Atocha train station is in the Madrid guidebooks for having its own botanical gardens, so we had a quick nosey around the garden before going through security. 28 minutes and a high speed train later and we were in the outskirts of Toledo, 74 kilometres away from Madrid, once the capital of Spain, famous for marzipan, swords and it's school of translators. The station itself was impressive, with a small garden of palm trees and the station in what once must have been a church, with beautiful mosaic tile work on the walls and the floor, and big stained glass windows.
We got the bus up the hill, sat down for coffee and planned an itinerary to go round the main sights including a mosque, synagogue, the cathedral and the alcázar (fortress), which together reflected the variety of culture heritage of the city - (Moorish invasion of Spain 711-1492). The architecture was a beautiful mix of european and arabesque and it was really peaceful walking up and down the small, narrow, cobbled streets wrapped up warm to protect ourselves from the freezing cold and the wind: the views were stunning...
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