El Greco's Toledo

The bus pulled away from the Paseo de Eduardo Dato at 9:30am sharp, full of students, some rubbing sleep out of their eyes, some bright eyed and bushy tailed--ready for the day ahead. The autobús* rolled down the highway, passing miles of brown, Spanish land and at some point crossing into Castilla La Mancha. Having skimmed the surface of sleep, I was awoken by the absence of the mild hum of rotating wheels. We had stopped at a rest area to stretch our legs and tomar un café,** although Toledo is only an hour and a half or so outside of Madrid. Having developed an affinity for Spanish coffee with hot leche,*** I walked cheerfully into the building. I was greeted by a giant room full of Manchurian souvenirs: swords, Don Quixote statuettes, flamenco dresses, etc. In the corner was a wooden bar with wooden bar stools, bathed in the piercing morning sunlight. Joining some of my classmates, I slid onto a bar stool and ordered una taza*** of coffee with leche. Cafés occupy every other building in Madrid, so I have grown accustomed to--and in love with--the aromatic scent of coffee and gentle symphony of clanking spoons as they are rested on the saucers. The combination of the smell of coffee and cutlery noise makes me happy. After the short stop at the best rest area ever, the bus cruised on towards Toledo. Before I had a chance to doze off again--I don't drink coffee for the caffeine--the bus once again stopped. Getting off the bus, I saw a view of Toledo that even the best words cannot describe:

Let's compare this to El Greco's famous painting:

Beautificious, no? Toledo is a charming little town, but I could not imagine calling Toledo my permanent home unless it was a neighborhood of a big city and not a city on its own. It is full of adorable little streets lined with stores: souvenir stores, candy stores, and modern retail establishments, the last of which stick out tremendously among the old buildings and general feeling of antiquity that Toledo embodies.

Toledo served as a crossroads for Christian, Muslim, and Jewish culture in the Middle Ages. Collaboration among the three religions and cultures is evident. The Toledo Cathedral, a Gothic masterpiece towering over the timid town, houses biblical art and decorations in Gothic, Classical, and Baroque styles. However, Muslim influence is also apparent in many of the church's decorative facades. Muslim style applied to Christian architecture is called mudejar. The Sinagoga de El Tránsito, a former synagogue turned Sephardic museum, also displays some Muslim influence, namely in the horseshoe arcs, called herraduras, and stucco etchings:

Although the majestic iglesia**** and the synagogue are prime examples of beautiful, medieval art, the artistic highlight of Toledo, for me, is El Greco's masterpiece, The Burial of the Count of Orgáz, which is the only reason visitors step foot into the Iglesia of Santo Tomé, a small church in the middle of Toledo. The painting is massive and strong, evoking powerful images and feelings. People crowd into the little room to see El Greco's famed obra,*****and I also stand there. I stare. I think. I smile to myself at the thought of such a small town harboring so much meaningful and historically important content as I make my way back outside into the Friday sunshine.

*bus

**to have a cup of coffee

***milk

****church

*****work