My good friend Alex, who I met at UCR and is currently studying in the United Kingdom, dropped into Alcalá de Henares for a visit. The plan to travel to Toledo was hatched on a Friday night when a Spanish friend, Javier (I call him Javi, pronounced Obbie), offered to drive us there. Now, Craig and I have made an attempt nearly every single weekend to visit Toledo, but something has always gotten in the way, be it bad directions to the wrong bus station, or necessary catch-up time for work. So, when Javi made this offer I of course smiled and agreed, but had not even the slightest faith that it would happen. Imagine my surprise when I found myself piled into a Ford (of all cars) and whipping around the curves of the road on Sunday morning.
It was the first time Craig and I had been in a car in nearly three months, and it was pretty much the same except for the scarier, narrower roads. The ride up consisted of small talk, mostly about Toledo’s history and architecture.
Toledo is the only known city, according to the Spanish citizens I’ve talked to, in which Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived in peace for an extended period, especially under Arab rule. It is known as the most religious city in Spain, or the Holy Capital (Holy Toledo!). The city was once the capital of Spain and has passed through the armed hands of the Visigoths, the Romans, and the Moors. The city is known for its military force. It is famous for its ironwork; swords and daggers decorate the windows of the storefronts and museums of artillery and ancient weapons of torture are hidden throughout its narrow streets. The structure of the city itself is that of a fort; the streets are tight and twisting, spiraling and nearly identical, almost impossible to navigate even with a map. It is difficult to continue uphill for too long, and no street leads in a straight direction.
But, after parking near the bullring and working our way slowly upward on cobblestone roads, we reached the palace, or Alcázar. It is gigantic, wide and intimidating, stationed on the hilltop overlooking the river and the military academy. The palace has been transformed into a military museum and (one of the unfortunate things about Sunday daytrips) it was closed.
Toledo is also the second home (and death place) to El Greco, and once again, unfortunately, the museum that features his art was also closed!
We were lucky though—the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo’s doors were wide open to us (after we paid our seven euro each, of course) and we spent the remainder of the afternoon exploring its structure and art, gawking over certain pieces (some by El Greco, including The Disrobing of Christ) and sighing at the extravagance. 
I snapped two or three pictures before a loudspeaker message came on asking everyone to kindly put their cameras away, but the truth is that a camera could not give justice to this beauty and wealth. Alex and I stared up at a carved marble, stucco, bronze, and painted altar for some time, marveling at the exquisite detail and symbolism. Can you believe, he said, that this artwork is older than our country? It is a wonderful concept. Wikipedia tells me that the altar is called El Transparente and that it was constructed by Narciso Tomé from 1721-1732.
One note on the food: Javi took us to a small restaurant called La Abadia. We were led down the stairs into a cool cellar, which I can only imagine is Heaven in the summertime with its stone walls and chilly tile floors. The food is what I would call Chic Spanish, mixing traditional flavors and dishes and adding international style. Craig and I had watched a program about the Spanish food (Anthony Bourdain’s ‘No Reservations’ as a matter of fact) and the expert stated that the Spanish chefs are overtaking the French in innovation and taste. We, honestly, scoffed at this idea at the time, but after tasting the food at this restaurant I may stand corrected. We shared plates of pâté, cured duck, venison with pepper sauce, blood sausage egg rolls, jamón, smoked salmon salad; and finally, a platter of very rare steak, chorizo, blood sausage, ribs, and wine sausage. This girl doesn’t like to eat much meat, and I ate everything that day. I would like to inform you that I tried morcilla (blood sausage) again, twice in one meal, and that it really doesn’t taste bad. Actually, it tastes quite good, a little like barbequed beans with a chalky aftertaste. My psychological side still doesn’t allow me to love it, but I imagine if I didn’t know what it was I might nibble on it every so often. Anyway, the meal was fabulous. If all we had done was journey to Toledo for lunch and returned back home, it would have been worth it for the yummies.
And when you combine good eats with beautiful sights and good company? You can’t ask for much more. Alex, thanks for visiting. We enjoyed having you around!
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