Fairy-Tale Land
Written: Jul 07 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: relaxing, very very pretty
Cons: not many -- but well, don't come here to shop
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| yikuno's Full Review: Toledo |
What struck me first about Toledo were its steep cobbled roads. Situated at the top of a hill, it takes some physical effort to navigate, but is worth every drop of perspiration. The little town looms before one's eyes like a fabled land, surrounded by medieval walls and populated with quaint towers.
I was in Toledo for the much-advised-against day trip from Madrid, the day before I was scheduled to fly back to London from Barcelona (and hence the decision just to make Madrid our base from which to travel to Barcelona and not to complicate matters more). It was hot and I wasn't feeling well -- a leftover effect from Morocco the week before. But the walk into the city from the bus station did me good (it's cheap to take a bus from Madrid to Toledo -- approx. 6 USD one-way and it takes only one hour or so) and by the time I passed through Toledo's city walls, I was completely prepared to be charmed by this place.
Toledo is amazingly small and infinitely negotiable by foot. In fact, I would recommend only walking in order to truly experience this city. The streets can get alarmingly narrow, yet you will still find cars swerving in and out of the slimmest alleys. Turning a corner, you might unexpectedly come upon a plaza or a romantically deserted street shadowed by the canopies strung between adjacent roofs. Despite the fact that we came upon many tour groups, also in rather unexpected places, Toledo is essentially a peaceful and quiet city to be breathed in at one's own pace.
My friends and I did not intend to visit many traditionally touristy areas because we had been in Spain for quite a while previously, and had grown a little bored of similar-looking churches. What we did intend to do was to walk, eat a good meal, see whatever we could happen upon. This plan worked like a charm. We saw some synagogues, the Alcazar from the outside (rather unimpressive -- but the opening hours were over by the time we got there), a monastery, and many many tourist shops, the last of which is an unfortunate part of every well-known scenic town. We sat and ate outdoors -- tortillas, pollo (chicken), a strange supa de la casa (soup of the house) -- and casually waved flies away. The afternoon passed by in a blissful haze.
Of course, we could not afford to miss the magnificent catedral, the virtues of which are so lovingly extolled in Lonely Planet and just about everywhere else. Entrance is free, which is a big bonus to us (we were poor as we were at the end of our trip), fees only required for certain areas of the catedral.
The catedral did not disappoint, being easily the most awesome I have seen so far (though as a qualification, I haven't seen many at all). It is huge, with ceilings soaring up into the sky and fantastic art/architecture. Every, and anywhere one looks, there will be an intricately carved wall or a breathtakingly painted ceiling. The story of Jesus Christ is told through a wall of sculpted plates, wonderfully detailed. I bitterly regretted my ignorance of the Bible, knowing that if I had known even 50% of the story, I would surely have been bewitched beyond my own power. I spent as long as possible staring up at ceilings before my neck started to ache. The air was heavy with holiness in this blessed place even with tourists milling around, many taking pictures despite the fact that cameras are not allowed.
After the catedral, we took a leisurely walk down to the bridge leading out of the city. That was my second personal highlight of the day, for the bridge offers beautiful views from practically all angles, and the observer will be captivated against his/her own will. Nowhere else does Toledo look more charming or unreal.
What I liked most about Toledo, however, was its intensely small-town feel. There're shops all over the place, to be sure, but not many big franchises at all (only McD's, which crops up everywhere). The restaurants are personal, unpolished, delicious. Small purple scooters suddenly appear around the corner and threaten to run the unwitting pedestrian down in the small alley. The plazas are not big and equipped with intimidatingly beautiful fountains and statues, but tiny and strewn with cafés.
I have heard that Toledo is a town to be experienced at night as well, and I can well believe that to be true. We were (or rather my friend was) sorely tempted to stay in the youth hostel, which was reputed to be situated in a castle. But alas, we had to leave this enchanting place by twilight.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
yikuno
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Location: North Carolina, USA
Reviews written: 24
Trusted by: 16 members
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