Private tour in Toledo Paul O
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Paul O.
4.9
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Hello! Let me briefly introduce myself. I'm half British and half Spaniard, fully bilingual in English and Spanish. I also speak good French. Traveling has always been my passion since I was a little kid, as my father worked for an American company, and I had the chance to travel to several countries. I've primarily lived in Spain, but also in France (Paris, the UK, and the US). I can speak English with both British and American accents. I had my first trip as a tour guide when I was 15, as my American family came to Spain, and I went with them to Madrid's old town, Segovia, Toledo, and El Escorial. I discovered I liked it a lot. I have been organizing private tours since then. I have a degree in Music (piano and musical language) and Geology. This latter allowed me to explain many facts about the landscape and even several historical facts about old towns like Toledo, Segovia, and Madrid. Geology is, surprisingly, pretty important to establish a settlement. Among other things I've done during my professional career, I had two restaurants and two small wineries, so food and wine have no secrets for me. I can humbly say I'm a good chef. I have been teaching how to cook Spanish cuisine to many people throughout my life, many of them foreigners. Wine production is an art, and I have been collaborating with several enologists to obtain high-quality wines. With this experience I would be able to teach you how to prepare genuine Spanish food, not to mention organizing visits to wineries and get a good understanding about how to produce good wines and how to taste them. Personalized tours are my best approach to obtaining a unique experience for tourists. Just in Madrid, there are a lot of unknown places, full of history and even anecdotes, that most people don't know, and will give you the best understanding of Spanish history and culture. Many other places around Madrid remain unknown to visitors, like the seven Romanic churches of Guadalajara (dated from the XII century), the "magical" and mystic canyon of Duratón river in Segovia, with vultures flying over the Templar hermitage built in the plateau over the river, the castles and fortresses that "El Cid Campeador" held in his exile from Castille to Valencia in the XI century, and many others. I'll be glad to offer you any possible personalized tour, in addition to the pre-built tours you'll see displayed here. Traveling is one of the best things we can do in this life, and having a local guide will help you to squeeze every little drop of your experience and make your trip unforgettable. Hope to see you soon! Degree in Geology from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 1981 Degree in Piano and Musical language from the Royal Conservatory of Music of Madrid (1982) None
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If you are a Jew and especially a Sephardic Jew, this tour should be a must, and also for any other people. It's not only part of Spanish History but a symbol of the concord that reigned in Spain for centuries until the end of the XV century. Toledo had the biggest Jewish Quarter of the Iberian Peninsula. For several centuries, Christians, Jews and Muslims cohabited in harmony. Toledo had the famous "Toledo School of Translators" that translated many of the Judeo-Islamic philosophies and scientific works from Classical Arabic into Medieval Latin. Two Synagogues in Toledo have been preserved as they were in the XV century. "Santa María la Blanca" was never consecrated as a Catholic church. Its beauty and harmony were the inspiration for many modern Synagogues built in the US. The two Jewish Quarters still have many buildings from the XV century. Having a walk along them will transport you back in time to the Middle Ages. You will recreate the way of living of their original Jewish inhabitants
I will pick you up at your hotel or the agreed meeting point in Madrid. We will first visit Toledo, including the two Synagogues: - The Synagogue of El Tránsito, AKA the Synagogue of Samuel ha-Levi or Halevi. It was built as an annexe of the palace of Samuel ha-Levi Abulafia, treasurer to King Peter of Castile, in 1357. - The Synagogue of Santa María la Blanca or Ibn Shoshan Synagogue was built in the late twelfth or early thirteenth century. It is considered the oldest synagogue in Europe still standing. It is accepted that it was erected sometime around 1205. - Walk around the Jewish Quarter. I'd suggest having a classic Sephardic Lunch at the restaurant "Casa de Damasco". We'll drive to Segovia and visit the Jewish District and the "Didactic Center of the Jewish District", which gives complete information about how Jews used to live in Segovia. The museum is in a building that belonged to Abraham Seneor, a wealthy and influential Jew of the XV century. Tour is customizable.
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We'll depart from Madrid to Toledo in a rental car and then to Segovia, and finally back to Madrid. There's no need to use any transport, just walking. Admission tickets can be bought at the entrance of each monument. Please take into account that my tickets are not included either in the tour price and you'd have t pay for them.
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
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