108. Toledo

On Wednesday, we met our driver Jose and drove to Toledo, about ninety minutes south of Madrid. The drive anywhere around Madrid is pretty boring, suburban sprawl and traffic jams, followed by desolate landscape, since Madrid is in the center of a vast, arid plateau. So the sight of Toledo is a welcome reason, since it's on a hill, which is rare, and surrounded by water, even rarer. With these geographical advantages, it's immediately clear why this city has been a major center of civilization since the time of the Roman Empire. The two buildings that dominate the skyline are, as usual in Spain, the cathedral and the alcazar (fortress). The city tumbles down the hill toward the river from there, in a distinctive architectural style called Mudejar, which combines Moorish and Christian styles.