World Wanderings

I'm currently sitting on a night train Lisbon, heading out of Madrid, and hoeping to be exhausted enough to get some sleep along the way. It's been hit and miss with sleep on transportation. The last experience was good (Paris to Madrid). I forgot to write about it even (I think). So let me recap.

Paris and the surrounding country side was green, lush, and pretty flat. Kinda like parts of the midwest. It was nice, but not a landscape that really stands out in my mind. The light grew dim and I lost sight of the Paris landscape. Sleep ensued, and upon waking my eyes where presented win a feast of visuals that were beyound anything I've yet seen. The closest landscape that I can compare it too is Arizona's.

The sun was low, setting the land ablaze with an orange glow. It was mountain terrain, filled with hills, valleys, slopes that lay untouched, astrew with rocks. This rugged terrain would do. Off to one side the vista opened up to valleys upon valleys like this, with the occasional small town strewn in for a change. The land was orange, grey, and green.

I noticed later on the day what a difference the land made on the cold of the sky and clouds. As they were slightly warmer than the clouds I've seen elsewhere, different from your typical cool/fluffy white clouds.

Anyway, Toledo.

Toledo was a great time. The center of it is a small city on a hill, with maze-like streets and an old, ornate cathedral to boot. It's streets are cobblestone-clad, intimate, filled to the brim with stone houses towering about the street lettng in just enough light to bring warmth to the street. Occasionally these would open up into small squares where there would be small parks of trees and people lounging lazily in the sun. A sun soaked city it was.

I stayed in a hostel that was a renovated castle, just on the other side of the river that runs around the cit center. Not only was it a castle (awesome in it's own right), but it was one of the cheapest and offered some of the best amendities, as well as a killer view of the city across the river. I almost wished I had book another night and didn't have a train ticket already set to return to madrid (and then to Lisbon). I think there was a musical festival tonight this is what I get for locking myself into dates. And unfortunately the set is going to happen in Lisbon. I'll leave the night before a big festival. Oh well, I need to tkae an extra day somewhere, as I seem to be moving one day ahead of everything that is happening.

Well, while Toledo didn't have a lot to offer in terms of museums and churches, the city had a charm in it's own right. And I could spend all day trying to navigate the mess of streets. Wondering how a public bus gets through and around some of tv corners in the city. Most roads where only a foot or two wider than a car. It's good fun when you have to duck into a nearby doorway for the car to get past you.

The town did have one amazig cathedral. While quite a looked from the outside, the inside truely shined. With high gothic vaulted cielings, majestic stained glass, and a no photo policy. I had to sneak a few photos in though. It was so large, and there were so few attendants, it was easy to do. The whole cathedral was covered in ornate carvings, including a pretty amazing scene at the back of the church. It's hard to describe, so I'll post photos later. Needless when they made this, they went over the top. Intact it really got me wondering about cathedrals.

Obvioulsy most came from a time where those in power where the church and lords/barons. These buildings technically where built to gloify God, but I don't think that was the main point when they were made. They show off the wealth and power of the church as an estabishment. The more elaborate, the better the relics, the more people and pilgrims you would attract and so fourth. I think they lost origial purpose in some of these buildings.

Well, there's more to that thought, but it's about time to attempt sleep on this train. Next update will be from/about Lisbon.