Holy Toledo!

About an hour from Madrid, we saw one of the loveliest cities in Spain (at least for hubby and me)--Toledo. Approaching the walled city brought about some oohs and ahhs as we marveled at the towers (dating from the time of the Visigoths) and beauty of the houses and structures sprinkled on the mountains.  It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its extensive cultural and monumental heritage. Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures used to co-exist here. Amazing!

We went on a walking tour of Toledo where we visited the Church of Santo Tomé. Here we saw one of El Greco’s most famous paintings – The Burial of Count Orgaz. The detail was so amazing and well-explained by our guide, it felt like I was listening to an audio of Annotated Art.

one of the walls honouring El Greco

We then walked along the Jewish Quarter where cobbled streets had ceramic tiles containing Jewish icons along the path.  

We also visited the Synagogue which had some replicas and quite a few well-preserved materials with intricate designs.

As we continued on our walking tour, we passed a couple of bakeries selling mazapán, an almond pastry made by the nuns. Some were made into very fancy shapes and they were simply delicious! 

There were several religious orders and convents in Toledo—highlighting the city as a Catholic centre. In fact, one of the most magnificent structures we saw was the Cathedral of Toledo with its richly decorated, big Gothic doors. Holy Toledo, indeed!

We also checked out a small factory/workshop, whose artisans demonstrated how to make swords and Damasquinado jewellery. Toledo is the world’s largest centre of production of Damascene art, in which metals are decorated with gold or silver, usually with designs originating from the region’s Muslim heritage. There were also geometric and other modern designs, not just Arabesque. The price of the products would depend on whether it was a master who created the piece or if it was an apprentice. The cheapest, of course, would be the machine-made ones.

Toledo is also known for its steel, reputed to be unusually strong. Several stores displayed beautifully handcrafted swords. And as it was known for its swords, it was only logical that the swords from “The Lord of the Rings” would be crafted there.  Yes, including Aragorn’s Andúril. And as we could not bring these back home, we just took pictures—lots of them.

España and some interesting spots to check out in Madrid

Hubby and I flew about 5,000 miles and 11 hours (with layover) to embark on an 1800km ride around Spain. We had always wanted to go to Spain, as it was one of the European countries we missed during our honeymoon trip 10 years ago. So, despite news of economic crises and rising rates of petty crimes in

several cities, we decided to still give it a go. And boy, were we glad we did! There were repeated warnings to beware of pickpockets but as we were as vigilant as we would have been in any other major city, our trip went without incident. Whew! Sure there were homeless people and gypsies on the streets, but that was not as different as what you will find, let’s say, in Paris. Well, except maybe that everything was translated into Spanish, even Broadway shows.

The sights, the food, the architecture, the culture and the history were so rich, the trip was well worth the risk. We first arrived in Spain's capital with very low expectations. A couple of folks had told me that Madrid was much like Manila so we were not really expecting anything new. But while Plaza de España and Puerta del Sol, the city’s hub, were packed like the nightmarkets of Greenhills in December, it was not quite like Manila. Grand fountains and buildings with statues atop actually made us feel like we were in Italy. Sure graffiti was everywhere, but that was also how it was in Rome when we were there. 

On our first day, we checked out the Cathedral and the Palace (though apparently not used as the King's residence). 

Almudena Cathedral

Gardens of the Royal Palace

We also went to Plaza de Colón with giant monuments on which there were inscriptions of several quotes. Beside it, they had the pretty Gardens of Discovery. This plaza commemorates the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus (or Cristóbal Colón in Spanish). As we walked in the main square, the red and yellow flag of Spain flew half mast in memory of the victims of the train crash a week before we arrived. 

Plaza de Colon

We had tapas (a variety of appetizers or small dishes) and wine at Cinco Jotas at a street nearby. We started off with some jamón (ham), gazpacho (tomato-based cold soup), croquetas (breaded potatoes filled with meat or vegetables) and vino tinto (red wine). Speaking of wine, it should be noted that while I love wine, I’ve never had so much in a short span of time. We would have wine practically with every meal! Not that I’m complaining but it will explain why hubby (who has a low tolerance level for alcohol) was red most of the time—not that he is mestizo! 

The next day, after an excursion to Toledo, we tried to go to another of the must-see’s in Madrid, the Museo del Prado, one of the top museums in the world, containing works of masters such as Goya. But as it was Sunday (and supposedly free on that day), the line up reached all the way to the Jardin Botanico (Botanical garden)! We did not have a lot of time so, sadly, we had to skip this one. The Reina Sofia Museum, another attraction which at that time had an exhibit of Dali, was also sold out. 

Museo del Prado

So, instead, we walked along the Gran Via and went to another “museum”—Museo del Jamón. This deli chain was called such most likely because of the rows of ham legs “exhibited” all over the store. “Eat me,” they seemed to say! So, eat we did! We got some Jamón Ibérico de Bellota or pata negra (cured ham leg of a black pig). The paper-thin jamón simply melted in our mouths. At €16 for a mere 200g, it was pricey but it was SO heavenly. It was not overwhelmingly salty and had hints of nuttiness—a hands-down winner over our more commonly available prosciutto. We also got some bread and wine (of course!) to complete our meal.

But wait, our meal wasn’t quite complete at that point. We had to have some dessert! Churros, a fried pastry dough, is commonly eaten for breakfast or snack. But I eat it anytime, even for dessert. So, we went to D’Ch for our dessert--churros con chocolate. The churros was light and not oily and the hot chocolate (for dipping) was decadent. 

This meal set the tone for what we would eat during our whole trip. This would also explain the extra pounds I brought home with me—and it is not my luggage.

Madrid on Dwellable