Mouse and Marmot

Travel Quote: Everyday Things - Bryson

Travel Quote: The Aesthetic of Lostness - Bradbury

Travel Quote: The Mountains Are Calling - Muir

Travel Quote: Sitting - Allen

Travel Quote: A New Way Of Seeing - Miller

Travel Quote: Foreign Lands

Travel Quote: The Sleeper Must Awaken

Spain: Toledo - Sunsets

On our first night in Toledo, we arrived too late to scope out much of the city. We didn’t want to miss the sunset after all the rain we’d had in the North, so we walked along the road until we came to a little east-facing park. Here we were rewarded with a rich sunset that used every shade of orange.

The second evening, we walked down to the bridge, Puenta del Rey. A path descended from there, running along the Teja river. People were fishing, eating picnic dinners, and even rock climbing. At the end of the path, we found a ferry or barco, so we grabbed a quick dinner, and came back to the ferry for sunset.  

The barco was a simple box that ran from bank to bank along a cable. Geese paddled alongside looking for handouts. The barco operator was quite friendly and told us to be back by 9 pm or we would have to find a taxi. We crossed and climbed to the top of the opposite bank by 8pm.

The sunset was subdued this time of year, because of the angle of the sun. We hiked up the hill a bit further, to the highest point on the ridge, where we were able to look down on the city as the sun dropped. The bars along the upper bank were beginning to fill as we caught the barco back to town.

In the plaza, we nibbled on Toledo’s famous mazapan and cookies we had purchased from the nuns. We had some wine from the bottle Alex and Carissa had given us. A little boy came up to our bench and spoke Spanish with Kelly. And then snorted like a pig with Ryan. Apparently these noises cross any language and cultural barriers. 

 

Spain: Toledo

We took the AVE to Toledo, via Madrid. The tickets are more expensive, but the high-speed train saves a lot of time.

Toledo is on a steep rocky promontory, overlooking and surrounded by the Tejo River. We opted for a taxi to Zocodover Square, instead of making the long, steep hike. Our hotel, Hostal Centro, was – as the name implies – in the center of old town, adjacent to Zocodover Square. By this point in our trip, we were both sick of pork, so we stooped to lining up with the other tourists for chicken nuggets at the McDonalds in the square.

        
Toledo Cathedral

In the morning, we walked down to Bisagra Gate and passed the Mezquita del Sol, before heading to the Cathedral. The tour groups from Madrid were just beginning to arrive, but we managed to start our visit while they were still getting organized. This kept us one step ahead.

The most unique feature of Toledo’s cathedral is the altarpiece, El Transparente. Light streams in through a large skylight, spilling onto flowery Baroque carvings. Two cardinal hats hung from the edge of the opening. Apparently, if you are a cardinal, you get to choose your final resting place in the Cathedral, and a final place to hang your hat (until it rots off). In Italy we entertained ourselves playing Name That Saint, here we counted hats. In the Toledo Cathedral we found 11 cardinal hats.

The Reconquista is depicted in the backs of the seats of the choir, city by city, ending with Grenada. The arm rests and seat bottoms were covered with carved animals, like Noah’s ark had spilled out into the choir. Fun to look at – but I bet it was uncomfortable to sit on.

The sacristy is painted with beautiful frescoes, including the seven deadly sins (labeled).  Muscular carved cherubs looked like heavenly bouncers on the cabinet doors. The Tesoro contained a 430 pound silver tower, which is paraded about during the festival of Corpus Christi. The inner part alone was made of 35lbs of solid gold.

The first floor of the San Cruz museum was mainly tapestries, which we breezed past to get to the peaceful courtyard. A huge stone well rested in one corner of garden, the only remnant of the Moorish mosque that once stood there. The first floor of the contained a few Visigoth artifacts (though all explanations were only in Spanish). The second floor contained 18 El Grecos (although Kelly was only able to find 9), including the Assumption of Mary.

We chose not to pay an entrance fee to view the church and saw two synagogues, instead. One synagogue, now called Santa Maria la Blanca and maintained by the Catholic Church, was built in a Christian kingdom by Islamic architects for Jewish use. 

Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes

Heavy chains hung on the outside of the monastery. These are supposed to be the 500-year-old shackles that held the Christians captive in Granada. When the Christians were freed, they brought them to this church.

Colorful tiles, lion arches, and intricate mudejar style woodwork decorated the cloisters. The stone carvings were fanciful, with many creatures apparently made up. The gargoyles were each unique and often humorous - one was a monk using his beard for the spout and another was a waterspout shaped like a flying cow.

The entry into the church from the cloisters was closed. A sign told us to enter through the front of the church - which we did. Well-dressed locals stood outside on a red carpet. They were talking and laughing as if they were waiting for something. Inside, we discovered a wedding in progress. Sitting in the back, we couldn’t hear the ceremony but it was easy to understand what was going on. The immediate family hugged and kissed the bride and groom, who then exited the church, squinting in the sun – and were immediately pelted by rice from all the people gathered outside.

The chattering crowd split up into family groups, with the youngsters escorting the older women across the rough stones. Some got into cars and others walked on to the reception. 

 

Travel Quote: Your Own Path - Gillies