Salamanca

 

not my picture

Left around 9:30 AM. Bus was late by one hour. Took us about 3 hours to get there including a quick pit stop. Lot of grazing cattle and unused farm land separated by rock and mortar walls. Saw the Sierra de Guadarrama (Mountain range) right outside Madrid on the way out. Within the mountains there was a massive pink cross that was viewable to those driving on the highway. The valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caídos) is a monument/graveyard from the Spanish civil  war between the military and government. There is also a basilica built within the mountain underneath the cross. 

We stopped at the gated city of Avila for a little bit. The guide said that the city walls are the worlds largest illuminated monument. 

 This was called the Cuatro Postres (four posts) where people would pray before entering the city of Avila.

 This was what entering Salamanca looked like. Its mostly city run by its ancient college but the main attraction is the cathedral.

 West front of the New cathedral (It was built as a part of the old cathedral). The Old cathedral is gothic style (16th cent.) and the New one is Baroque (18th). The outside of the cathedrals are laced with extravagant designs and curvilinear forms from nature., (art nouveou).






When something gets restored like the carving on the right, the artist is allowed to add something that makes it his as well. Mind you this is a centuries old cathedral. There was another with a dragon eating an ice cream cone.






We saw a whole bunch of other stuff. Went to lunch at a really nice place for a 3 course meal for 14 Euro. When we sat down we then noticed that Lil' wayne was on a plasma screen right behind us. 
I got macarorni con Bolonesa and then a plank steak. dessert was a fruit bowl with some sort of syrup on top.  Wine and bread were also served with the meal. walked around a little bit more and then we headed home. 


Got home aound 9ish. Ana made us veggie soup again with bread and apple sauce for dessert. For the main we had a fish that was really good. It was cooked with some sort of mildly flavored something on top that turned brown on top when it cooked. (cheese or maybe an egg)??

To tired to do anything but still walked around Opera for while. Stopped at another Irish pub because thats where all the non Spanish speakers go.


Been wearing the same pair of jeans for the last four days. I think Ana lost some clothes on the clothes line hanging from the apt building. 

Saw Gregorio, Ana's husband, for the second time.He doesnt talk to us and snores constantly. Doesnt seem to like me and dean.

Starting to get cold here again. Trying to find cheap flights for somewhere next week.


Whats going on with the Orange?
Nick