Today started off on the wrong side of the bed. But in my defense, Emma kept me up last night brushing out her hair, ergo the photo of how huge it was after we brushed out all the dreads. Every time I look at that photo I lose my mind I’m laughing so hard. That was God’s way of smiling on both my sister and I in one moment, for me by giving me a distraction and hilarity to make my soul happy; for Emma, it was God smirking saying, ‘Don’t dread your hair ever again.’ Ha. Enjoy the photo.
We went to a magnificent city called Toledo today. Not only was the outside of the city beautiful in indescribable ways, but also it contained the most beautiful cathedral I have ever seen or experienced in my life. Two years ago I was able to visit Paris for two weeks, and during those two weeks I was able to visit the Notre Dame. I thought that my life was blessed for good, seeing such an unbelievable creation. But believe me when I say that this cathedral today trumped the Notre Dame by at least twenty blessing points.
AT LEAST.
The only disappointing thing about it was that no photography was allowed inside the cathedral. Actually, in every place we visited today in Toledo, you could never take pictures inside. Truly a blow to my photography heart.
This cathedral had so many different aspects to it…its hard to decide where to begin. There were three sets of doors that were never used for the public. The main, central doors were opened only, and ONLY when the Pope was in Spain visiting the cathedral. There were two sets of doors on either side of these central doors that only the King and Queen used. No public went in or out of them. Ever. That in itself is an amazing way to show how much respect these people truly have for their leaders. Above these three doors there is a representation of DaVinci’s Last Supper out of stone that comes out above the doors in such a moving, visual way you feel like their still dining above you as you take pictures from below.
Then you enter.
And you can’t breathe, because everything around you is the most breathtaking thing you’ve ever let happen to you, and you can’t even control the amount of thievery the cathedral performs. There are three different organs, full organs, with the most beautiful pipes I’ve ever seen, all coated with gold and going both up and out of the body. The ceiling was at least two to three stories tall, and there were 3D sculptures of angels and cherubs, along with disciples and Christ himself all the way up into a huge domed area of the ceiling. Anything that could be encrusted with gold was encrusted. At least three thirds of the entire cathedral, in every single nook and craning, there were 3D figures; coming out of walls, benches, ceilings, everywhere. All were done so well that it took every inch and fiber of your being not to reach out and touch them. Beautiful originals of all the saints and versions of Christ, along with his disciples, hung everywhere; ranging from the size of an 8x11 to taking over an entire wall. Candles were lit everywhere, and rooms grew off the main worship area in every space possible, containing things like beautiful jewels, gold structures and old priest/pope robes. Bibles the size of eight hymnals with gilded pages were locked behind glass, as well as crowns royalty had worn. The magnitude of everything you experienced in this cathedral was enough wonder to last until your great-grandchildren were born. Something with this much intensity can never be forgotten.
After lunch, we went to a masque turned synagogue. A walking contradiction, I assure you. Everything about this building was Muslim in every way possible. But again, photos were not allowed, and disappointment ensued. The walls were entirely white, pure white, and encrusted with beautiful assortments of decorative tastes; things like carvings from the wall to make it more alive and visual, as well as domed ceilings and simplistic, but beautiful, pillars lining the center aisle. All done with extreme Muslim architectural taste. The only thing that made this ‘synagogue’ a synagogue were the art pieces hanging up all around the perimeter of the building. The entire building felt more like an art gallery than it did a place to worship and practice Judaism. Interesting, no?
We ended our day with a visit to a gorgeous painting that we could barely see because of the amount of tourists in front of us. Again, another photography disappointment. The artist was El Greco, by the way.
Extremely famous painter, even more famous painting.
We didn’t even look at it for five minutes.
J’taime, mi amore. J’taime.
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