Madrid Memorandum (1)

Even a two-hour delay on our train from Caceres couldn’t dampen our spirits, as we left the heat of the south and settled into a cooler and rather damp Madrid.

Our first stop was the Palacio Real, surrounded all around by beautifully manicured square and gardens and aesthetically matched by the cathedral across the square from it.

The cathedral has the almost unique distinction of NOT being recommended for a visit by the Lonely Planet, so we skipped it.

The Palacio Real, though, was stunning. Room after room filled with sumptuous furnishings and works of art, each decorated differently and almost all with incredible frescoes on their ceilings, it was almost a bit “ho-hum, another beautiful room” by the end. The Gasparini Room, entirely floor to ceiling and wall to wall carvings and Rococo swirls, took 55 years to finish, which was unfortunate as the king who commissioned it died in the meantime.

There was some recent history there as well, including the signed deed of abdication of King Juan Carlos I from 2014. The Spanish people, it seems, didn’t take kindly to either his elephant hunting, his dodgy deals with Saudi businessmen or his mistress. Either way, it was interesting to see some modern history in amongst the antiquities.

The following day we took a train to Toledo and, no, didn’t see Corporal Klinger anywhere.

We did see some beautiful windows and stonework (that was just the railway station) as we trudged up the hill and across the Alcantara bridge (11th-century, but originally Roman) into the town.

We spent longer than expected in the cathedral - Catedral Primada Santa Maria de Toledo, the head honcho of Spanish churches. That was because it was one of the best we have seen, particularly its stunning altar piece - “El Transparente” - lit by light from an incredibly-decorated skylight high in the structure.

Toledo, was also fun (if slightly hard work) to walk around. Plaza Zocodover was crowded and bustling and the Synagogue of El Transito contained a small and indecipherable museum. Unfortunately, the Alcazar, imposingly commanding even in hilly Toledo, was closed for renovations.

Since the sword is now pretty much obsolete for anything other than opening very large letters, it was also intriguing to see shop after shop selling this famous-if-now-pointless Toledo product.

Madrid continues in a few days time…Read more