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My hotel is very near the Roman bridge. It is not as well located as I might have hoped, and a bit of a climb up to the old town proper. But I managed to hike it several times during my stay, and was rewarded by closer views of the cathedral(s).
On my first day I checked into my hotel but discovered that my room was not yet ready. So I left it to get a look at the city proper. On my way I passed a curious statue, which I later discovered
Another statue seems to guard the city end of the Roman Bridge see photo below). A bull that lost his head...arse toward the city? I was not able to find all that much about this bull, except for one source that claimed it was presumably pre- Roman and is mentioned in relation to Lazarillo. Another says that it is the symbol of the city, and that when the Romans conquered the city broke off its head and threw it into the river. Last and least the claim is made that the bull guarded the city. Choose for yourself, or choose none of the above...
Across a rather busy road something else caught my eye, something I remained curious about until my last day in the city. As a theatre afficionado I will keep you in suspense:
On my way up the winding hill to the city I got my first look at the cathedral, a mere tease of what was to come.
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The main entrance to the New Cathedral (above) boasts a stunning ornate facade, intricately carved in what is called the Plateresque style. "Plata" is Spanish for silver, so think "in the style of a silversmith" if you like. Some critics opine that Salamanca offers the finest work in the Plateresque style. Below is a closer look at the entrance
I decided to wait for the following day to see the inside of the cathedral, and headed past it and the very nice square on which it sits (pictured below from the cathedral looking towards the old town center:
And on that square some lovely spring gardens (just off to the left of the photo above):
I easily made my way from the Cathedral to the Plaza Mayor, because, while it is possible to turn off it I simply followed the
at the end of which was one of the entrances to the plaza.
A very large and imposing plaza it is!
Noted for its lack of a central statue of a king on horseback (a blessed relief if you ask me) and its elegant town hall this place has been called the finest in Spain. While I confess that I wouldn't quite agree with that assessment, it is a very pleasant place to eat, drink and even be merry.
The above photo was taken from one side of the plaza to the other. Not to be glib but, "Look ma, no equestrian statue!"
Below is a good look at the facade of the Town Hall
A wide arcade enwraps the entire plaza
And in addition to shops, cafes and restaurants abound - where you see several large umbrellas pressed together is a place to eat.
In the spandrels of the eighty-eight archways along the plaza there are bas-relief ovals of kings and queens and the nobility, but also of heroes, soldiers and artists. For example one of them is of Cervantes - but please don't ask me to point it out. With all the arches in this plaza I'd never find it! After years of controversy, one of the busts was finally taken away in 2017. That of Franco, Spain's former fascist dictator.
As you look at the photo with the ovals, above, note that the pictured cafe tables belong to the Cafe Novelty, the oldest (1905) and most venerable cafe in Salamanca. It is a "literary" cafe, and is habituated by artists and writers.
At each corner on the Plaza Mayor there are elegant entrance/exits. This is one of them:
After I had a good look around the plaza I found a restaurant just off it that seemed inviting, the Restaurant Musicale
And while the music was not quite what I'd hoped, the food was tasty enough. I had Bacalao, or cod, with ratatouille. The fish was better than the sauce.
I walked off lunch long the same shopping street I'd come in on, which now featured street entertainers as well as cafes and shops, one of them I loved. He plays a stringed instrument while working a puppet - of himself? - in a mini stage set. The kids watching are mesmerized (look at the little girl on the left), and whenever anyone puts a coin or two into his hat, he also makes the little white dog bark gratefully for it.
Just down the street, at what I'd call the other end of the scale, altogether darker. In front of a building in severe need of restoration, this fellow appears to be crucified!
Ah well, it IS Semana Santa - Holy Week, right? He's very good at it...ah well, maybe come Sunday he'll be resurrected.
In that hope I returned to my hotel, the Casino del Tormes.
My room was ready - but what a room! At first glance it seemed fine.
until I discovered that if I wanted to open my curtains or look out of my window I would have stand tiptoe on a chair!
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| The window out of which one cannot see. |
The only other window was in the bathroom, and I had to stand on the toilet to see out of that one as well. At least I could make out the courtyard of the hotel, which appeared to house a restaurant. However, when I inquired at the desk I discovered that it was no longer open. The tables and chairs must have been kept to add brightness to an otherwise dull area!
The woman at the desk told me that there was a casino adjacent, but that the hotel had nothing to do with it. She suggested that there might be food and drink to be had there, but that she wasn't sure. I almost looked in, but I wasn't in Salamanca to go to a casino - particularly during Holy Week. I decided that I wasn't all that hungry (or had I lost my appetite?), decided I didn't want to climb the hill to the old town again, and returned to my room.
Aside: I always check booking.com and/or other travel websites, for reviews and locations on maps etc. This hotel was highly rated, for location (?!) and for its rooms (!?).
Confession: (seems a good idea on Holy Week): I had at first booked a hotel on the Plaza Mayor, but as this one was given higher ratings I canceled the earlier reservation and booked this place instead. Ah well...
Moral: Think twice before you book the Casino del Tormes!
And so ended my first day in Salamanca.
Next morning I mounted the hill once more, very much looking forward to touring the inside of the cathedral, and to have a look around the oldest university in Spain. The cathedral's main altar is surprisingly simple compared to other Spanish cathedrals,
but not to worry, startlingly ornate side altars more than make up for the simplicity of the main:
The organ pipes were also impressive:
But I must tell you, my very favorite part of the cathedral was outside at its northern entrance. The photo below, of the wall just to the left of that entrance, offers a closer look at all the detailed carvings. But there is one anomaly.
And this woman, one of the beggars that ply their trade in front of almost any church is Spain (or much of Europe for that matter), is more than happy to point the anomaly out, for a few pieces of silver.
If you look very carefully among the maze of figures...an astronaut! seemingly entangled in vines. A miracle? Evidence of aliens from another planet? Or a prank?
In the 1990s the cathedral underwent considerable restoration. One of the craftsmen, very likely bored with the tedium of his work, decided to add a little "joke," difficult to see but evident among the rest of the intricate work. And so it is that the cathedral of Salamanca is home to a spaceman!
The story goes that the good citizens of Salamanca hated the astronaut at first but that they simply shrug and say, "Why not? He is the closest person to God."
Literally across the street from the cathedral is the university, though to find its main entrance you have to go up a few streets, turn left, and take another left via a parallel street until you dome upon it. It is worth the detour even if you don't intend to see the inside of the ancient school, for over its entrance are carvings at least as intricately worked as those on the cathedral.
A closer look shows an even more complex Plateresque facade than that on the cathedral:
Across a tiny street from is a courtyard
The sculpture in the distance above and close up below is of Fray (Father) Luis de Leon, first a student of Canon Law beginning in 1541, later one of the school's most distinguished professors, awarded the prestigious Thomas Aquinas chair in theology in 1561. He was a poet and mystic as well. Two of his fellow professors betrayed him to the Inquisition and he was sent to Valladolid and imprisoned there in 1572. Pardoned and released in 1576, he returned to the university, where he famously began his first lecture with the words, "As we were saying yesterday..."
This university is Spain's oldest, founded in 1218, and one of the oldest in Europe. While it has been eclipsed academically by others, parts of it at least are more than worth the
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| The Unamuno Lecture Hall |
The university chapel is impressive:
And the old library is a beauty, though it can be seen only in its doorway, walls of glass holding back the tourists (rightly so). Looking to the right:
and to the left:
Even if you don't pay tour the interior of the university, look for a hidden gem in one of its courtyards, the buildings for international students.
In one corner is a room that holds the Cielo de Salamanca, (Sky of Salamanca, by the 15th century artist Fernando Gallego. Step in, and especially if it's a bright sunny day such as I had, wait a few minutes for your eyes to become accustomed, then look straight ahead and see this:
constellations, stars and figures of the zodiac. It once graced the ceiling of the old library, but was restored in the 1950s and moved to this little nook. Don't miss it!
In another courtyard is a sequoia from the Americas, representing a long-lasting dedication to learning.
I had a lovely time at the university, after which I walked towards the Plaza Mayor, looking forward to lunch! Along the way I passed another sight or two, relating to Salamanca as a stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. One way to identify a city that welcomes those on the pilgrimage is a scallop shell.
A statue of Francisco Salinas, a blind musicologist who taught at the university in the 16th century, is fronted by a square that features three or possibly four very large shells, though you'll have to trust me on the shells, as I seem to have lost the photo that includes them:
And a large late 15th century - early 16th century house not far away is called the Casa de las Conchas, named for the 300 shells on its facade.
As I moved closer to the Plaza Mayor another statue caught my eye
of Remigio Gonzalez Martin, a 20th century poet known by the pen name Adares, here in the Plaza del Corillo where he edited and sold his books. A pleasant encounter!
I continued my walk in search of lunch, and on the main shopping and eating street in the old town, very close to the Plaza Mayor, I found my eatery!
Called the Meson de Conchas, its outdoor menu tempted me, as it was varied and very reasonable. Included in the 15 Euros not just the three courses of food, but a generous glass of wine (or beer or sangria) and a water thrown in.
so I sat down, as usual one of the first to do so, but within its opening hours. There was one couple already there, so I didn't feel too terribly conspicuous, and as I ate and drank more and more customers arrived. And the food was very tasty indeed. an asparagus salad to start (5th from the bottom of the Primeros Platos),
then perhaps the best salmon I had during the entire trip (last entry under Segundos). As happened more than once on this trip, the two courses stuffed me to the point that I had no room for dessert. Still, a very good deal for very good food.
Then I walked off lunch, in no rush, spending much of the rest of the afternoon just looking around. One sight impossible to miss is the cathedral...well, small parts of it. Some of the university is literally in its shadow,
and occasionally I'd look up there it was - part of it. A beautiful building and a great pleasure from almost any angle.
And having walked almost too long, almost too far, I decided it was time to return to my strange little hotel room, thus ending my second day.
On my last day in Salamanca I re-visited briefly the area around the university, and also the Plaza Mayor, then headed not too far afield to what I take to be the second largest church in the city, San Esteban, full title Convento de San Esteban. This Dominican monastery was begun in the 16th century. but it was a long time in finishing, which explain the partly Gothic, partly Baroque architecture. The Dominicans arrived in Salamanca in the early 13th century, but their original monastery was demolished. It was in the earlier monastery that Christopher Columbus stayed as he debated the local geographers about his idea of sailing west to reach the Indies.
It was almost impossible for me to get a good photo of the exterior, but the interior was more accessible. The beautiful main altar above features a reredos (screen or other decoration behind the altar) was designed byJose de Churriguera. It is best viewed in my opinion from the choir.
The choir is located on the upper level and is very large, dominated by this fresco by Antonio Palomino, on the subject "The Triumph of the Church." Clearly a work of the counter-reformation.
Having had my fill of the interior I strolled the main cloister, known as the Cloister of Kings.
The Cloister itself is a beauty, but what most caught my attention is the double arch at its upper right. A closer look reveals a huge bird's nest - it it is occupied!
Viewed even closer, the inhabitant is a stork! They seem to be fond of Salamanca, and nests, which I understand can weigh as much as 650 pounds (!) can be found throughout the city. For their part the citizens view the storks with pride, and as good luck symbols for the city.
The city of Salamanca does not have an overabundance of museums, but I saved for last one that I really wanted to see.
Located part of the way up the hill I climbed each day to get to the old town, it is a modernist mansion (late 1800s) named the Casa Lis for its original owner, but which, after a ragged history for the better part of a century, was saved by the city in 1981, and turned into the Museo Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Below is the eye-popping central hall. No photos allowed, strictly enforced, so this is the placemat I bought to remember it by, now a small poster in my humble abode.
It's a small-ish, eclectic collection and a very pleasant diversion. The hour or so I spent there was an artistic delight.
I cheated slightly when I saw no guards around, turning my back on the museum proper and snapping this pic of the window decor, and the city beyond. The bar, for your info, is just out of sight on the right.
It was at that moment that I realized what the building I had looked up and wondered at on my first day in Salamanca, shortly after I left my hotel room to explore the city. I left you in suspense when I remarked on it and put a photo of it here, some distance away. Below is a closer shot:
If you look at the center of this you will see the exterior of the interior shot just above it. The outer walls of the museum!
Just one more mission remained. I walked back towards Plaza Mayor for the last time, stopping at a place I had meant to enter earlier. I knew that I had had enough touring, and that I would almost certainly not leave my hotel room until my departure the following morning, so I bought this:
The world's best bocadillo! Who am I to disagree?
It was a very short train ride from Salamanca to my next destination, Valladolid. I stayed there one night only, primarily because it offered a more convenient rail journey to Bilbao than had Salamanca. I also wanted to get a look at the place that was
My hotel was a short walk from the train station, along a broad, modern avenue across from which was a large park. It also led directly to the heart of the city, the old town. In the photo above, a view from my window.
At the end of the park was a large plaza with a lovely fountain, beyond which, in a former cavalry academy is now a museum - beautiful building,
and a statue of José Zorilla, for whom the plaza is named, native of Valladolid and author of the play Don Juan Tenorio, the man who loved almost every woman he saw...for a time.
From the plaza I easily found the way to the center:
It seemed that many others were headed in the same direction. The wide entry you see above leads to a warren of tiny streets, which were packed with people and processions.
The group above, women mourning maybe, I never quite understood, but I saw at least two more such groups.
All processions seemed headed to Plaza Mayor,
where there was an open area in front of the city hall (center in the photo above) which seemed to be a reviewing stand. The statue you can just see at the far right of the photo is of the city's founder and first lord, Pedro Anzurez (1065-1117).
He was a soldier and a prolific builder in and around Valladolid, though his frontier district included Toledo and Madrid.
All the processions were solemn and slow-moving, some simply with drums, some with brass instruments, all having an identifying flag and crucifix.
The going was so slow and increasingly crowded that I searched the Plaza for places to eat - several, but all were packed, So I left the square and set out in serious search of food. All I found were restaurants with no tables to spare, crowds, and several more processions. The most notable one was the only group that I saw that used a wagon to hoist aloft a statue of Christ the Redeemer, much like pageant wagons that dated back to Medieval Spain and Europe. In those old days short plays were presented on the so-called pageant wagons, either one after another in a town square or at several designated stops along the route of the procession.
I really enjoyed seeing all of the parades, the one below obviously keeping it in the family.
The one just above contained the seeds of a drama. While this group was paused, a señora passed and the fellow with the big red flag seems to be checking her out. But the woman with the sceptre to his right looks like she caught him ogling!
Even with all of this adventure I became very tired and also hungry. Seeing that I'd have no chance to get a table anywhere near the center, I headed back to the neighborhood of my hotel, where I had seen several eateries. Unfortunately none of these was open yet. I had once again experienced a brief encounter with the late Spanish lunch. However, across the street at the edge of the park I found a place.
There was only one young couple seated, already eating, in the large rather pretty dining room (above), but almost every table in the place was reserved. Easter Sunday, right? However one small table in a corner was available and of course I accepted it. I was lucky in my timing, as I was able to order before the expected crowd entered. Enter it did, large families, each with probably ten people at least, sat at long tables. I ordered a simple Caesar salad with chicken and a glass of tasty wine and was glad to make my escape from all the celebratory diners, from kids to geriatrics.
I decided against trying to look around the old town again, as I was certain it was still quite crowded. Sorry to have missed it, but I strolled along the park and came upon Campo Grande, a very pretty park within a park. Pretty trees,
A modest but pleasant fountain,
and peacocks! I saw in a small triangular garden one walking, while several others were lying at rest. If you look close you can see them, most resting.
One or two were more than willing to show off
There was even one high up in a tree!
It was an odd way to end my very short visit to Valladolid, but a pleasant surprise as well.
Next morning I trained out to Basque country in general, Bilbao in particular, which turned out to be a real highlight of the trip. More on that in the next post.
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