Another fine day for our exploration of Toledo.  We ignored the Alcazar, which looks good, but was actually blown up by Republican forces during the siege of Franco's forces in 1936 during the Civil War. Franco had it rebuilt and turned into a museum.  It is now an Army Museum.
Our first stop was the Cathedral.   During the 3 yrs of Muslim rule this was the city's central Mosque, which was destroyed in 1085. The building of the Cathedral started in the 13th C.
 
On one side of the nave is the Choir with superbly carved choir stalls.

Opposite this is the Capilla Mayor with a fantastic altarpiece


Behind the altarpiece is some fantastic baroque architecture and painting.
 

The Chapter House has a beautiful 500 yr old carved wooden ceiling
 
In the Sacristy is a small art gallery containing several paintings by El Greco. and other painters.
 
The cloister is very light and airy, with lots of lovely paintings and chapels.
 

Our next port of call was the Iglesia de Santo Tome, which at first we had some difficulty finding, hidden away in the narrow winding streets leading to the Jewish quarter.
This church contains El Greco's masterpiece 'El Enterrio del Conde de Orgaz '( The Burial of the Count of Orgaz)   Included in the painting are El Greco himself, his son and Cervantes.
The painting has recently been restored and is so fresh and bright it looks as though it was painted last week, not in the 16th C!
 
By now we were a bit 'cultured out' so retreated back to the MH for lunch