Thimble 003 Toledo, Spain

This is a thimble I brought back from Spain to my grandmother to add to her collection.

It's made in the typical Toledo gold way called 'Damasquinado'. I will share a link here for you to see how it is made. The video is in Spanish but if you skip to minute 8, you can see how they make it, with 24 k. gold filament that is incrusted into the piece they are making.

Toledo was and is famous for its steel and sword-making as well. In fact, before air travel was so controlled, you could see lots of tourists going back to the States with their Toledo swords in hand as they boarded planes. Nowadays you have to pack them in your bags and can't carry them on. Many swords for movies are also made in Toledo.

Toledo is a magical city with so many sights to see that it is impossible to begin. My favorite places are El Greco's house and the cathedral, which is one of the largest and most important in Spain. The town is on a hill and you can't miss a view of it from the Parador on the other side of the river Tajo. In the link to Toledo, Spain, you can see many photos of how spectacular the city is.

El Greco lived in Toledo and painted the view of the city as well as his famous elongated figures that you can see in the Prado Museum in Madrid and in Toledo itself. My favorite is the Burial of the Count of Orgaz, which you can see in the Church of Santo Tomé in Toledo.

Walking through the streets of Toledo you can almost feel the magic of how it must have felt hundreds of years ago when it was a city inhabited by the Christians, the Jewish and the Muslim people. It has so many little shops that if you stopped in even half of them, you would need a month to do it.

During one week in June there is a contest where the inner courtyards compete to decide which one is the most beautiful. If you are lucky enough to be in Toledo then, I highly recommend seeing the patios. They are usually closed to the public but during this week, you can see how they are decorated with flowers and fountains. Do watch the video about the patios with music by Paco de Lucia in the link on the right!

Don't forget to take your best, most comfortable walking shoes! You will be glad you did.

Once again, this little thimble holds a whole world in it: the world of a city so steeped in history and beauty, that my words can never do it justice.