Toledo

 The train to Toledo from Madrid takes only 35 minutes. It was a good trial run for 2 Americans accustomed to the big handy car in the driveway. We had checked out the Atocha train station the day before. It is quite large and confusing. There is a large indoor garden complete with turtle pond.

The approach to Toledo reveals the battlements rising up off a massive granite hill. It is completely walled. Toledo has a long history beginning with an Iberian settlement conquered by the Romans in 192 BC, followed by the Visigoths in the 6th century and the Moors in the 8th. It was the Moors who left a lasting legacy of architecture religion and learning. The mazelike streets and predominance of brick are their influence. Interiors have Mudejar designed ceilings. Toledo for me has best been known for the artist El Greco. When he lived and worked in Toledo, the town was in decline. I think due to this, El Greco was neglected until the 19th century thus preserving most of his major works in Toledo.
Our first day here we walked for hours through the streets which were narrow, cobbled and hilly. We visited the Cathedral. I thought maybe Gaudi had time traveled and left
his mark. It was much too grandiose and lacking in aesthetics for me. The choir is
unusually located in the center of the nave. Every inch of its dark wood is carved; the
seats depict the fall of Granada. In the treasury is El Greco’s Espolito, which offended
the Inquisition because Christ was on a lower level than some of the other
figures, landing EG in jail. Another church, San Roman, which was far more beautiful in its simplicity, was covered in 13th century Mudejar frescos and ceiling. That night we took another walk. It was very quiet and romantic. All the tourists had left (except us lol).

Toledo