Viaje a Toledo

(The Río Tagus in Toledo, Spain)

Yesterday I headed out early to meet the rest of the BC kids for our trip to Toledo. I met Lizzie and Jeff first and after they stopped for coffee, we all got on the bus. I had been talking to Katherine, a young BC alum who now teaches English classes in Madrid, and as we were getting on the bus, the director, Ana, told her to sit next to me and speak in Spanish. I didn't mind the practice, so we chatted on the bus ride down. But then we ended up hanging out all day, and since she would only speak to me in Spanish, I was thoroughly exhausted by the time the trip was over.

But Toledo was really nice. As it was a class trip, we got a lot of explanation as to the architecture, artwork, geography, and history of the city (all in Spanish, of course). We strolled around taking lots of notes (much like with the monkeys in Jungle Book - the newer version, if anyone gets the reference) and will have to write an essay about Toledo for the class. We first stopped at a panoramic view of the city ("it is protected by both a river and mountains") and then drove to the Mezquita del Cristo de la Luz ("a mosque with the classic Arabic ladrillos and herradura arches"). After walking through the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza de Zocodover (where we learned that Toledo is famous for it's gold, silver, and marzipan - guess which one I was most excited about), we visited La Catedral de Toledo ("a classic example of Gothic architecture"). The cathedral was gigantic and really pretty. It was designed to let light in and draw the eye towards the ceiling (and Heaven), and had really ornate carvings everywhere. We went into an attached museum to see some of El Greco's paintings (he lived and worked in Toledo) and then into another room where we saw various jewels and trinkets (including a brooch with Loyola's signature) that once belonged to famous clergy and other religious folk.

After the cathedral, we had a break for lunch and shopping. Because a few of the kids had brought lunch from home, Katherine and I went to buy lunch (for me a ham baguette) and then went back to join them. We sat in a park that overlooked the mountains and after we finished, we went shopping! We strolled up and down one of the main streets looking at all the jewelry shops (I bought myself silver earrings - or at least, fake silver earrings) and Don and Kevin asked for help picking out gifts for their girlfriends. I've got to say - I give some pretty good girlfriend-shopping-advice. Then we went to a fancy bakery and bought boxes of marzipan. Mine has since been devoured, but I took a picture the preserve the memory. . .

Next was the Iglesia de Santo Tomé, ("where the philanthropist Conde de Orgaz is buried") and the Sinagoga del Tránsito ("where you can see clear examples of Arabic influence in the architecture"). Then was the Sinagoga de Santa María La Blanca, (very pretty - decorated with abstract piñas, or pineapples) and last, was San Juan de Los Reyes (a church and monastery with a nice courtyard). By this point, my Spanish was getting tired and my notes fade out a bit, but I remember that the wooden ceilings were important (because into them are carved the different banners of Spain's autonomous regions) and that the recurring symbol on the walls is an intertwined F and I, for Ferdinand and Isabella. While we were there, a concert was being performed in the church (I think in connection with a wedding) so I blame Vivaldi for distracting me from the intricacies of the woodwork.

We wandered back to the bus, stopping for pictures several times, and drove back to Madrid. Amanda, Lizzie, Elisha, and I walked back to our homestays from the bus-stop near Retiro (which didn't take as long as I though it would) and got back just in time for dinner (rice and salmon). Julia had a headache so she went to bed early, but I stayed up and watched The Holiday, or "Los Vacaciones", as the Spaniards call it. I watched the movie in English with Spanish subtitles and made a list of vocabulary while I was watching. I'm going to watch it again in Spanish with Spanish subtitles. If I can procrastinate by watching movies and tell myself it's helping my Spanish, I'm all for it. Everyone else went out and woke up with bad hangovers this morning, so I think my night was more fun. Others might disagree.

I woke up this morning, planning on being productive, but then pretty much just read The Pelican Brief until lunch. After my meatballs and rice (Julia doesn't really believe in vegetables) I had to rush out to meet Christine at Nuevos Ministerios. We went to El Museo de Ciencias Naturales, which is right on Paseo de Castellana. It's a small museum, but they had a temporary exhibit about Darwin on display. There was lots to look at, and afterwards, we went to a cafe near the Bilbao metro stop. We were the only ones there (it's more of a night hangout, I guess) but it was really good. I ordered a white hot chocolate and Christine ordered tea, which both came with cookies. We sat and chatted for a couple of hours, and got back to our señoras' houses for dinner (for me, tortilla española).

Tomorrow I'm going to try to go to mass at one of the bigger churches in Madrid, which should be interesting, and then prepare myself for the bullfight. Other students have already gone, and haven't liked it at all, but it will be an experience if nothing else. And now, I think I will sleep.