Tag: travel

After a quick lunch break, we put the necessary “Headlight Deflector Stickers” (a mandatary requirement for any U.K. vehicle to be able to drive in EU- we got these from A .T. Johnson, a friendly local shop in our hometown Kings Lynn).

Thereafter we headed southwards along A-67. We wanted to avoid the E-5, which would invariably be slower due to the heavy traffic of Madrid.  The aim was to reach Camping El Greco before 8pm as the caretaker would be not available beyond that point in time.

Our 1^st European camping experience of this trip. It was a great location, clean facilities and a fantastic local La Bastida Hotel (a merely 10 minutes’ walk from our campsite) which served excellent food- complimented each other. The night breeze was cool, and our roof tent was comfortable enough for a nice sleep.

Day 3 -Our day to see the magic of Toledo.

For centuries, Toledo was one of Spain’s great cultural and spiritual centres. It was once the capital of Visigothic Spain, later an important city under Muslim rule, and then a powerful Christian city after its reconquest by Alfonso VI in 1085. Its history is often described through the phrase the city of three cultures — Christian, Muslim and Jewish — because all three communities shaped its architecture, learning, craftsmanship and identity.

That layered past is visible everywhere. Churches stand beside former mosques and synagogues. Horseshoe arches, Gothic towers, Mudéjar brickwork and Renaissance façades appear within minutes of each other.

One of the most moving ways to experience Toledo is through one of its religious processions. During our visit, we witnessed the procession of La Virgen de la Esperanza — the Virgin of Hope — being carried through the old streets with great devotion and ceremony.

What struck me most was the atmosphere around the procession. People watched from windows. Others stood proudly in the street. The bearers moved with concentration and dignity. The old stones of Toledo seemed to become part of the ritual itself. This event felt like a living expression of faith and community.

Toledo is also closely associated with the great feast of Corpus Christi, one of the most important celebrations in the city’s calendar. Corpus Christi, meaning the “Body of Christ”, is a Catholic festival honouring the Eucharist. In Toledo, it has been celebrated with exceptional splendour for centuries. The streets are decorated with awnings, flowers, banners and tapestries, and the great procession moves through the historic centre with solemnity and grandeur.

Seeing La Virgen de la Esperanza in procession helped us understand Toledo in a way that monuments alone could not. The city’s history is magnificent, of course — its cathedral, synagogues, monasteries, bridges and viewpoints are unforgettable. But Toledo’s true magic lies in the way the past continues to breathe through everyday life.

Without much of a preparation, I was happy with some of the “Street Shots”. My Nikon Z6 with 24-120mm Z f/4 lens delivered, once again.