Peregrinating Pair: Toledo

For some reason I keep hearing Zero Mostel singing, "Rio, Rio by the Sea-o" (from The Producers) every time I start writing about Toledo. Which is geographically inaccurate and has no links except that the western side of the hilltop town that is Toledo is the Jewish Quarter, and Mostel was playing a pretty awesome Jewish character? Who knows. Brains are weird places.

Anyhoo, B and I took a day trip to Toledo. The Spanish high speed rail system (Saudi scandal notwithstanding) is very impressive. We were comfortably transported from Madrid to Toledo in 32 minutes at an efficient 250 KM/H. The Toledo rail station is a beauty: woodwork and tile work and pleasing colors.

We set out in the brisk 42 degree sunshine and traipsed up and across the bridge, through the gate, and into the walled Old City. I would hate to try driving a car, or walking in high heels, in this town. The streets are insanely narrow and cobbled. But it was a lovely day spent roaming around through the alleyways and up and down stairs.

A Stolen Street


A view of the church we climbed (San Idelfonso)

A view of the Cathedral

The old Monastery (Jewish Quarter)

Christmas Presents?

Cool looking hotel

One takeaway: the town is infested with pigeons. Rats of the skies. The (feral?) cat population needs to up its game. It's not enough to just be cute and furry.

We did some of the sights: the old synagogue, the Jesuit church of San Idelfonso, the Roman Baths, the Caves of Hercules. We stayed until well after dark so we could enjoy the Navidad lights. Which turned out to also be Hanukkah lights in a really weird juxtaposition. Both were lovely. Staying late felt a bit odd. I suppose it's the nature of tourist-dependent areas that they have come to feel a bit like cruise ship ports-of-call. People wing in, take their requisite photos, shop for tchotchkes at the same four stores (repeated through all the different plazas and squares), and then leave on whatever conveyance they arrived in. We have certainly participated in some forms of this type of tourism before, and will likely do so again. But we are hoping to avoid it by slowing our pace and trying to sink into an area. Politics, economics, and sociology aside - walking around the emptied and dark lanes was a good experience.

~ Lucy