City on a hill

Yesterday, I participated in a day excursion to Toledo, organized by the school. So it seems necessary to devote a blog entry to the trip. But what to say, really? Frankly, I found it a little disappointing, and feel somewhat guilty that this is the case (after all, I should count my blessings that I'm here, right?). But it would be a downright falsehood to say that I found the city enchanting. According to our guide (Javiér, one of the sweeter teachers at school), the big selling point is the mixture of Judaic, Moorish, and Christian cultures throughout the history of the city, and evident in its architecture. Which is fine, except that the same mixture is evident throughout Andalucía, so this invites an inevitable comparison with Sevilla. A comparison in which Toledo is doomed to come in a very poor second.

Here are some representative pictures:

I liked the fact that they had a street named in honor of the other Toledo.

I think that the other thing which contributed to my definite lack of enthusiasm for the city was the undisguised rapacity of the local merchants and restaurateurs, as far as mulcting visitors to the city was concerned.

My passion for Sevilla continues unabated. Castilla-La Mancha will have to work harder to dislodge Sevilla from top place in my heart. As I said, I feel slightly guilty that this post is not more positive, but there is presumably no point in feigning enthusiasm. If nothing else, this blog is dedicated to truthiness in reporting.