Chapter 6 – Toledo, Spain in One Word: Hilly.

I will try to find One Word to describe the new experiences and places I visit, so Toledo, about 45 minutes south of Madrid, is built on a huge rock. The streets- small, narrow, winding- and if their was another word I can use, it would be “swords” (swordy?) since swords and knives were sold everywhere! As I entered the town I saw shields and suits of armor and swords galore, so did some investigation and here’s what I found.

More than 2,000 years ago, back in the 5th century B.C. , Iberian blacksmiths forged Toledo swords with an iron blade inside and a special design..

These swords were so great they were the weapon of choice for that elephant riding conqueror Hannibal. He beat the Romans and later Rome decided that they needed the same Toledo swords, and so the fame grew.

But anyway, back to the city. It’s hilly.

It’s also a thriving city of 83,000 and is the capital of the region, so houses government and political offices. The famous painter, El Greco, hailed from there and the civilizations of Arabs, Jews and Christians all tried to grab their share over the centuries. That adds for an interesting mix of crosses, menorahs and Arab symbolism throughout the town.

What was cool, but I did not know until AFTER I climbed the hill up, is that they have a series of escalators that take you from ground level all the way to the top, housed safely within a mall-type building. At the bottom of the hill is the river Tagus, quite beautiful, with a walking bridge connecting one side with the city of Toledo. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage.