Trudging Through Toledo

We were trudging because it was raining. But not constantly. Let me begin at the beginning.
Our intention was to leave for Toledo at around 9:30. Somehow that just didn't happen, but we did manage to catch the Madrid-Toledo bus at 11:30. After about an hour ride, we entered the city. We bought a Toledo map and exited the bus station to start looking for things to see. Toledo is a city on a hill, so we had some inclines to climb. It's also a walled city, so we had to walk around the wall. We soon arrived at the gate, called Bisagra, to the old city and entered old Toledo. It was similar to Segovia, with tile-roofed stucco houses, wrought-iron "fences" over many windows, even blooming geraniums in clay pots in the windows. But the city seemed taller. We had to look up a lot to see the architecture. We came to a square (it was more of a triangle), bought empanadas in a small restaurant, and ate them on the street. Well, not literally on the street. Actually we were standing in a doorway where there was no action. Then ...surprise...a man tried to come out of the doorway. We apologized for being in the way and he said, "Buen provecho!" which means "good appetite!" That's the second time a stranger has sent us that wish as we were eating.
As we stopped to eat, we noticed several mazapan (marzipan) shops. We decided that marzipan was important to Toledo, so I determined to buy some. I finally did just before we left the old city. In the literature I read on the bus ride back home, I learned that marzipan had been "invented" by the Arabs and brought into Toledo where it found a home. Even the nuns make and sell marzipan (but theirs was more expensive).
Many of Toledo's streets were tiny, winding alleys. Ginny almost didn't get out of the way fast enough as one car zoomed (tried to zoom, he had to back up and take the turn again) past us in an alley. She said, "He almost squashed me!"
We had gone to Toledo to see the Alcazar (castle) and we did get to see the outside, but the inside was being renovated, so we were out of luck on that.
As we wandered through the city, we came upon the Toledo Cathedral, a palace, and several churches, monasteries, and convents. They were all centuries old and simply beautiful. We did get to go into Iglesia de Santo Tome (a Catholic church) to see the famous El Greco painting "The Burial of Count Orgaz". Ginny had studied it in school and wanted to see it. In front of the painting was the actual tomb of Count Orgaz. (Jane, did you get to see the painting when you were here? I thought about you as we walked through the town.)
It did drizzle off and on, but the sun came out a few times, too. All in all it was a beautiful visit and a very nice day.

More observations:
*When Spanish people meet or say good-bye, they give each other dos besos, that is two kisses...one on each cheek. I've gotten to do that twice now with Ginny's roommates.
*The paper towel and toilet paper rolls are shorter than those at home.
*You can't easily find zip-lock bags or ice here.
*When you get on a bus, either everyone sits in their assigned seats or everyone ignores their assigned seats. The only way to know the difference is whether or not someone fusses at you for sitting in their seat!