Toledo is an easy day trip from Madrid – about ten Euros and half an hour on the train will find you popping out of Toledo’s main station. Then the real adventure begins as you buy a cheap bus ticket and your urban chariot quickly whisks you up a winding road into the hills, through ancient stone walls and gates and up into the central square.
The tourist office is also located right on the main square, but it’s easy enough to follow the signs to the one sight you need to check off your list – the massive cathedral. Getting there is an adventure of shaded winding lanes, and you buy your tickets for the church in the shop across the street. Toledo is historically known for its silver and steel. Not wanting to carry a sword with me for the rest of my trip, I opted to purchase a small silver pillbox in the shape of a turtle. He still makes me smile.
The Toledo cathedral is undeniably impressive, but the Spanish don’t quite set the stage for their architecture with the same sense of drama that their Italian counterparts use. The church is somewhat crammed into the twisting streets of the town, whereas anywhere in Italy a similar building would be granted at least a modest piazza in order for visitors to stand back and appreciate the exterior in a civilized fashion, with an espresso or two. Still, it’s worth doing one’s duty and touring the building, as the inside packs an austere punch.
Once you’ve checked church off your list, work your way back to the main square. I stopped for lunch at a little cafe in a secluded nook. I can’t say that I remember what I ate, but the waiter was one of the most beautiful men I’ve seen in my travels, and for some reason he gave me a pen. Caramel skin, green eyes, and a Catalan lisp – dios mio!
Hunger satisfied, I found my way to the museum behind the tourist office. The velvet curtains kept it pleasantly cool, and the price (free!) made the tapestries that much more enjoyable. However, one of my favorite parts of the day (after lunch) was the collection of porcelain tiles at the cloisters attached to the museum. It’s pretty easy to feel like a duchess for a day when you’re having a private tour of a peaceful, ancient building devoted to Queen Isabel.
If you need to purchase a gown for your evening at the ball, there is no shortage of shopping in Toledo. Of course, if you’re a duchess on a budget, sometimes a small silver turtle is just the right souvenir, and it won’t get mussed on the bus and train back to Madrid.