Our 2nd day in Toledo began with a nice breakfast in the hotel. My first fruit in a week. Yea! We had the entire day to explore before taking the 5pm train back for an overnight in Madrid. We began at Santa Tome, a chapel built specifically to house Greco’s The Burial of Count Orgaz. The chapel is modest, small and dates from the 14th century. I found the last museum we visited to be the best. The Museo de la Santa Cruz was once a Catholic hospital complete with beautiful Mudejar ceilings and a cloister. The first floor showed tapestries depicting Alfonso IV’s conquering of African areas. The detail, craftsmanship, and quality were amazing. These are unique in that they depict events of their time rather than myths or history.
The 2nd floor had additional artifacts and El Greco’s Assumption. The special exhibit was of the Spanish Renaissance and Mannerist artist Carrera. The works were very strong in color and form.
We ended the day with a ride on the Zocotrain, a Disney-like contraption that took us around the outside of the town for views of the ramparts and city. We left on the 5pm train to spend a night in Madrid so we can catch a very early train to Bilbao.
