “Horario: Venta de Dulces.” But be warned, they only keep very specific hours. You buzz the door and follow the signage to a small window with a lazy Susan. On the dark other side of the lazy Susan is one of the nuns. You have to order from her in Spanish, placing the cash on the lazy Susan. A few quick turns, and you have your cookies!

      img_9899
      img_9901
      img_9903
      img_9904

      For our final night in Madrid, we decided to do some bar hopping to experience the evening tapa scene first hand. We basically worked our way down Calle de Cava Baja, one of Madrid’s most famous streets for tapas. By stopping in different bars to grab a drink and sample some bites, we were able to try a variety of dishes. We, of course, had to try the classic vermouth. Patatas bravas with sausage was another highlight. The bar was crowded, we had to shout our order over a huge crowd, but it was well worth it. We ended the evening with paella. Calle de Cava Baja is well worth a visit, take the time to slowly make your way from bar to bar.

      Posted in Adventures, Travel | 2 Comments | Tagged Cheese Museum, Spain, Toledo, Travel
    • Recent Posts

      • Adventures in Spain: Madrid Day 3
      • Adventures in Spain: Toledo
      • Adventures in Spain: Madrid Day 2
      • Adventures in Spain: Madrid Day 1
      • Adventures in Spain: Barcelona Day 2
    • Archives

      • March 2020
      • January 2020
      • December 2019
      • November 2019
      • October 2019
      • September 2019
      • August 2019
      • July 2019
      • June 2019
      • May 2019
      • April 2019
      • March 2019
      • February 2019
      • January 2019
      • February 2018
      • January 2018
      • October 2017
      • November 2016
      • September 2016
      • August 2016
      • July 2016
      • June 2016
      • May 2016
      • February 2016
      • January 2016
      • August 2015
      • July 2015
      • September 2014
      • August 2014
      • July 2014
      • June 2014
      • May 2014
      • April 2014
      • February 2013
      • August 2012
      • July 2012
      • May 2012
      • April 2012
      • March 2012
      • February 2012
      • January 2012
    • Follow Athena Pappas on WordPress.com
    • Categories

      • Adventures
      • Beer Book
      • Chapbook
      • Charleston
      • Cooking
      • Durham
      • Free Stuff
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • New York
      • Nicaragua
      • Offical Unofficial NYC Brewery Tour
      • Poetry
      • Restaurants
      • Review
      • Travel
      • Turkey
      • Uncategorized
      • Vlog
      • Writing
    • Meta

      • Register
      • Log in
      • Entries feed
      • Comments feed
      • WordPress.com

Blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×