España Day 2: Toledo Cathedral

Morning comes bright and clear, the view out from our hotel balcony taking in old downtown, basking in the golden light, something we’ll never forget. Stretch, yawn, lean on the railing, look up and look down the boulevard, oddly quiet and devoid of traffic and pedestrians at 7am, the rumble of a few transit buses the only noise heard. Look how all the buildings glow! What a wonderful start. Yeah…I can feel it…the forecast is for fun and adventure. Leaning over further…“Madrid…I’m mad as hell…I mean…Good Morning!” I think we heard “Buenos días también” coming from down there.

Over breakfast, a most amazing one – all the Iberico Ham you can eat (we had it almost every day and we never tired of it) and other yummy selections. A continental breakfast in Spain is the real deal folks. No wonderbread and tang, but fine meats, homemade biscuits and toast, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed this, fresh brewed that. We were spoiled.

We’ve started the days with no idea what we’d be doing…but we’d think of something. The subject of Toledo comes up in our group, C&C and our hosts, my Sister and hubby. It’s a town not far away, there’s a train to get you there, and most importantly it has a very historic old town district, some buildings going back to the time of the Moors and even the Romans. And centre to it all, there’s a most amazing structure, said to be one of the most beautiful in the entire country, Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo or simply Toledo Cathedral. We’re sold.

Now let the fun begin…

1) Back tracking a bit…on waking, this here view. There’s not a single boring building to be seen here. The effort and design put into them is simply astounding. Seeing all the character buildings in Spain will sour us further to the cold, sterile, soulless business and apartment blocks we have in our part of the world. Just a short soap-box moment here.

2) Walking to the Madrid Station, not all that far from our hotel, here’s the Metropolis Building, a well known landmark in the city. It dates back about a hundred years ago. And the dome, it’s covered in gold flake. You should see it in the sun (later in the day, it’d happen).

1) Good morning Madrid!

3) Fuente de Apolo, or the Statue of Apollo, a Greek God (of music, poetry, the arts, oracles, archery, flocks of animals, light, sun, diseases, healing, and knowledge – he’s a busy fellow). This piece of work is about two hundred years old and stands along a busy boulevard. There’s a lot more statues nearby, in fact the city is full of them, but then if we’d showed you them all, this post would never be completed. It’s huge already!

2) The Metropolis Building.

4) The Palace. They sure have some nice places to stay here. These opulent hotels sure contrast with the dives we’re used to staying at.

5) On the train to Toledo. About ten Euros per way (so fifteen bucks CDN), high speed, quiet and smooth. They seem to know how to run them here – in Canada, passenger service is abysmal. And the trains seemed well patronized. Seen here, some old building. Graffiti appears quite common along train tracks and highways, but less so elsewhere.

6) Boler? Oh, Boter…what ever that is. The multi-track line here later splits to head of in every direction of the compass. Trains, as you can seen, are electrically powered.

7) Looks to be a place where trains are maintained. BTW, we passed so many other trains, we lost count of them. It was one after another.

8) Some twenty five minutes after stating, we’re in Toledo, on a line built not all that long ago. Topping out we did 250kph, the fasted we’ve ever been on the ground. The station here, like a lot of architecture in Spain, is amazing. Here’s some stained glass – later we’ll show you the outside of this building.

9) Old Town Toledo, up there. That Castle looking place (an Alcazar), parts of which date back to Roman Times, today houses a military museum (which we’ll briefly visit). The Cathedral is up there too, but can’t be seen from this angle.

10) Along the Tagus River. These remains were part of a system that supplied water to Toledo long ago and dates back to the 16th century. Lots of real old stuff here.

11) Ruinasas Convento de San Pablo (Saint Paul’s Monastery), these old walls taking us back to the early days of Christianity. These are some of the oldest ruins we’ve ever seen in person and are from the 1200s.

12) Escalators take you to the top of town. It was too hot to take the stairs. Everywhere in the world, people are glued to their phones.

13) A view out over the city. Toledo goes back thousands of years and at one time was the Capitol of Spain. There’s so many historic buildings here, from many eras, Roman Rule, Visigoth Rule, Moorish Rule and later Independence (with Celt and Jewish influences along the way too), that’s one could never hope to see them all in a week let alone the half a day we have at our disposal. Would love to come back, but that’s a bit of a pipe dream me thinks. The orange roof tiles seem to be a Spanish thing. Toledo is pronounced more like Ta-lay-doh than Toe-lee-doh.

14) The streets are narrow (and all old towns we’d visit were like this). This is one of the wider lanes!

15) In the Army Museum (Museo del Ejército), a courtyard. The building, over many centuries, has had a military connection.

16) What a view!

17) The museum is housed in the Castle (Alcazar) seen earlier and is on the highest plot of land in Toledo.

3) There’s statues everywhere.

18) Old cannons on display. Some were plain and simple, others elaborate like this.

19) Tourist trinkets done in Antoni Gaudí fashion. This fellow, active circa 1880s-1920s, was and is a huge influence on Spanish art, architecture and style.

20) At times it feels like the walls are closing in. But even if a bit claustrophobic, the buildings sure have style and character. These display Moorish influences. Moors were Muslims from coming in from North Africa, in power here from the 700s-1400s, with their impact still being felt today in the area.

21) Nerves of steel are needed. This car just fit.

22) Arriving at Toledo (Roman Catholic) Cathedral, named in honour of Mary, mother of Jesus. It’s a huge building located in a cramped part of town, so clear exterior shots are hard to get. It’s such a big subject, an important subject, dating back century after century, that there’s no way we could ever fully honour it in photos and write up. It’s just too much…so think of this as Toledo Cathedral, the CliffNotes version. As much as we saw, we missed a lot or had cut many pics.

23-44) Prepare to be wowed! Here’s the interior of this massive towering building. Like Almudena Cathedral Madrid visited the day before, the rules for photographers here are the same, show respect, don’t disturb those who’ve come here to whorship and speak in soft tones.

Hundreds of people enter, but given its huge size, it doesn’t seem that crowded. This Cathedral, I dare say, is perhaps the most visually impressive we’d see this trip – and we visited a lot of them. It is however a hard one to photograph given the low light – high ISOs and a fast lens are two ways around it – and colour balancing challenges, results of which we’re still not happy with. Flash and tripods are a no-no.

In every direction, there’s sculpture and carvings and murals and strained glass. It’s visually and spiritually overwhelming. El Transparente, an altar, above it a decorated skylight, is a must see. Strand there in the glow – if you can jostle for position that is. At one end, a Retable (Oxford: A frame or shelf enclosing decorated panels or revered objects above and behind an altar), is similarly stunning. Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo/Catedral Primada Santa María de Toledo was started in the 1200s and took some two hundred and fifty years to complete. Yes, centuries! That’s quite the construction project.

Giant support columns, each smooth as silk on touching, rise up high. In the cavernous halls footsteps sound like rolling thunder. And the click of a shutter is deafening.

Over there it’s the The Descension Chapel/Capilla de la Descensión, a relief carving of such precision. The skill required in the construction this and the rest of the building and its adornments, the level of detail, the know how needed, it’s hard to wrap one’s head around the work that went into it. I’ll say this…no matter your faith or beliefs, it’s hard not to be moved on visiting this most amazing place. We’ve seen something amazing here.

A Cloister, a central courtyard with gardens and trees, is a quiet place. Off in one corner is the Chapel of Saint Blaise with its amazing murals and carved stone effigies – is there bodies under them? We couldn’t find an answer. Look up and stand there in awe and amazement. The bell tower looms overhead. It’s not always easy to see given the cramped conditions. Bend you neck this way, and that. But it’s worth it.

45) Outside now, the time inside just flying buy, seen on a street nearby a hostel for people visiting Toledo and its Cathedral.

46) Many times it appeared we had Toledo to ourselves then out of nowhere it was busy like this. Toledo is a tourist mecca plain and simple (we did our best to be anti-tourists), but even with the sheer volume of souls wandering about one can steal away private moments away from the crowds. Just duck down some side lane.

4) So many nice hotels here.

47) Puente de San Martín/Saint Martin’s Bridge, over the Tagus, dates back to Medieval times. It was an engineering marvel for the time. Some eight hundred years and standing strong. By Toledo Standards, it’s not even that ancient. In our part of the world old things rarely date back more than a century or so. Quite the contrast!

5) On the way to Toledo.

48) Trains. We got our fix. This one appears on layover. The line from Toledo to Madrid is mostly new – the old section dating back to the 1850s was bypassed not all that long ago. It went from a sleepy branch line, to a high speed corridor with some eight or so trains visiting per day. They kept the old station though, thankfully. There’s no freight traffic on the line.

49-50) The Toledo Railway Station is from the early 1920s and displays distinct Moorish (or Neo-Mudéjar style) influences. Most people coming to Toledo are day trippers from Madrid. Like us. In this shot, we backed up as far as we could on hitting a fence (and getting the raised eyebrow from the armed station guard). Still, we couldn’t get the building all in and just cut off the tower top. A second pic allows us a look at the latter. Notice all the well cared for trees. They seem to take good care of things in Spain – at least everywhere we went it seemed so.

51) Running side by side. That’s an express coming in from more distant cities and they go a bit faster doing 300+ kph easily out in the countryside. Here we’re going slow as we enter Madrid Station. It’s very painless to get around Spain by train. On high speed lines, of which Toledo is one, there are no grade crossings and the entire right of way is heavily fenced and watched by cameras. Zipping though the countryside as though a rocket is incredible. It’s so smooth.

52) Walking back to our hotel passing more amazing architecture. And we never tired of it.

53) The “as the day winds down” view. I can hear “futball” on the box.

54) But we can’t stay cooped up – out for an evening walk we stumble into this guy.

55-56) We wander side streets, a less touristy part of Old Town Madrid, first for the fun of it, then later with the munchies, in search of a mercado. And we find one in the (small) Asian section of town. In back, the dome from the Metropolis Building shining in the late day sun. I’m blinded! Shouldn’t stop be “pare”?

57) And with this June day fading away, a most memorable scene, clouds and sky and old buildings all beautifully lit. This will be our final night in Madrid and come morning (after Iberico Ham of course), we’ll bus it to the town where we’ll start our Camino de Santiago/Way of Saint James adventure the day after next. That’ll be Astorga, a charming community with an another amazing Cathedral, which of course we’ll visit. Till then, it’s a glass of local wine (€3 for the bottle – woo-hoo!) and someone vs someone in some World Cup match. We don’t need to understand the language to enjoy what’s going on or even know or care who’s playing. It’s about being there.

We soon nod off. Sleep comes easy.

More España…
Off The Beaten Path en España – touching down in Spain.
España Day 1 – Wandering Madrid – getting to know the city.
España Day 3: Hello Astorga – a gateway to adventure.
España Day 4 – Scruffy Peregrino – the walk begins!
España Day 5 – Up & Over – joy and love…
España Day 6 – Buen Camino – as though in a dream.
España Day 7: Lost & Loving It – don’t want it to end.
España Day 8: Walking the Cows – things seen and passed.
España Day 9-10: Santiago! – a chapter closed.
España Day 10: Evening in O Pindo – Peregrinos no more.
España Day 11: Porto de Quilmas – a “lazy” day.
España Day 12: Cabo Finisterre/Fisterra – the end of the world.
España Day 13: A Taste of Portugal – one final day.

Little places of worship…
Zion Luthern Church – sad and forgotten.
St Paul’s Anglican – Calgary’s oldest…and smallest.
St Edmund’s Church Big Valley Alberta – that blue!

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: June, 2018.
Location: Mostly Toledo Spain.
Article references and thanks: Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, Spain.info, Katrina & Grant LaRocque.

6) They know how to run passenger trains here in Spain.

7) A maintenance base.

8) The Toledo Station is an architectural marvel (more pics further down).

9) Old Town Toledo up there, our destination.

10) Along the Tagus River.

11) Ruins of the Convent of San Pablo.

12) Both glued to their phones.

13) Overlooking the historic city.

14) One of the wider streets in the old town.

15) A courtyard in the Army Museum of Toledo.

16) More amazing views.

17) The museum is housed in the Alcázar (Castle) of Toledo.

18) From the 1700s.

19) Done in the Gaudi style.

20) Claustrophobic types should consider going elsewhere.

21) Driving these narrow lanes is not for the timid.

22) About to enter the Toledo Cathedral.

23) This is going to be amazing.

24) In every direction, it’s wow.

25) Looking at the “Retable”.

26) “El Transparente”.

27) Giant columns.

28) Footsteps sound like thunder.

29) Incredible details.

30) The building is from the 13th century.

31) And this stained glass!

32) No matter your beliefs, being here is a moving experience.

33) On looking up.

34) The interior is massive.

35) Officially it known as Primate Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo.

36) Capilla de la Descensión.

37) The work that went into this.

38) In the Cloister.

39) This trip made possible by those two down there.

40) In the Chapel of Saint Blaise.

41) A most peaceful corner.

42) Looking up, this stunning mural.

43) Working those neck muscles.

44) Cramped quarters make the tower difficult to photograph.

45) A hostel for pilgrims and visitors.

46) Some streets we had to ourselves – not this one.

47) Puente de San Martín – St Martin’s Bridge.

48) Got a thing for trains…

49) Backed up as far I could.

50) An incredible building.

51) Pacing an express.

52) Ancient buildings are a drug and Madrid is our dealer.

53) The mind-blowing view from our balcony.

54) Out for an evening stroll, this here fellow.

55) Looking for a mercado.

56) It glows!

57) Tomorrow we say goodbye.