Fourth day in Spain. We took a bus trip to Toledo, which is about 50km South of Madrid. The city was a cultural and political center many years ago. Now it's more of a tourist destination, with a hearty mix of Spanish, Moorish and Judaeo - Christian cultures.

  It's surrounded on three sides by a beautiful river gorge, and so was defensible against invading forces. The Romans were pushed out by the Visigoths, who made it the capital city of their peninsular empire. Subsequently recaptured by Spanish forces, Toledo remained a blended center of culture influenced by Moorish, Spanish and Jewish elements.

   We arrived at the bus station from Madrid and took a local bus up into the center of town. After sampling Toledo's famous Santo Tome "marzapan" pastry, we spent the afternoon in a very long walk around the area. There are lots of souvenir shops, many specializing in beautiful local artwork. You can also purchase finely made swords or a complete suit of armor! As siesta time approached, Marti was buying a "pretty dress" in the Flamenco style for her granddaughter Moira. I bought my first pack of Spanish cigarettes, and took a picture of these hippies with their dog who were panhandling lazily at the streetside.