Toledo

Yesterday we went Toledo and it is difficult to find words to describe how beautiful it really was. I keep running into that problem- words and pictures just can’t do justice to explain what these places are like. There is so much history and culture that spans thousands and thousands of years. Each little church or castle tells a hundred stories of different rulers, different religions, and different people. Toledo was once one of the few places in Spain where religious toleration was acceptable. The Jews, Christians, and the Mores lived together peacefully and the architecture in Toledo largely reflects this fact. We went to a synagogue that had Christian symbols at the altar and Muslim-esque architecture. The paisaje, or landscape, in Toledo absolutely took my breath away. With a gurgling river on one side and a giant wall on the other side, Toledo was safe from attacks on all fronts. Toledo is also home to the second largest Cathedral in Spain. The architecture and statues in the Cathedral were both amazing. After the Cathedral we ate lunch in a garden, and the weather was perfect. All in all this has been one of the best weeks of my life. Ups and downs, frustration and elation- things are starting to get easier. My conversational skills have greatly improved. Poco a poco- little by little, I’m learning about life and language and culture. The world is on the brink of change, I just hope that I can be a part of it.