I hesitate to write about Toledo. The town has maintained its medieval presence. And so it was easy to get lost in the past. It seems to me that spirituality, religions, and science were blended together. Technological advances were slower. And there was no separation between spirituality and religion. There was religious tolerance for a while , but the Spanish Inquisition put an end to that. I came away with dozens more questions than answers. And I am not sure how to get them answered.
Here are a few
1) Do societies that embrace free speech foster science? Is this what progressive means?
2) In Toledo, what did the Christians, Jews, and Muslims contribute to astronomy? Or construction?
3) Was there a stronger Roman influence in France than Spain due to its proximity? And did that make for better roads, aqueducts and agriculture and medicine?
4) How were ideas exchanged from town to town?
5) What role did beauty play in the construction? Were they said to be inspired by GOD? What was life like when everyone embraced the idea of a soul and Father? How did it elevate its people, and how did it divide them?
I think I need to research and get back to this. It's all basic history. Now that I have seen the place, my interest is peaked.
Was the water always this muddy? Is this seasonal after the storm mud? Climate changes? Control of the water upstream?
I bought one of these sketches. They were all very good. Is he from Toledo? What is his story? It seems as if he has had a hard life and only worked with a ballpoint pen and lightweight paper. Now I wish I had bought them all.
What is it like to grow up in a town that has been around longer than any relative you can remember? Are there people who live there now and can trace their roots back to the Middle Ages? New York City has a history, but it is also constantly changing its architecture. So you get a sense of time passing. Here, there is great care to preserve the past.
My travel buddy Candy, who traces her Sephardic Jewish past to this area.
This was a private synagogue. And is now a museum. Built in the style of the day. To us, it looks Islamic, but at the time, it was just the style the area.
Ancient Jewish Carvings.
The building on the left is a great example of the brick and rock mixtures so typical of this city.
And here was our wonderful and knowledgeable guide.
Sandra, Candy, and Alex
The header just over this doorway was taken from an abandoned Jewish Cemetery.
Townmap
Miguel de Cervantes wrote his story, Don Quixote which begins in the Imperial city of 1605 Toledo
Moreno Moreano. I'll take them both.
Mother Daughter Dynamic Duo