Toledo is a city of twisted streets, where it is difficult to find one where you can see 50 metres ahead. Not only are there infinite corners but because it is on a sharp hilltop, you are in danger of falling backwards if you look up too far. Like any old city in Spain, it is hard to move about with quiet ease.
A walk around the castle walls alongside the Tagus river, and across its Roman bridge, was too hot but a good chance to get a navigator’s perspective on the town. Toledo, known as the “Three Culture City” because of it being strongly influenced by Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, was Spain’s capital in the 6th – 8th century. These religions have a rich history in this city and from what little I have seen and read it would make an interesting study.
As we re-entered its walls we moved through (what is becoming a trend for us) the very quiet and lightly attended (by tourists) Jewish quarter. As usual these communities seem to be on the lowest reaches of the city consisting of a few streets and a well hidden and lightly viewed synagogue.
The Muslim community, maybe by coincidence, is a level up on the other side of the hill, and has a much more obvious but humble house of prayer. Looking out over the wide expanse of river, unlike the other religious communities, it has a gorgeous shaded garden, with small paths leading to a central fountain. Inside the mosque is a sculpture of Christ, so there could have been a change in the spiritual observances.
Then there is the cathedral which is not quite on top of the hill but still quite imperious looking just the same. Inside, and in one corner, is a very unusual sight even though many others did not agree with me for the crowds were elsewhere. It was not the usual formation at the pulpit end of the church as in one corner, reaching up say 3-4 stories, a large section seemed to be deeper than the other side. Here were frescoes of sorts painted in earthy colours, that took my attention more than any other cathedral I have been in.
Sadly we don’t have time to walk through Don Quixote’s world not far from here. As you may know this is a very famous book in Spanish literature and the world’s first modern novel. So we’ll have to let him live on in the memories we have of him from reading this book recently and remembering most of all – the windmills.
