Well, folks. The weather is certainly on our side and the plumbing is under control. We have spent the morning swimming in the pool and reading in between. As ever, the views are beautiful, whichever way we look. We find the Spanish scenery awe inspiring to be honest. Throughout the UK there are some lovely places but they pale into insignificance compared with Spain.
Until we started coming to Spain we were under the impression that Great Britain had the best scenery. Here the views are quite amazing. As you drive towards Toledo you see in the distance the famous mountain-top windmills that appear in tourist related literature. In the city you see architecture that takes your breath away.
Above are two views of Toledo taken from the balcony of our room at the Parador de Toledo. They show the medieval city with it's river moat that goes almost all the way round it. In the first picture you can see the spire of the cathedral towards the left. This is where our Satnav took us, using an incorrect post code! Fortunately we know the Parador was outside the city.
The history behind all this is very significant. Until the Christians threw out the Muslims there had been 400 years of harmony between Muslims, Christians and Jews. In the aftermath there was a realisation that the past which had been recorded in great libraries needed to be preserved as it was their heritage. This was much better than Henry VIII destroying the monasteries to protect himself! You can learn a lot from other nations.
Later today we are off to Cordoba for two nights to get a longer look at the Mezquita Catedral and the area known as Juderia (old Jewish quarter). We shall be back on Thursday for more swimming in the sun!
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