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7-night Flavors of Portugal and Spain with 3 Nights Madrid Pre-Cruise and 3 Nights Lisbon Post- Cruise Cruise/Land Package

Price: $7,079 - # of Days: 13 days

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7-night Flavors of Portugal & Spain With 3 Nights Lisbon Pre-Cruise And 3 Nights Madrid Post-Cruise Cruise/Land Package

Price: $5,340 - # of Days: 13 days

 Package Details

13-night Flavors of Portugal and Spain Cruise/Land Package

Price: Please call for rates - # of Days: 13 days

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Overview

Introduction

The third-largest port city on the Great Lakes, 90 mi/145 km west of Cleveland, Toledo was once the subject of a cantankerous border dispute between Ohio and Michigan. Today, Toledo claims the title of Glass Capital of the World, and you can discover the history of glass at the Toledo Museum of Art and the adjacent University Arts Center (designed by architect Frank Gehry). The museum, which is known particularly for its collection of glass objects, from ancient to modern, also houses fine art from around the world. The city has a number of factory-outlet glass stores, and several glass factories offer tours.

Other city attractions include the Toledo Zoo (don't miss the hippos swimming in the Hippoquarium) and the Botanical Garden (plenty of green and shade for relaxing). The Col. James M. Schoonmaker (formerly the Willis B. Boyer), a museum ship berthed at International Park on the city shore, provides an interesting look at life aboard a lake freighter in the early 1900s. (The tour entails lots of walking and quite a few stairs.) Afterward, take a stroll along the riverfront, which is lined with parks and promenades.

MASH fans will remember that Jamie Farr's character, Corporal Klinger, was from Toledo and often spoke lovingly of his favorite restaurant, Tony Packo's Cafe. Well, Farr was from Toledo in real life, and the restaurant is real and still serving the same spicy Hungarian hot dogs made famous in the show. Take note of all the autographs on display: You'll see the names of entertainers, sports figures and even former U.S. President Jimmy Carter—all signed on hot-dog buns.

Southwest of Toledo, in nearby Maumee, you can visit the Wolcott House Museum Complex—a set of restored structures from the 1800s, ranging from the Federal-style Wolcott House to a simple log cabin. Maumee Bay State Park features a lodge and lots of wildlife.

There's another restored village west of Toledo near Archbold—the Sauder Village—which takes a living-history approach with costumed staff demonstrating the arts of rural life.

Overview

Introduction

Toledo, Spain, a beautiful hilltop city on the Tagus River, has a long history. It was the capital of Roman Spain, center of the Visigoth kingdom, imperial capital under Carlos V and manufacturing center of high-quality Toledo steel and swords (cheap imitations of which are still sold locally).

Toledo (toe-LAY-doh) is also where artist Domenico Theotocopuli, better known as El Greco, lived and painted. He lived there from 1577 until his death in 1614. He used the city as inspiration, most famously in his piece titled View of Toledo.

The city is also a great place for a stroll, as the strong Muslim, Jewish and Christian influences are evident in the narrow winding streets. In 1986, UNESCO named Toledo a World Heritage site.

Architectural highlights include the vast, awe-inspiring Gothic cathedral, the Alcazar, the Cristo de la Luz Mosque, Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca, Sinagoga del Transito (serves as the Sephardim Museum) and the tiny Chapel of St. Tome, which houses El Greco's The Burial of the Conde de Orgaz, which many consider his finest painting. Fans of El Greco should stop by the Casa-Museo de El Greco. The Museo de Santa Cruz has a wide-ranging collection of art and artifacts—the building's wooden coffered ceilings are spectacular.

Reserve some time to sit in a cafe in one of the squares (we enjoy Plaza de Zocodover) or stop in a local tavern. You can also tour the Toledo gold-jewelry factories. If time doesn't allow a full tour, you can at least pause to watch some of the goldsmiths in their shops. Toledo is especially beautiful at night, when the tour groups are gone and the narrow streets are lit by wrought-iron lanterns.

If you're there in the height of summer and the city is crowded with tourists, a nice place to stay is the Parador de Toledo, high on a hilltop over the city on a bend in the river. Though it's not right in town, the inconvenience is more than made up by the spectacular views from the terraces and the rear rooms (the vista is similar to the one portrayed in El Greco's famous View of Toledo).

Most visitors see Toledo on a day's excursion from Madrid or while driving to Granada, but we suggest spending at least one night to absorb the atmosphere. It's only 40 mi/75 km southwest of Madrid, and it's an easy train ride.

The Toledo Tourist Card offers different guided tours of Toledo. Prices start at 23 euros adults and are as much as 75 euros adults when they include the train fare to and from Madrid as well as the Toledo tourist bus. Available at Atocha train station. https://toledocard.com.