Wednesday, September 14, 2016

A trip to Toledo...

Playlist
Santana - Abraxas
Electric Light Orchestra - On The Third Day
David Bowie - Aladdin Sane
The Doobie Brothers - What Were Once..
The Beatles - 1962-1966
Wizzard - Introducing Eddy and the Falcons
Queen - Queen
Juicy Lucy - Lie Back And Enjoy It
Steeleye Span - Parcel of Rogues
Steeleye Span - Now We Are Six
Grand Funk Railroad - Shinin' On
David Bowie - David Live
Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Bay City Rollers - Rollin'
Bryan Ferry - These Foolish Things (1999 remaster)
The Beatles - 1967-1970
Humble Pie - Thunderbox
The Doobie Brothers - The Captain And Me
Status Quo - Dog Of Two Head
Various - Rock Revival
Various - Das Bleiben Hits
The Doobie Brothers - Stampede
Various - 20 Star Tracks
Cockney Rebel - The Human Menagerie
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
Cockney Rebel - The Psychomodo
Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself
Eagles - Desperado
Alice Cooper - Muscle Of Love
Lonesome Stone - Lonesome Stone (Orginal Cast Album)
Deep Purple - Made In Japan
Deep Purple - Stormbringer
Bad Company - Bad Company
The Carpenters - Horizon
Santana - Santana III
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run
Faust - Faust IV
Lionel Rogg - Bach - Exploring the World of Music
The Beatles - A Hard Days Night
Genesis - Wind and Wuthering
Kiss - Destroyer
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Emerson Lake and Palmer
Clouds - Watercolour Days
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Alice Cooper - Alice Cooper Goes To Hell
Hawkwind - Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music
Kinks - Lola
Deep Purple - 24 Carat Purple
The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album)
Roxy Music - Stranded
Pink Floyd - The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn
John Cale - Slow Dazzle
Bob Dylan - Another Side Of Bob Dylan
Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Love's A Prima Donna
Rainbow - Rainbow Rising
The Beatles - Please Please Me
Roxy Music - Country Life
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Pictures At An Exhibition
Various - This Is...The Front Line
Tony Ashton & Jon Lord - First of the Big Bands
MC5 - Kick Out The Jams
Pink Floyd - A Saucerful Of Secrets
Mott - Drive On
Fripp & Eno - Evening Star (Remaster)
Elton John - Here & There
Roxy Music - Viva! Roxy Music
The Beatles - Beatles For Sale
Mick Ronson - Play Don't Worry
Billy Cobham - Spectrum
Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
Rough Diamond - Rough Diamond
Grand Funk Railroad - Live Album
The Beach Boys - The Beach Boys 20 Golden Greats
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery (Remaster)
Jefferson Airplane - Bark
Alice Cooper - Lace And Whiskey
The Doors - The Doors
Genesis - A Trick Of The Tail
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - he Roaring Silence
Yes - Yes
Status Quo - Blue For You
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
Emerson Lake & Palmer - Tarkus
Udo Lindenberg - Götterhämmerung
Various - Island Presents: Rock Steady
65daysofstatic - No Man's Sky: Music For an Infinite Universe
Various - The Cream Of Rare Groove Vol. 1
Various - Frontline Presents Roots
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story
Cathedral - The Garden of Unearthly Delights
ZZ Top - First Album
ZZ Top - Recycler
Ligeti - György Ligeti Works
Humpe & Humpe - Annette Humpe: Zeitgeschichte - Das Beste von und für Annette Humpe
Die Ärzte - Nach Uns die Sintflut
Telemann - Telemann: Viola Concerto, Recorder Suite In A Minor, Tafelmusik
Count Basie & His Orchestra - Frankly Basie
ZZ Top - Rio Grande Mud

Up and out early not breakfasting at home...


Instead, coffee and croissants at El Brilliante near Atocha Station...




Over the road to our point of departure, where terrapins awaited...



Tickets obtained, through security (in Spain, much like airport security) and on to the train...






A 30 minute journey from Madrid...







...South West...














...to Toledo...



A walk from the station to the old town, up on a hill...

A picturesque approach indeed...




We last left the former capital of Spain...



..over this bridge, twenty-seven years ago...





  
Good to be back...





There have been some changes...




We no longer needed to climb the hill to the old town...


...as a very helpful escalator had been put in place...






A trip to the top indeed...



On up into the town...






We made our way through the back streets...







...past the Teatro de Rojas...


...and the Posada de la Hermandad...


...to the cathedral, the Santa Iglesia Catedral Primada de Toledo...











...emerging onto the Plaza del Ayuntamiento...










Where we took a rest and got our bearings...









The square is home too to the Ayuntamiento de Toledo, the Town Hall...




The Beast and its Executive Producer were about their business in the former capital of Spain...




Onwards...






...finding ourselves at the Plaza del Conde for lunch...


...at El Greco...




Replenished, we made our way along the Calle de los Reyes Católicos



...and round the Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes...






...taking in the views...


...before descending the hill towards the river...



...and the Puente de San Martín...




...where the Executive Producer executively produced me out of taking my chances on a zipwire over the Tajo...





Oh well...


Down to the riverside...



...and a walk around the outside of the old town ensued...







...taking in the wildlife...


..and the rock climbers...




...and the wildlife...










If you look closely you can see the bird which is supposed to be the subject of this...



I thought this snake had expired...


...until it slithered off in to the undergrowth...





Some fishing was being undertaken...




We made our way back up into the town via Calle Tintes and Bajada Barco...



..noting this wee one-eyed beastie at Plaza Colegio Infantes on the way...


The long climb...


...was rewarded with ice cream at the Plaza de Zocodover...


...watched by opportunists...


No rest for the wicked, so now, a walk to the Alcázar de Toledo...







...where another rest afforded views of the Academia De Infantería across the river...





Back...






...and more walking - towards previously uncharted, by us, parts of town...




...spotting this wee monkey on the way...



Past the University...



..through covered back streets...



...past monasteries and convents...


...to Plaza Santo Domingo el Real...





...and back again to the centre...


...past San Pedro Mártir, fachada antigua iglesia conventual...



...back through Plaza del Ayuntamiento...




...and down towards the bridge we'd left by last time...




...Puente de Alcantara...


...which afforded these river views...




...and these of the old town on the hill...







Over to the other side...



...and a walk back to the station to wait for the fully booked train...




Through security...



...and another 30 minute journey home...






  


  



Out and by the Reina Sofia...


...and home for a rest and recharge of the batteries...

In the evening, we made our way back to Plaza de Agustín Lara...



...to Abu Gassan...


...as the light faded...


...for beers...


..and a tasty tea...



...accompanied by drums...


...as a tiring but rewarding day drew to a close...


Lights out...

Highlight of the Day : Back in Toledo...

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