The Ham Nomads

28 Jan 2015. <ES> Toledo, Castile-La Mancha —

Warren's tooth is a lot better, but still not right, and he's not sure whether or not to go back to the dentist. We decided to leave it until later in the day, and this time go up to the Cathedral, which has a few artistic gems to show us!

So up into the city we went again, this time taking back streets — little narrow alleys, a challenge to the navigator. But we found our way, first to the Post Office, where we had a parcel to send off. Then we continued on to the cathedral, only to find it closed to tourists while a Mass was being held. But it was to open again at midday.

So we took the advice of a guide in the street — although we are not sure he wasn't set there to trap tourists and direct them to the Convent of Santa Isabel de los Reyes, beside which is a workshop with artisans creating works of damasquinado — damascene inlay work, with gold applied to the surface of steel. The free tour takes you through a shop from which it is very hard to extricate yourself with the contents of your wallet intact — but we succeeded!

By now it was midday, so we went back to the cathedral. They have no difficulty maintaining the cathedral, as each tourist who comes through —

and even in the off season there were quite a few — contributes €5 to €8 to the treasury! The floor area is huge — it is one of the largest cathedrals in Christendom! But the most striking part of it is in the ambulatory directly behind the chancel, where a huge concave marble and bronze screen, a fantastic baroque work, might have been lost in the gloom of the building, until its sculptor, with cold audacity, pierced the dome above to let light play upon the work. He decorated this window with sculptures and painting to amazing effect. The visit to the cathedral would be fulfilled by just seeing this amazing piece of work, but there's just so much more.

In the sacristy, as you walk in, there are paintings all round the walls (and in the decorated ceiling), but the reds and blues in one painting just hit you. It's El Greco's The Spoliation. It's amazing how, in a room replete with paintings, one just stands out! Christ's tunic in this painting is like a red flame, and just as intense! You just can't ignore this painting!

We wandered the cathedral for quite a while, then went out into their coffee shop for a coffee each and a shared chocolate croissant. Delicious.

The Chapter House

An Alabaster Bas-Relief

The Monstrance — 3 metres high, enclosing the original 1-metre monstrance of gold brought back from the New World by Christopher Columbus, is carried through the city every Feast of Corpus Christi (40 days after Easter).

Warren wasn't happy with his tooth, so we negotiated the back streets again and back to the van, with which this time we drove to the dentist's clinic. This time Warren asked her to percuss the tooth, not from the side, but from the top. Sure enough, there was a significant reaction. Guess what — Suzie won't be alone in getting root canal treatment on February 18!

We then went out to the McDonald's, mainly to recharge the computer — but we've found that Macca's coffees are good and cheap, and we don't need to eat their burgers (thank goodness!)

Then back in the van to Parque de Safont for the night. Tomorrow we may continue touring Toledo, or we may move on — after all, we'll be back here in 3 weeks' time!

Distance driven — today, 9 miles ( 15 km ); to date, 11,966 miles ( 19,258 km )