Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Although it is only 5C the sun is breaking through as we walk through the park and across the arched stone Roman bridge and into town.
First stop is the cathedral and rather than queue we are let in a ramped side door free of charge. This is another, very impressive structure with massive columns and high vaulted ceilings. One of the most eye catching features is an ornately carved gallery/balcony way up on the walls. Like Burgos there are numerous peripheral chapels and though these are much smaller and more intimate there is still no shortage of bling. Looking through the walnut spindled screens we see finely detailed alter pieces - carved, painted or gilded - with marble alter tables. These are faced by four or five rows of short pews, upholstered with worn, red and gold brocade. Stonework surrounding the transept forms huge, carved walls and galleries of organ pipes again gilded or silver. Being Christmas there are a number of nativity scenes, some simple, some beautifully ornate.
A few flocks of sheep are herded about from chapel to chapel, never looking up or sideways while the guides, oblivious to the 'Silencio' signs bleat out their mantra.
Back outside the warm sandstone paints an almost monotone streetscape with only a few subtle shop signs colouring the picture, but where the sun shines on the stone it reveals blotches of blues, mauves and yellows.
We find the famous university but don't find the famous lucky frog among the carvings. Tradition says that students who find the frog will succeed in their exams and/or find their perfect marriage partner.
Opposite the university is Salamanca's library with its famous shelled wall, decorated with carved scallop shells.
In the pedestrianised streets we find souvenir shops selling frogs of every shape and size. There are also tapas bars and ham shops.
Entering Plaza Mayor is breathtaking, in our view more impressive than St Mark's in Venice. A perfect square is formed by four storeys of uniform terraces, all with shutters the same colour as the stone. A shaded arcade houses bars and restaurants, and at every pillar there is a medallion with a bust of a Spanish 'Worthy', although General Franco is a plastic replica due to the original frequently suffering graffiti and defacing.
We continue wandering through this lovely city until we exit from a different side and return to the van, where we use the new solar panel and inverter to boost the wheelchair batteries.
At dusk we saddle up again and return over the Roman bridge just as the lights come on.
The old streets take on a magical look at night time; iron lanterns spill soft yellow light onto the sandstone. Floodlights pick our details on the cathedral not seen when lit from above by the sun. Simple Christmas lights span the streets as people queue for roasted nuts.
Plaza Mayor is magical. The centrepiece, a 20 foot bauble is lit in red and gold fairy lights and in every archway of the arcade is a bronze lantern. We take a table at a bar next to a flaming heater, order a bottle of red wine between the four of us a sit soaking up the atmosphere which is absolutely buzzing with chatter as people mingle and wander around.
As we make our way back, the ham shops are all open doing a brisk trade and smells of cooking spill out of the tapas bars, but most are standing service so we return via the Roman bridge to the vans and bung a pizza in the oven.
We are soon warmed up again and reflect on a fabulous visit and great stopover.
- comments