Holy Toledo!

Travel is so much more than pure enjoyment. You learn so much; about the place you're visiting, about smarter ways to travel, and about yourself. My friend Barbara had recommended I read Iberia , the James Michener classic, which I picked up just before leaving Seattle. This book is a 'must read' for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of Spain and the Spanish people. I took the liberty of jumping between chapters, just to be sure I read up on a city we were about to visit. And the book lends itself well to this.

I particularly loved the chapter he wrote on Toledo. In the 60's Michener was fortunate to spend a good amount of time there , something I soon learned is worthwhile. A World Heritage Site, Toledo is one of the few places in the world where Christians, Muslims and Jews live harmoniously together. Evidence of the three cultures is everywhere you look in the Old City. Because it is just a quick train ride from Madrid, throngs of people visit, most for just the day.

Atocha station, Madrid. We finally got seats on a train to Toledo!



 So the best way to really see Toledo would be to spend at least two days, preferably more. What I had hoped to do was retrace Michener's path as he wandered from the grand cathedral in the center of the city, to the Jewish and Muslim neighborhoods, and visit the site where loyalist forces held out at the point of starvation for ten weeks during the Spanish Civil War.

Alas, my grand tour was not to be, as we made the most of our one day in this amazing city.

But both Jeff and I were very taken by the grandeur of the cathedral. This building alone took two centuries to complete. It houses some amazing art along with treasures bought and pillaged from the new world.

the lower part of the altar



the upper dome of the Transparente



The Transparente is a marvel of architecture, engineering, and art. At some point in the construction of the cathedral, the man in charge wanted to better illuminate the altar. To do this  a huge hole was made in the ceiling and another in the back upper part of the altar. As light shone in, it created a beautiful glow. Meanwhile up in the dome around the big hole are carvings and frescoes that boggle the mind.

One of the most interesting parts of the cathedral is the small chapel in the rear of the church that was created for the muslims who converted to catholicism. To this day, the mass is said in arabic at 9AM. This is the only time the chapel is open to visitors.

A quick visit to a store selling and displaying steel products, for which Toledo is known;

  a quick look into the Santa Cruz museum;

    a peek at the Alcazar which is closed for renovations;

       a bit of lunch;

.....and we were back on the train zipping to Madrid determined to revisit this wonderful place (for a few days!) on our next trip to Spain.

Check out  other pictures of Toledo. by clicking this link.