Toledo

Ouch, this week passed by so quickly I hardly had the time to post. Nothing crafty to talk about, I haven't sewn much but I still have a couple of orders to finish and a shop update is planned for later this month. I plan to have some bookcovers, and also a bunch of pencil sleeves (thanks to everyone who e-mailed me about them, by the way, I hope I can satisfy all your requests), and maybe a couple of fairytale pocket bags. A few people have also emailed me about softies, and that will be the next thing, I promise. I've been knitting a lot though, so I'll have a few new things to show you next week.

But I finally got round to sort through last month's trip to Toledo and Córdoba, and post some of the pictures here. Taking short road trips is something we really enjoy, especially during the winter when there aren't many tourists around. The drive to Toledo takes a little over 6 hours but with lunch break and other stops we got there just before sunset.





We stayed at the lovely Hostal del Cardenal, which is located by the wall and just outside one of the old city gates (and close to the elevators). I strongly recommend staying here, especially because driving inside old Toledo is a bit crazy, with all the narrow and one way streets and very few parking zones. The hotel is old but charming and comfortable (loved that entrance and courtyard) and the restaurant reputed to be one of the best in town (we had dinner there and it was quite good)





And besides, Toledo is great for just walking around and get lost in the old city. Which is really not that big and easily covered in a day.



The main attraction is, of course, the huge Cathedral. It's worth paying the ticket and visiting the interior, there's a lot to see.





Also we meant to visit the Alcazar, but unfortunately it was on renovation, so we strolled around the city instead and ended up at the Zocodover square, a great place for resting and take a cup of coffee (or tea, in my case).

There are several things I didn't know about Toledo ...

... since medieval times it's renowned by the production of swords (and nowadays you can spot a sword/souvenir shop in almost every corner)



... it's home to a lot of El Greco paintings (we didn't visit the museum but inside the cathedral you can see a few of his paintings)



... and it's famous for its marzipan (of which we brought several boxes to give as gifts, from the traditional Confitería Santo Tomé).



It's also known for its damascene ware (black steel worked with gold thread) and just before we left we visited an artisans' workshop by chance (inside one of the convents, can't remember which one). The detail of each piece is amazing, and we watched them for the longest time. Though not my style, I couldn't help but appreciate the beautiful work and their patience.