Towering Toledo

Woke up really early this morning to catch the 30min morning commute to Toledo via the high-speed AVE train. Really a struggle to get out of bed since I have been sleeping few hours the past few nights commuting between various cities since Amsterdam to Spain last week. The cold chill of the morn didn´t help and it was tempting to continue curling up between the sheets.

But Toledo beckoned and I did not want to miss out the magnificent experience, having read all about it in the guidebooks. Got my ride and was greeted by the morning cold of 2 degrees Celsius. Damn, didn´t know it will be this cold. Thought Toledo being further south of Madrid should do better in terms of weather but it was colder in fact!

Got out of the train station and it was totally a ¨wasteland¨ where I disembarked. There were no taxis at the train station. No tourist office to give useful travel advice to the clueless traveller like moi. No clear signage as to where I was on the locality map and how to get to the main tourist sights. This is one of those times I did not know how to get to where I wanted to go so just gave it a wild shot and walked in the direction of Alcazar which is my numero uno attraction to see. FYI, this was a fortress built in the 10th century by a Muslim ruler but was largely destroyed during the Spanish Civil War.

After a short trek, finally could take it no longer and stopped by a roadside cafe and got my coffee and dough fritters (yes, it tastes very much like the ÿou tiao we have in Singapore). What serendipity too, when Jerry discovered that the tourist information office was right next door and after a useful map from a very helpful staff, Jerry was very much on track.

Toledo is by far the most interesting of all the cities I have visited in mainland Spain thus far. Being one of the first to reach Toledo in the morning, I had the luxury of soaking in the historic atmosphere of its surroundings without any noise disturbance. The magnificent gothic cathedral, the imposing city walls, the Alcazar fortress were magical.

Really wonder why Franco did not make Toledo the capital city of Spain. The depth of its historic roots would have been an obvious choice but guessed the power of the Catholic Church there (it was the seat of Catholic authority in Spain) might have been a threat to his absolute hold of power. In a way, I am glad that Toledo is not the capital which probably enabled to retain its charms.

Finally arrived at the Cathedral de Toledo and I was immediately taken by the opulence of its interior and the various catholic relics - cloaks worn by the bishops, the cups for communion, etc. This is way different from the Temple de La Familia de Sagrada but still it is beautiful. Glad to have finally enjoyed the premise in relative peace and quiet; just as I was about to leave, was suddenly besieged by the massive crowds of Korean and Chinese package tourists. Adios you poor souls who do not have the pleasure of exploring the spirit of the city!

Tracked down the El Greco trail since this is a ¨must-do¨ suggested by LP. El Greco was this famous Greek painter who did a few impressive pieces and who rose to posterity after his death, penniless (what´s new?) Also checked out an old synagogue in the Jewish Quarter but the relics were ok - could have appreciated much more if there had been more explaination in English at the museum.

Generally, will recommend Toledo to anyone who wants to have a taste of what historical Spain is really like. You won´t be disappointed. Just walking around the streets of this UNESCO World Heritage City will make you exhilarated.

Great, this is my first real enjoyable city in Spain. Hope to see more in Andalucia!