Our first full day in Salamanca. I have to say that my Pacer app on my phone is strangely undercounting my paces as Colin’s shows exactly the same route and times but comes in at around 1,500 more each day... or he’s got very short legs!
After a leisurely breakfast in our room we walked back into the city, this time on a more direct route than last night. We headed to the Plaza Major and then walked a trail around the city passing by many of the characteristic sandstone buildings. We walked towards the river and then down and across the original Roman bridge to catch the classic view above of the city of Salamanca.
Then back across the bridge, up yet more steps and a brief moment in the cool of a museum about the effects of the civil war on this area of Spain and also rather peculiarly, an exhibition on Spanish Freemasonry. It was only right at this point that we should divert for a few tapas at our new favourite tapas bar near the House of Shells before tackling not one but two cathedrals -the new and old cathedrals of Salamanca.
Despite me being Atheist we seem have spent more time in cathedrals and church than other places in Spain! The first ‘new’ (well building was started in 1513!) cathedral was another amazingly high vaulted building but with a lot less stained glass than the cathedral in León. I spent a lot of time getting a cricked neck trying to capture the cupola in the centre of the building. However, the most interesting building to me was actually the old cathedral (which we stepped into from the new one. This was built in the twelfth century and was very special. We were able to view wall murals on stone painted in 1260 and the stone carvings on the tombs and in each side ‘room’ were amazing.
At this point we were rather ‘churched out’ and headed back to the hotel fo a brief siesta. I am planning on climbing the cathedral tower before we leave to see the amazing views across the city.
Dinner at the same venue as lunch (an d last nights tapas) but this time upstairs in the restaurant for an excellent blue steak and bottle of house red wine.
