Holy Toledo!



The cathedral

After spending two days in hectic, bustling, and insightful Madrid we headed off to Toledo, the old capital of Spain. Toledo was a city I had never heard of (I really didn't know much about Spain or it's histories before I came here) and knew nothing about what might be in store. I personally like surprises (the good ones) and have built up no expectations (for the most part) as to what to expect throughout my adventures here in Spain. I did some light reading about the histories of Toledo in my guidebook the night before, but everytime I sit down to read something at night I end of falling asleep, simply exhausted from the adventures of the day, so I didn't get a whole lot of reading done. However, I knew there would be something about cliffs and a river, and it didn't sound like too bad of a place. Holy Toledo, was I in for a good surprise. Driving into Toledo (through the bus window) I could see tall old walls of stone winding their way up a hill with arched entrances and meticulously carved figures. We picked up our tour guide Mario (who was wearing pink pants(Spanish men's fashion is a whole entire blog in itself)), and headed out to get a better look at things. We saw the oldest bridge in Spain, also made of this mesmerizing mixture of old stone, and more old walls that surrounded the old city. Then we came to the top of the hill on the opposite side of the river of the city and then you see the city for it's real beauty. Toledo is a city on a tall hill/cliff surrounded on three sides by a river (obviously a great location to defend in the numerous wars of 700). From across the river you can see the huge castle (not quite as old because it had to be rebuilt several times from its destructions during wars), an equally huge cathedral (the second largest in Spain that took 300 years to construct), and endless sights of houses, churches, bridges, buildings, and a literal feast for the eyes. But that is just the view from the outside. While walking along the steep streets (all made out of old rocks and cobblestones) you can't help but look around with your mouth wide open. You get an immediate feel for the beauty and history that the city holds. It is a quiet place with people relaxing outside at cafes and restaurants as well as others wandering around with their mouths open wide too. We spent the day touring the city, as Mario narrated the various histories of each building and sight to us. We visited (old church of isabel), the cathedral, a painting, and as always, spent about an hour in a unique dining experience sampling various tapas. After we retired to the hotel outside of the old city and took a siesta (always needed), my roommate and I ventured back into the old city (managed to get a taxi on our own), to wander through the streets of Toledo and sit in awe of the gothic style cathedral. We returned to the hotel, exhausted and sad to leave the next morning. However, I left with a new found and surprising love for this wonderful place and definitely one thing in my mind, Holy Toledo!


The view of Toledo from across the river



What a view of the river!