Toledo

So I really know that my time in Spain is almost over because today we had our last group trip to Toledo, which is a town in the community of Castilla La Mancha. Again we stopped for coffee before starting the tour because we are all exhausted and Maria Jose now knows she needs to caffeinate us in order to get us moving. The first stop on the tour was the Cathedral San Juan de los Reyes, which was built to be a tomb for King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel but then they were buried in Granda because Spain finally regained control of the region. The church had many symbols of eagles, which represent power and also the letter Y and F were found throughout the cathedral as representations of Ferdinand and Isabel (which is sometimes spelt with a Y in Spanish). The cathedral is mudejar style, which means it was built by Muslims in a Christian kingdom so there were may Arab influences. After this Maria Jose bought us Marzipan, which was first made in Toledo by nuns in the 9th century and is a typical dessert in the area. We even saw this amazing Marzipan replica of the cathedral that was insane.

View of the City

Following this I went to go see the famous painting by El Greco that is located in Toledo that is known as the El Entierro del Senor de Orgaz or the burial of Count Orgaz. This painting representing the typical style of El Greco because is uses dark colors and represents both heaven and earth with clear separation between the two worlds. Then I got lunch at a sandwich place with some people. I am looking forward to coming home because I am getting bored of Spanish food because they are obsessed with ham but not ham that like in the States and it is just okay and I am getting tired of it. After lunch I went to the Cathedral of Toledo, which is massive. I got an audioguide to help me understand what I was looking at. The cathedral was not just a religious place but there are some rooms inside that serve as a museum and are home to many painting by El Greco. There are several smaller chapels in the cathedral that are dedicated to various saints. The main alter piece was beautiful and covered in gold and depicted various scenes from the Bible. After touring the Cathedral I got on the bus for the last time to head back to Alcala after a trip, which was a bittersweet. Also, on a side note even though I talked to her already I just wanted to wish my Mom a Happy Mother’s Day. I can’t wait to see you in a couple of days.

Altar in Cathedral