Con mis parentes in Toledo, España (10.13.07)

Perhaps it was a bad idea to close both the windows and the interior shutters against the constant street noise and bright light shining into our room from the entrance sign, since we somehow managed to sleep until 11:00 am this morning. I am sure that Dad was tired from his transcontinental flight, and Mom and I were certainly wiped out from the very intense Morocco tour that didn´t end until we got on the plane to depart!

After showers all around, we headed downhill from the Hotel Alfonso VI to eat ´brunch´in the Plaza de Zocodover. Unfortunately we were not able to find any English speaking guide companies with space for the weekend, so I purchased a really crappy guidebook and looked over it while enjoying my first vegetarian paella in Spain.

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From there, we started wandering the small narrow streets of historical Toledo. I didn´t know anything about Toledo, nor did Mom when she made our reservations. She had just heard from someone back home that it was charming and we should stay there instead of Madrid.What Toledo is is a very very old city dating from @200 BC when it was settled by the Romans. Its most impressive historical era dated around from 569 AD when the Visigoths made it their capital. The city was conquered by the Moors at some point and then came under Christian rule in 1065 with King Alfonso VI and it was widely known as a center of learning and peace, with three significant cultures (Jewish, Christian, Muslim) living side by side in peace.

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The streets are cobbled and very narrow, though that hasn´t appear to stop people and their cars from driving through the city. The city is somewhat reminisent of the crowded Medieval streets of Rabat and Fez, though without the hundreds of colorful food stalls and goods-laden donkeys winding through the streets.After eating the three of us began wandering downhill to the constant griping of Dad who recognized that the further we went downhill, the further we would have to walk back uphill. Oh well...I consider whipping him into shape a public service to the family.

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We wandered around for at least two hours until finding the enormous Cathedral in the center of the city which dated back to 1226 AD. It took well over 250 years to build and I admit that it was both impressive and tacky at the same time. After visiting Islamic religious sites where any images are forbidden (too easy to become idols) and all the decoration is in either geometrical designs or Quran calligraphy, I found the thousands of images of bishops, Mary, Christ, angels, and countless others to be a bit over the top. Gilded and gothic, it is apparently one of the biggest Christian churches in the world.

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Mom and Dad deserted me after I started wandering around looking for ´gelado italiano´(which I ultimately never found), but it was probably for the best since I have been at the internet cafe for well over two hours now. I guess I will go find them and we will figure out what to do for dinner. I think I walked by the lesbian bar to get to this cyber cafe this afternoon, so perhaps I will get brave and actually try to go out this evening. Hmm. I don´t know if Iam ready for that....you all will be the first to know.