¡Toledo!

I've just returned from the beautiful city of Toledo!

I had a great time today, although a little stressful because of learning my way around the train station, and then navigating the city without a good map. But the trip was fun and I enjoyed it very much!

We took the Renfe Avante train, which gets to Toledo much faster than a bus. I really liked it because the Train is bigger and more comfortable than any plane and much faster than a bus. I hope I get the chance to take it more. The trip to Toledo was very short and cheap: 15 euros for round trip, and only a half hour on the train. I ended up going with people after all, even though I was planning to go by myself. My housemate Rachel and her friends Mary and Ellen both came and our mutual friend Neil.

When we got there we walked into the city which was cool because we got to see the medieval city walls and the alcazar, which was originally a medieval muslim fort, and then was converted into a palace when the reconquista came through Toledo.

We first stopped at the art museum Santa Cruz, which was not showing its usual famous Greco paintings, in favor of a collection by a modern artist (I was a fan, El Greco and renaissance art never really appealed to me). The building was beautiful though, as all of them were in Toledo.

Toledo is one of Spain's really excellent examples of the mixing of the three cultures of medieval Spain: Christian, Jewish, and Muslim. The Cathedral is all Gothic splendor as in many Spanish cities, but the city walls sport keyhole arches and the synagogues are all heavily influenced by Moorish architecture. (above is a Photo of the inside of the synagogue santa Maria La Blanca, which was a synagog converted to a church during the unification and then restored but still owned by a church, thus the mix-match name)

Toledo was also host to one of the bloodiest battles of the Spanish civil war, during which

Franco bombed it from the hills. There are still many places where you can see that reconstruction was done.

I think my favorite place was the Monastery of San Juan de los Reyes. It was where Isabella and Ferdinand were supposed to be buried, but when they conquered Granada back from the Moors, they decided to be buried there as a show of confidence in their intent to hold the south of Spain forever more. It's a really ornate place with a beautiful courtyard full of fruit trees and flowering bushes. Here's one of many pictures:

Toledo's high on a hill position also offers great panoramic views of the Spanish countryside. It was really beautiful. I found myself thinking on more than one occasion as I gazed out over miles and miles of serene vistas, "Maybe Spain just goes on forever... wouldn't that be nice?"

Well, If you want to see more of these places and all, go to my facebook! (There there are pictures that actually have me in them) They are actually really great. There is some great photography in Toledo.

Well, until next time, I'll try to stay low-stress and figure out more plans.-Traveling makes my head split sometimes!-

Love to all!

A