Spain -- Part II (Toledo)

Saturday, April 30, 2011

I finally got to see Angelica on Saturday morning. She and Dan picked us up from her brother's apartment. They were staying across Madrid at her parents house. Their kids were staying with her parents for a long Spanish holiday weekend. We had three days and two nights all to ourselves.

We drove South from Madrid to the town of Toledo. During the 13th century Toledo became one of the few places in Spain where Moors, Christians and Jews managed to live together and tolerate eachother more or less peacefully (although not as idyllicly as some history accounts would have us believe), and the singular combination of styles and cultures which resulted from this period in Toeldo's history is one of the city's unique characteristics. Visitors can still admire the remains of churches, mosques and sinagogues built during this time.

We started by visiting the Museum of Santa Cruz. This16th century building that used to be a hospital, has a lovely patio and stairway, and exhibits works of art, tapestries and artefacts found in archeogical excavations.

I'm not sure what I liked better. Seeing this museum or tasting the amazing honey pastries that Dan had packed for us in the car before we entered the museum.

We took a walk around the town. Mind you, it was a slow walk with my pregnant and hobbling self. My ankle was still far from healed.

After that, it was off to the Cathedral of Toledo. Founded in the 1st Century by San Eugenio, the first Bishop of Toledo, it was changed into a mosque by the Arabs during Moorish occupation of Spain, and then converted back into a cathedral by Alfonso VI. In the 13th Century it was destroyed and the impressive Gothic building which can be seen today was built on the old cathedral's foundations. This church was unspeakably impressive on the outside:

But even more impressive on the inside. Truly, I have never seen something as beautiful as this heavenly ceiling that pictures cannot do justice. It truly felt like you were glimpsing into heaven. In all the museums and cathedrals I have been in throughout the world, this may have been one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen:

Here's another beautiful view inside the church:

From there we headed to the city of Merida (founded in 25 BC). This city boasts the most Roman ruins of any Spanish city.

The most impressive part of this stop was including a theatre and amphitheatre which are still in use today for performances during summer theatre festivals. (They were actually setting up for one while we were there but obviously having trouble with the intermittent rain showes.) Merida Amphitheatre is an extremely well preserved Ancient Roman amphitheatre. The Emperor Augustus (63 BC - AD 14) established the Roman colony known Augusta Emerita and which would become Merida in 25 BC. Completed in 8 BC and able to seat up to 15,000 spectators, this elliptical amphitheatre was finally abandoned in the fourth century AD. Today, the walls of Merida Amphitheatre are still intact together with some of its seats and it gateways, showing a detailed outline of what it would have looked like in its day.

After visiting the Roman Ruins we headed to our "hotel" for the evening -- the Parador Zafra. Pardoress of Spain are medieval castles, Moorish fortresses, ancient monasteries, stately manor houses of the past that have been renovated with modern conviences for guests to stay in. There are 93 of these Pardores all throughout Spain. These were founded in 1928 in an attempt to historically preserve these amazing places.

Here are some photos of the first Pardores that we stayed at:

Time for a good night sleep! I'll continue to flashback on our entire six day trip in Spain. For now, I am so incredibly excited to be home and have my little boys back in my arms.