Holy Toledo!
Trip Start
Mar 23, 2007
1
8
9
Trip End
Apr 07, 2007
Toledo,
Spain
Sunday, April 1, 2007
What an awesome day...! It started a little shakily, what with Julia oversleeping, and me waking her up at 8:15am. She said that she hadn't received the wake-up call she had requested from Radha, but it turns out that Radha and I had both tried the phone, only to get a busy signal. Her phone was off the hook. Poor Hhhhulia still hasn't heard the end of that one :-)
We left the hotel by 8:30 (she slept in, but when she got going, she was quick!), and took the subway to Atocha Renfe station. When we got there, we searched a bit for the place to buy tickets. When we found it, around 9:10, we found out that the 9:20 train was already sold out. So we bought round-trip tickets for the 10:20 train, returning from Toledo at 5:25pm. We spent an hour or so going around Atocha Renfe station - a beautiful old brick building, with glass ceiling and miniature rain forest in the central atrium. Julia and I had café con leche, while the guys walked about a bit more. We walked towards the platforms around 10am.
Atocha Renfe station
Julia, Radha and Steve at Atocha Renfe
Atocha Renfe station, it must be mentioned, was the site of the terrible terrorist attacks on March 11, 2004, the events which came to be known as "Spain's 9/11". So it was with a certain curiosity and deep respect that I approached the platforms, and also the security check area. I expected airport-level security at least, but beyond the X-raying of bags... nothing... No metal detector, no extra guards making sure no one sneaks in... I suspect there might have been cameras watching, but somehow, things seemed pretty relaxed.
We took pictures next to the train, and finally boarded and took our reserved seats in car #1. Very nice -- comparable to Japan's bullet train. At 10:20 promptly, the train took off for the 30 minute fast-speed ride to Toledo. The first few minutes took us out of the city, and the landscape rapidly changed to gentle rolling hills covered with early spring growth, stumped trees and a few structures along the way.
"Take the picture already!"
The distance of about 90 km was covered in 30 minutes -- nice... As we neared Toledo, we could tell we were entering a wholly different place. The station had a distinctive Moorish look in its design and architecture. We stepped out of the train, took our bearings, bought a map and started walking towards the walled city.
On the way to Toledo
Optimistically, I had dressed for spring -- sports capris, a long-sleeve sports shirt, running shoes and a thin running wind-breaker. Ha! The wind and temperatures in the low teens were a little more than I'd bargained for, but there was little I could do about it but grin and bear it (my nickname, according to some friends -- figure it out :-)
Walking towards the city
Entering the walled city
So we walked, and walked, and walked some more. Entered the walls of the old city, walked on cobblestones from medieval times, explored little shops and bigger ones selling famed Toledo swords and suits of armour, and other local artwork. We headed towards the great Gothic cathedral, built between 1226 and 1493, and entered for a visit.
The façade of the cathedral
Third in size amongst Gothic cathedrals, surpassed only by those of Seville and Milan, it surprises the visitor who, until he enters the church, has not been able to appreciate the size and scale of the building from the outside, due to Toledo's narrow streets and tight spaces which do not afford great views of the cathedral. Like all great Gothic cathedrals, with vaulted arches and solid pillars, chapels of various sizes all around the inside of the church, and a very large main alter, it inspires awe and wonder, at the thought that it was built nearly one thousand years ago, without the benefit of modern tools and equipment.
Inside Toledo Cathedral
The artful science of the master masons is evident in the position of each stone and brick, and the frescoes and paintings seen throughout testify to the various influences and art styles of the period. For more info and many beautiful pictures, please visit http://www.architoledo.org/cathedral/mosaico.htm and http://www.sacred-destinations.com/spain/toledo-cathedral.ht m
After the cathedral, our tour of Toledo continued, with our somewhat aimless roaming of small streets and plazas, giving us the best sense of how ancient the city is. I always love to walk in cities I don't know, preferably on narrow cobblestoned streets that lead to other narrow streets that open on charming plazas onto which old windows look down.
El Rio Tajo
We sat at a patio restaurant for some paella. We knew from all the restaurants posting the same advertisements for "OK Paella!" that this was "tourist food", the kind of food that lets tourists go back home and say, "I went to Spain and I tried that rice dish, the payaya". So we ordered our OK Paella, despite the knowledge that we were, well, Tourists - with a capital "T".
The Mixed Paella (Julia and me) was... OK. No pun intended. Not great, but filling. Steve's Meat Paella - also OK. Radha's Vegetable Paella... undercooked, not quite edible. On top of having difficulty finding non-carnivorous food, Radha has the worse luck getting properly-cooked food... We sent the paella back, and the waitress brought it back a few minutes later, with the rice better cooked. But still - it wasn't a great meal.
OK Paella!
Nonetheless, we proceeded with our visit of the city by heading towards the Jewish Area -- called "Juderia" in Spanish, it was the neighbourhood, during the years preceding Isabel's and Ferdinand's Catholic Reign over Spain, where Jews established themselves in Toledo. The city was known as one where Christians, Jews and Moors (Muslims) co-habitated peacefully, and profitably, for several centuries, before the Spanish Inquisition chased the Jews out of Spain and they subsequently became known as Sephardic Jews (meaning, from the Iberian peninsula).
Julia hanging on for dear life!
Julia and Steve - with Zoom x11
We walked some more, visited the main synagogue (not as impressive as the cathedral), saw the outside of the painter El Greco's house, and kept walking. Up and down, through narrow streets, other plazas, and through the wall again.
We went back to the first sword store we had seen, and Steve bought the Templar sword he had admired in the morning. A real sword... cool!
Steve and the suit of armour
We made our way, slowly and dragging our aching feet, back to the train station, to catch our 5:25pm train. Tired, low on energy, we were satisfied with our day -- Toledo had not disappointed.
Walking towards the facilities, I saw two guys with heavily-loaded bicycles, busy repacking bags and making sure tires were in good order. I stopped and asked if they spoke English. Right away, one of the guys enthusiastically responded, with a strong Australian accent. We started chatting, and found out that he had previously spent several months biking around Europe, before getting sick and having to go back to Norway (home base for him). He was back to finish his tour of Spain, and was accompanied by his Polish friend who was also his classmate in Norway.
We chatted for quite a while, and took a picture before wishing them both luck and safe travels. It's always so cool to meet world travellers during their journey, when they are both most vulnerable and most open to sharing and talking about their experience. Travellers tend to be truly themselves when they are on the road, away from home and their comfort zone, and having to rely on their wits to "survive". No need to cater to "home expectations" -- in other words, the only expectations to be met are one's own. Basic needs, such as shelter and food, ARE at the forefront of the traveller's thoughts; the traveller's ability to communicate, be open-minded, receptive to others, trusting while maintaining a healthy level of caution, and most importantly, to appreciate all that is around, is key to the traveller's happiness. And happiness is pretty important when travelling. Otherwise, might as well pack it in and go home...
With Ritchie and Janusz, holding the sword
We said good-bye to Ritchie and Janusz (sp?), and boarded our train. Now, Toledo also makes passengers put their bags and belongings through an X-Ray machine. Steve's sword, clearly, could be considered a weapon -- a thing not necessarily welcome aboard trains, plains, and other public transport. Apparently, Renfe (the Spanish railroad company) is either used to visitors to Toledo bringing back swords, or frankly doesn't care that passengers are bringing aboard swords, because no one objected to Steve carrying his Templar sword on board. Huh!
The ride being only 30 minutes, we didn't get a chance to nap much before getting back to the city. We caught the subway back to Diego de Leon (our station), then went on the hunt for a quick bite. Once in a while, ease, convenience and speed win over the desire to experience the true culture of a country, and travellers choose the easy alternative. So Pizza Hut it was!
Even there, I had to translate a bit, since the menu and options were different than what we have in North America. A group of Americans, who were staying at our hotel, walked in, and the Pizza Hut manager asked me to translate for them, as he was trying to give them some promotional items that they were refusing, saying they didn't want to pay for them. It was a present, he insisted, and the Americans eventually left with their oil and vinegar bottles, and salt & pepper shakers.
Early night, more walking - around Old Madrid this time - scheduled for tomorrow.
A great day ending... Buenas Noches!
