Holy Toledo?

I´ve tried twice to make a blog entry at inferior computers (missing keys, blurred screens--you name it) in the corners of smoke-hazed cafes; both times the computer lost the entry before I could post it. Perhaps now that I´m at a genuine "Locutorio" (internet/game room), this will come through. Since I´ve misses a couple of days, I´ll just run through a few topics to catch up.

A LAST NIGHT IN MADRID
I was so wrapped up in my second visit to El Escorial´s library and the Cantigas that I failed to mention how beautiful Madrid is in the evening. Friday night, thousands of people came out to stroll the streets between the Prado and the river by the Royal Palace. This path runs right through my neighborhood of Opera Plaza and included, of course, the Place Mayor. It includes dozens of blocks of shops, cafes, historic buildings, and lovely plazas. Music was literally in the air; I passed a duet playing guitar and keyboard, a quartet of accordion players, an 11-piece brass band, a solo tuba player, a violin playing with cello, a trio of recorders, and couple of puppet handlers performing to Beatles hits. Now, I know that in the past I have complained about too much ham or olive oil in Spanish food, but if you can´t find a tasty gourmet treat in Madrid, you´re not trying. There is every good thing to eat in the hundred or so cafes and restaurants I passed. One advertized 100 different tapas choices and 300 different wines. I chose a Greek/Turkish place and had Kabap--that´s shaved, roasted chicked breast, lettuce, tomato, red and green bell pepper, onion, and two different sauces all laid out on toasted flat bread. Mmmmmmmm. Afterwards, I stopped at a pandelaria for a slice of chocolate mousse cake. Ambling back to my hotel, I couldn´t help but hope that I return to this wonderful city in which walking is an entertainment in itself.

TOLEDO
I rose early Saturday morning in order to catch the 8:10 bus to Toledo. My romantic notions and of this venerable city had been formed by El Greco´s famous paintings and by the fact that it is the seat of Spain´s religious belief. Officially, Toledo is Spain´s prelacy; that is, the cardinal in charge of the cathedral there is the Prelate, or head, of Spain´s Roman Catholics. My expectations turned to apprehensions the moment I stepped off the bus. The Plaza Mayor was crowded with tourists; both the Burger King and the McDonald´s had over-flow crowds. Yes, there were quaint, Medieval streets, but they were packed with more souvenir shops than I have seen anywhere in Spain. Ever heard of Toledo steel? Oh, make that "steal." Sure, they still sell swords--made of stainless steel, plastic chrome, and rinestones, they were mostly replicas from movies like "Lord of the Rings," "Beowulf," and "Highlander." For the more modern collector, they even had plastic guns from "Last of the Mohicans." There were whole shops filled with plastic "Majorica" pearls alternating on necklaces with loops of 24K fake gold, and since this is, after all, La Mancha, there were those goofy tin statues of Don Quixote or little wooden send-up`s of a pudgy Sancho Panza--both with "Made in China" stickers on the base. The cathedral was little better. There was a 6€ charge to enter, 2€ for a brochure, 3€ to enter the cathedral museum, and 8€ to join a guided tour. They funnelled you out through the cloister which featured the longest souvenir shop in town festooned with more guns, swords, knives, Spanish flags, and Panzas on their donkeys. As I pushed past a crowd of kids with plastic Samurai swords, I couldn´t help but think that some bold someone with conviction should throw these money changers out of the temple--oh, but who would be that foolish?

Actually, that evening, Toledo did restore a little of its former glow. I walked through a park that wraps around the city. Looking up, I could see the three rings of walls that once defended this throne of the king. The city planners have recently opened a restored synagogue in the old Jewish quarter. In the distant past, both Moors and Christians lived side-by-side with talented and thriving Jewish craftsmen and traders. The community in Toledo once had five synagogues; the new exhibit includes a museum dedicated to Sephardic culture--a real treat. You may know that after kicking the Moors out of Granada in 1492, Ferdinand and Isabella ordered the Jews from the land as well. Another synagogue has survived in Toledo, but it is currently used as the Christian church of Santa Maria la Blanca. Oh well, tolerance only goes so far, I suppose.

ZARAGOZA
Just a short note because this blog is really long. I rode the bullet train from Toldeo back through Madrid to Zaragoza, the capital of Aragon. Sooooo cool. Traveling along at about 120 miles per hour, I was there in an hour and a half. Put Zaragoza on your "be sure to visit" list. There are two cathedrals--one has 11 great domes and houses Santa Maria la Pillar. A Medieval pilgrimage site just a little less important than Santiago de Compostella, Zaragoza was the site where, standing on a pillar of stone by the river, Mary was supposed to have appeared and told the Apostle James to build a church dedicated to her on the spot. Even more impressive was the other cathedral, La Seo. A 14th-century church, it is the most beautifully decorated church I have seen since Burgos. Helpfully for the lay person, all of the art works are explained on kiosks tastefully placed around the church. Unlike in Toledo, both cathedrals indicated to visitors (in the free brochures) that they are houses of prayer and required quiet with no pictures. The La Seo cathedral would be a great teaching tool for illustrating artistic shifts from the 14th to the 17th centuries--I´ll have to take my students there someday. By the way, Zaragoza also had Roman ruins, a Moorish/Christian castle, beautiful plazas and fountains, a Medieval bridge, and stunning mountains. I´d go again.

If you´re so bored that you actually finished this long blog, congrats. I´m in Barcelona today--more on that later. !Hasta luego¡