Last Day in Madrid

 On our last day, after breakfast we met our tour guide in the hotel lobby where a private car took us to Toledo for a tour. 

Toledo was beautiful and because of some

natural barriers set apart from most of the surrounding area. We took a tour of the Jewish neighborhood first. You know you’re in the Jewish neighborhood because periodically along the sidewalk there is a blue & white tile that has the Chai symbol, a menorah or the Hebrew word Safard. Because of the history of Spain, the synagogues had been converted to churches at some point but two have been converted back. The first one was very mosque like because the original architect was Muslim. It was open space, not rows or pews like we are used to. The second synagogue was turned into a museum and had some judaica and artifacts from Jewish history in Toledo. 

After leaving the Jewish quarter, we visited the Cathedral. It was huge. We were talking on the ride back about how we don’t think there is a large cathedral in the US that compares in size. There are still services at the church but not in the main area. Most chapels were dedicate to various cardinals and high ranking church members and contained their tombs. One person was buried as recently as 2014. 

We had lunch at a restaurant with our guide. We had empanadillas filled with tuna & tomato (which was actually really good), croquettes and fried sardines. 

We continued around Toledo and saw a famous Goya painting in another church and did a little shopping. 

After returning to the hotel and resting a while, we ventured out to do a little shopping and find food. We went back to the first restaurant we stopped at on our food tour. The man greeting people told us to wait outside but then we realized he thought we were with Pedro’s food tour when we bumped into him. He realized what was going on and then helped us get a table. We had Tinto de Verano (sangria is for tourists apparently) which is red wine and lemonade. We had fried cod again, tuna, gazpacho and a veal sandwich. We learned during lunch that you don’t eat a lot of tapas with forks and in this restaurant they don’t automatically bring them to you. 

Madrid was very crazy yesterday evening. Real Madrid played Liverpool in the Premier League championship. We’re essentially staying in the theater district and it was packed last night. The game was supposed to start at 9, and when we left the restaurant at 840ish the city was so much quieter. Before midnight, I heard fireworks and confirmed that Madrid won the game. I’m sure it will be crazy here this afternoon when the players return home. The police had to fence off a fountain that got damaged during a past football celebration so only the team captain is allowed in now.