BURGOS, SPAIN
The historic capital of the Kingdom of Castile, Burgos is picture book
city packed with Gothic and renaissance architecture. These lovely 15th and
16th-century buildings are built with local white limestone, which gives the
Burgos cityscape its own regal character. You can visit the resting place of
several kings and queens and see where Christopher Columbus was granted a royal
audience in the 15th century. There’s history of a different kind just outside
the city, where Europe’s earliest human fossils have been discovered and date
back 350,000 years.
We
began this morning with a nice breakfast and on the bus heading towards the
town of Burgos. The extraordinary Gothic cathedral of Burgos is one of Spain's
glittering jewels of religious architecture.
It looms large over the city and skyline. On the surface, conservative Burgos
seems to embody all the stereotypes of a north-central Spanish town, with
sombre grey-stone architecture, the fortifying cuisine of the high meseta
(plateau) and a climate of extremes. But this is a city that rewards deeper
exploration. Burgos’ 13th-century
Cathedral of St. Mary is UNESCO-listed, and stands out as the only cathedral in
Spain to earn this status without being grouped with other buildings. The best
way to approach the building is from the west, where you’ll be greeted by
impossibly ornate twin spires, modelled on the gothic cathedrals in Paris and
Reims. But from any direction there’s something beautiful to catch your gaze,
whether it’s the medieval carvings on the Door of the Coronería or the stunning
octagonal tower on the east side. Below the surface lie good restaurants and,
when the sun's shining, pretty streetscapes that extend far beyond the landmark
cathedral.
We
started with a Gothic city gate that leads into a large square by the Burgos
Cathedral. This gate is on the modern Camino and has been such for centuries.
It is almost across the street from some hotels and leads directly to the
cathedral, identified as Spain's most spectacular Gothic cathedral. It was
begun in 1221. You can have a lengthy detailed tour of it, including the tomb
of El Cid, but we arrived early in the morning and nothing was open. The cathedral was indeed very ornate, but it
is easy to see so many cathedrals as to be less moved.
After being told our leave time we quickly
continued on through the heart of the old city, past plazas, palaces, and
memorials to Columbus and El Cid. Some quick photos and video, we then walked
up to the Convent de las Huelgas, founded by the sister of Richard the Lion
Heart in 1187. There was an ancient fort, but so little is left of it we were
told it was not worth going in to it. Apparently when Napolean's forces left
the city in defeat, they took as much loot with them as they could and
destroyed defenses.
That
brought us back to town for lunch time. We were both quite hungry and did not
find the place someone recommended, so we just picked one on the Camino route.
Their English was less than my Spanish, without English language menus.
Unfortunately the few terms we know for food mostly did not appear on the menu.
Kim ordered a Ceasar salad and I ordered the smallest hamburger listed. Both
were huge and we left stuffed. The burger came complete with huge meat patty,
cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a fried egg sunnyside up on top. The bun
was useless. Then we were back on the bus for our next destination.
Best
Things to Do in Burgos (Spain):
Plaza
Mayor, Burgos Cathedral, Monasterio de Santa María la Real de Las Huelgas,
Burgos Castle, Plaza Mayor, Atapuerca, Museum of Human Evolution,
Miraflores
Charterhouse, Camino de Santiago – Burgos to Leon: caminodesantiago, Casa del
Cordón, Paseo del Espolón, Arco de Santa María, Iglesia de San Nicolás de Bari,
Fadrique de Basilea Book Museum:
familypedia Bodegas Portia: bodegasportia
Morcilla.
BILDAO, SPAIN
In the last 20 years or so, the
Basque city of Bilbao has become a major hub for art, architecture and design
and is home to many museums, galleries and architectural marvels.
Bilbao
in Northern Spain is a perfect city for a relaxing weekend escape. It’s big
enough to keep you entertained with the restaurants and cafes, the beautiful
buildings and gorgeous scenery. The nightlife is great and of course there’s
the incredible Guggenheim Museum which you won’t want to miss. There is plenty
to do but it is also small enough so you don’t feel like you need to rush
around and tick all the sights off your list. Bilbao is the largest city in
Northern Spain but it is by no means a hectic place. It is the kind of city where
you can take your time and stroll around; Stop for a coffee, or head to a
pinchos bar for wine and delicious snacks. We took a walk through the old town
and browsed the boutiques and traditional stores that felt like they’ve been
there since the beginning of time.
Bilbao
is so small that you can walk around the whole city in a day. We only had a few boring hours near the
museum. You can easily see all the highlights, all the beautiful buildings, the
quaint little shops and stunning churches and also soak up the vibe of the
city.
You
will find it to be charmingly relaxed with a quaint yet stylish feel. It is
undeniably Spanish, you only need to look up at the buildings or into the faces
of the locals to feel the infectious Spanish attitude. There are rustic and
wonky Spanish apartments that tower above narrow, winding streets – these are
the type where you expect to see old ladies shouting rapidly from the top
windows and drying their washing from their small, flower filled balconies.
There are beautifully grand, dominating buildings that sit next to sleek, modern
buildings. These buildings contrast so markedly that it makes them both seem
even more spectacular by emphasizing what they may or may not have.
Watch the movie here
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