I Think Corporal Klinger Had An Easier Time Getting To Toledo Than We Did

Well, the headline is a bit misleading.  Getting to Toledo (Spain), obviously not Toledo, Ohio like Max Klinger pined for, wasn't that hard.  Getting around the city wasn't easy though, thanks to our baggage.

We took the 10:15am train to Toledo from Madrid, after walking the mile to the Atocha station from our hotel, dragging the luggage up and down the hills.  The train was easy, and we pulled into Toledo right on time -- 10:46.  

There are many of these stained glass

arches in the Toledo train station.

Toledo is on a huge hill above the Tagus River, which provides a natural defense against invaders.  That defense didn't stop the Moors in the early 700s, or stop the Reconquista in 1085.  But it could have stopped us if not for some quick thinking by your favorite travel blogger.

But first, we didn't have access to the VRBO apartment we had rented in the Jewish Quarter, so we had to find lockers to store our luggage.  We each have a backpack, then Carol takes the rolling carry-on, and I get to haul the big bag that is quite heavy.

When we rounded the corner and saw the beautiful medieval buildings, we were intimated.  Not by the city walls or the significant buildings, but by the steepness and length of the climb.  We crossed the ancient bridge through the two massive gates, peering up.  With the tonnage we'd be pulling, it would take for ever.  There's talk of escalators, but they are so well-hidden that few can find them. 

We crossed that bridge when we came to it.

The Alcazar from below.

One of many, many churches.

The crest on the bridge gate.

As we were standing, dazed and confused just after crossing the bridge, looking up at a potentially heart attack-inducing steep hill to climb, I noticed a taxi coming along the road.  Unsure whether or not it was occupied, I threw up my arm in desperation.  He stopped so my heart did not.  We gratefully climbed into the cab and were driven the 0.9ths of a mile up the steep, windy, and narrow road.

He could not take us all the way to Toledo Locker, where we planned to store the bags, but he was able to get us within a block.  It's a storefront with no workers, so we got buzzed in and parsed through the directions to be able to store the bags.  We were delighted that the big bag fit into a large locker, albeit just barely.

Then we headed off for some sightseeing before lunch (most restaurants don't open till 1pm).  The promised free ruins of the Alcazar never materialized (I'm not saying they don't exist, but I am saying "good luck finding them!"), so instead we went to Santa Cruz Museum, which is an old church turned into an art/artifacts museum.  The facade has bullet scars from the Spanish Civil War, but the highlight is the eight El Grecos.  It also had a beautiful cloisters (of course).

Part of the facade of the Museo de Santa Ctuz.

A cherub on the facade.

The hands clasping a sword in death.

An El Greco -- his work

can be pretty dark.

Another El Greco.  Note that

I'm allowed to take photos of

these paintings.

The cloisters.

Portuguese tiles in a Spanish church/museum.

Roman mosaics.

Another church.

This lion thinks he's tough.

One last close-up on the facade.

Then we went to the Rick Steves recommended Restaurant Bar Luneda, where we regained our strength.  I had the Carcamusas, which is the famous local pork stew and Carol had salmerejo and then salmon.  

(Editor's Note: If "Carcamusas" is so famous, how come I've never heard of it before?  Writer: Well, obviously you've never been to Toledo, Spain!).

Then we headed back to Toledo Locker, grabbed our bags, and lugged them through the streets, up and down hills.  Mostly up, or so it seemed.  It didn't helped that it was over 80 degrees (25 Celsius for my European friends!) and relentlessly sunny.  It was a beautiful day, except for tromping up hills dragging heavy luggage along.

Our VRBO apartment was at the end of a short and quaint street.  But it was like being at the end of a box canyon, with no internet access.  I was thus unable to retrieve the entry instructions (note to self, get the entry instructions before leaving the prior place, and text them to Carol so we both have them).

I walked back out to the main street, and met our guide, Javi.  We had connected with him thanks to swim team friend Michael Miller, who had posted last December from Toledo about what a great guide/great guy Javi is.  We had access to the apartment at 3:00pm, along with the first two hours of our five hour tour (the next three hours would be the next morning) with Javi at 3:00pm.

Not being able to get the info on  how to get in, I was pretty flustered, but Javi was not immediately put off by my confusion and flustered nature.  After I couldn't communicate well by phone with the landlord, Javi called him, spoke with him, and then got us into the apartment.

Apartment number 12 was all the way up three plus flights of stairs.  Javi looked at our huge bag and offered to carry it up for us.  Normally I would have said no worries, but I was worried it would take me quite some time to haul it up.  It was incredibly kind of him to do so.  Then, after we got into the apartment, he kindly suggested we take ten minutes to regroup and then meet him downstairs.  Javi went above and beyond for us, and he, not surprisingly, turned out to be both a great tour guide and a very nice guy to talk with.