Monday in Spain

Monday morning dawned crisp and sunny. The 20 musicians and our approximately 16 family members/groupies boarded the tour bus for Toledo, a historic hilltop city surrounded on three sides by a river. It was started by the Romans and traded hands through the years, inhabited by Visigoths, Muslims, Jews and Christians. The architecture reflects the combined traditions of these various groups. Interestingly, our guide pointed out that Arab motifs such as distinctive archways reflect artistic choices rather than serving as religious symbols, thus there are Christian edifices built in Arab styles. We all split up to enjoy shopping and dining, wandering the steep, narrow streets in the afternoon sun. Some visited the cathedral, a mix of Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles, containing masterpieces by El Greco, de Goya, Titian, Rubens, Velasquez, Caravaggio and Bellini. Then we met at the Plaza Zocodover to board the bus and return to Madrid. In the evening more than 20 of us met for tapas at a lovely outdoor restaurant called Turf on Calle Santa Ana and celebrated Jennifer's birthday. A smaller group met up for a late-night outing to watch a performance of flamenco. Ole!