We traveled to Consuegra which is a town on La Mancha region. It became famous for its windmills when Don Quixote novel was first published. On the way, we saw a checkpoint to check illegal refugees. Due to recent illegal refugee problem in Europe, this is a warning indication. However, due to the geographic location, Portugal and Spain have much less refugee issues than other European countries.
On our way, Johnny gave us more European history info by telling us the 500 year Dark Ages (characterized the majority of Middle Age roughly the 6th to 14th centuries) was due to the decline of Roman Emperor. During that period, people lived in fear along with the Plague (黑死病 that caused people changing their thinking. Prior to that time, people resulted everything to God and church. However, with God and church not stopping the Plague, people started to have different believes by not following everything of church. Then the Renaissance (復興時期) started from the 14th to the 17th century, regarded as the cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and Modern Ages. It started as a cultural movement in Italy in the Late Medieval period and later spread to the rest of Europe, marking the beginning of the Early Modern Ages. Then, several significant periods such as Industrial Revolution, 1st & 2nd World Wars, Cold War and Post-Cold War were followed.
We had lunch at Restaurante Tipico Bodega - Bar for highly recommended chicken soup. It was not impressive at all and it was the worst meal we had in this whole trip. When we got the bill, we were even more unhappy for the 10 Euros per bowl price tag. There is a little Don Quixote Museum close-by for free visit.
After lunch, we visited the famous windmills in Consuegra.
Then, we traveled to Toledo. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive cultural, monumental heritage and historical co-existence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures. 192 BC Roman built Toledo. Arabian controlled Toledo for about 300 years. In the 16 century, King Philip I of Castile made it the capital of Spain, however his grandson King Philip II moved the capital of Spain to Madrid in 1561.
Our guide took us to Mirador del Valle which is at west side hill top for the most impressive panoramic view of the whole Toledo.
Then, he took us to an escalator instead of climbing stairs to get to Toledo. It was a very nice move during that hot day. The first stop was Toledo Cathedral. It’s construction began in 1227 under the reign of King Ferdinand the Saint on the site of a mosque. Over the centuries, other master architects led the construction of additions to the cathedral. The famous Spanish Renaissance painter El Greco played a major role in the evolution of the cathedral as a repository of fine art. Other well-known artists whose paintings and frescoes in this cathedral include Giovanni Bellini, Francisco Goya, Raphael, Titian and Van Dyck. The awe-inspiring, enormous gold-grilled gates and altar in the main chapel make the interior shimmer. Toledo's many churches of all faiths, may have inspired the nickname 'Holy Toledo'.
Then, our guide took us to Church of Santo Tome where the most famous work “El Entierro del Señor de Organ” by El Greco was displayed. Photography is not allowed here, however one can find a copy on Internet.
Afterwards, we had free time for coffee, pastry, ice cream and shopping. Quite a few of us went into El Cafe de Las Monjas to relax. We were told that a congregation of nuns in a convent near by are the ones that prepare these excellent food. They have models showing 'these nuns making the food' in their window.
After we regrouped, we walked over the St Martin’s Bridge (Puente de San Martin) to catch our bus.
For dinner, we went to the Cigarral Monte-rey Toledo restaurant. The main dish is lamb or fish. This restaurant is up on a hill with a great view of the whole Toledo. After dinner, we took quite a few photos on the patio with Toledo as backdrop.
Then we checked into the Eurostars Palacio Buenavista which is a 5 stars hotel with breathtaking ceiling in the lobby.
Later, we went outside to check out its luxury facility including spacious garden, tranquilized patio and modern swimming pool. This hotel is a real oasis of luxury and calm with a panoramic view of Toledo.
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