Spanish knife Toledo
In 1998 we traveled to Spain.One of the places that we visited was Toledo, renowned for its steel and sword making since the time of the Romans. Hannibal carried a sword made in Toledo during the Punic wars and it became standard issue for the Roman legions as they swept through the known world. So naturally I decided the I should get a knife while I was there. Back in 1998 finances were tight and the closest I could get to a Toledo sword was a small paring knife. We still have that knife in our kitchen today ( top knife in the set of three ), I have had to replace the handle, the point has broken of and been repaired and the tang actually broke and was re-welded during the handle change, but it is still a pleasure to use and is now used almost exclusively for slicing mangoes! I have used the basic design on a number of knives, the two in the picture are the same basic shape ( before the tip broke off ) the first one has a birdseye huon pine handle and the second on uses giraffe bone. great little knives that will get used everyday.
While I was in Spain I took this picture of the Castillo de Almodóvar del Río. A Magnificent castle in Cordoba . We had arrived in the late afternoon, but it was definitely a morning shot so We had to find some accommodation and wait until the morning. It was totally worth it and this image was one of 5 Gold awards that were part of the criteria to become a Grand Master of Photography with the Australian Institute of Professional photography ( AIPP )
