Holy Toledo!

Trip Start May 06, 2009
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23
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Trip End Jun 30, 2009


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Where I stayed
(Toledo hotels)

Flag of Spain and Canary Islands  , Castile-La Mancha,
Friday, June 26, 2009

Arriving at Toledo's train station gives one that wild, wild, west feeling and sure enough, when you enter the city and scan its vast panorama, you can see dust, dry land and cactus-like shrubs in the distance—the perfect haven for snakes and scorpions. Toledo (La Castile-La Mancha region) is only a half an hour train ride from Madrid. It is incredibly well-preserved, and the entire city has been declared a national monument (modern exteriors are prohibited by the Spanish government). Toledo sits atop a circular hill and its tight tangle of streets, which cascade down from the top, are encircled by the Tajo River. Due to its tangled history, Toledo has Roman, Jewish, Visigothic, Moorish and Christian influences, which is most visible in its buildings’ facades. Toledo was Spain’s capital until 1561, when Philip II moved to more spacious Madrid. When we arrived at our hotel, two maintenance men were cautiously guarding a corner of the lobby, as there was a very long snake coiled up and they were contemplating a way to catch it with the end of a mop handle. We later found out that Toledo has at least ten different types of vipers. We cooled off in the hotel’s pool and Paul went to the supermarket for beer and sandwich fixings, which we enjoyed while watching the soccer game (Spain surprisingly loss to USA). We took a cab into the city, at Plaza Zocodover, at around 10:30pm. Toledo’s "nightlife" at first seemed a bit disappointing, especially after being in Alicante, but we soon found out how to rip it up in what Paul refers to as “the mean streets of Toledo” the next night. The Cathedral
The Cathedral
 This evening, we had a few beers on the terrace at Plaza Zocodover, and walked downhill back to our hotel, passing another Plaza del Toro. Toledo is a very unique city, and its medieval presence is especially characteristic at night.

The next morning, we took the outdoor escalators that bring you up, up, up into the city, at Plaza Zocodover. We walked the zig-zagging streets, and stopped into the many souvenir stores, which are the most alluring anywhere in Europe. Toledo is guaranteed to sell tons of souvenirs. This is the place to buy medieval-looking swords, armor, knives, and other antique-looking objects. Craftspeople typically inlay black steel with gold, silver and copper wire. Spain’s top bullfighters wouldn’t have their swords made anywhere else. We visited the workshop of Mariano Zamarano and saw him making swords and knives. His shop is tucked into a little corner of a remote street. Enrique Ponce even had Mariano make his swords. Judging by what’s left of Mariano’s hand, his knives are among the sharpest. We then visited the cathedral, and the museum Santa Cruz, which contains paintings by El Greco (“the Greek,” who was born in Greece, but lived and died in Toledo). We also toured the ancient instruments of torture exhibition, and walked passed the Alcazar (former imperial residence and refuge to Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War of 1936). We stopped for lunch (lomo, of course) and then walked over a bridge to the train station, looking for snakes the entire way. The Cathedral pt2
The Cathedral pt2
 There were none to be seen. We hit the pool when we returned to the hotel, and then watched the first half of the Brazil-South Africa game. We also watched live footage from Alicante on the news, as they completed the festival by burning all the floats throughout the city. The host of the newscast was live, in front of our hotel, amidst the ashes that was once the great float we passed by each day. The burning of all monuments is the traditional conclusion to the festival of St. Joan. We caught the second half of the soccer game at an Irish pub in Plaza Zocodover. By this time, we were quite drunk and attempted to find a restaurant on Calle Alfonso X, which we planned earlier to have dinner at. We roamed the streets, drunk, for over an hour and had fun clowning around and videotaping "The Blair Witch Project- Part II (using the light on the camera for horrific effects). We asked locals for directions, but continued to get lost in the tangled streets. At about 11:30pm, we pulled the plug on the operation and decided to dine at the classiest restaurant in Toledo- McDonald's. We kept our tops on, however. For dessert, I had Mazapan, which is a typical Toledan dessert with different fillings and flavours. We then headed back to our hotel and went to sleep, as we had to catch an 8am train the nest morning,


Many are apt to picture Spain as a charming region, much like that of Italy. While it is charming, it is nothing like Italy, and Toledo perfectly represents all of Spain's charms. Though there may be exceptions in some of its regions, for the greater part, Spain is a rough and rugged country (still beautiful in this right), with untamed mountains, long sweeping plains, herds of cattle and bulls, destitute of thick vegetation and forests. Being in this environment gives you a feeling like no other country could, at least for us. The country has something like a dusty, desert style that impresses upon you in a different way that other countries do. Spain is very beautiful, and we will return again one day.


P & J
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