Travel stories
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Climbing the medieval wall of Ávila
I arrived late in the day in Ávila. The medieval walled town was a short train ride from Salamanca and I planned to stay the night. My tardy arrival meant it was too late to climb the wall. Plus, I left my climbing rope, helmet and carabiners at home. I jest. Nowadays, the gates are always open in Ávila. I entered through one of the 9 openings in the thick stone wall. You don’t enter by tossing a rope over the wall and hoisting yourself up. It’s 12 metre high. Surely that can’t be safe? Would you even be allowed to scale a 12th century wall? All good questions. One…
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The underground of Salamanca
My tour guide Maria pulls a set of keys from her pocket. We’ve walk up to an iron gate. It’s about 8 pm. There is only a trace of indigo in the sky. She opens the gate and the three of us walk through. We are in an open area surrounded by stone walls, but it’s hard to see anything in the darkness. Maria opens a metal panel on the wall and I hear some clicks. Nothing happens. The other woman on the tour, Juana from Seville, shines her iphone flashlight at the panel. Maria tries another switch and the lights go on. Olé! I still have no idea where…
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Spotting frogs and astronauts in Salamanca
It was Saturday afternoon. The entrance to Salamanca’s University was packed. Packed with tour groups like the one I was in and other visitors craning their necks to inspect the detailed facade of the graceful stone building. The facade is a feast of mythical creatures, archbishops, kings and queens, busts and skulls, decorative foliage, coats of arms. It warrants a good inspection. It’s a fascinating scene. But there was something specific people were searching for. A frog. Una rana. The frog is considered a good luck charm. If, only if, you can spot it without assistance. It doesn’t count if you have help. Some hopeful students search for it before…
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The enchanting Plaza Mayor of Salamanca
Less than 2 hours by high speed train from Madrid, across the barren plains of Castilla y León, I arrived in the city of Salamanca. Nicknamed the Golden City (La Dorada), this university town practically glows thanks to the unique ochre stone of its buildings. (The golden sandstone is quarried from the nearby village of Villamayor.) Entering the historic area it’s easy to see Salamanca is very beautiful. Besides the radiance of the stone, there is an insane amount of intricate carvings on the buildings – on facades, rooftops, window ledges, cornices and columns. Everywhere. More than pretty stonework, the city is brimming with history so I signed up for…
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A look at year 3
It is coming up on three years since my first post. I am inclined to review or reflect on another passing year. Unlike any performance review I had to conduct at work, my “reviews” don’t take any set form. The first year marked highlights and the second marked 100 posts. Looking back on this third year, a clear theme emerges. I have been fortunate to travel and it’s been all about Spain. As I do like creating lists (like delightful things about winter), the list in my notebook that has become longer and longer this year is “Things I love about Spain”. There could be many sub-categories, be it architecture,…
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Literary figures in barrio Las Letras
Let’s take a tour through Madrid’s literary district, Las Letras. The area was home to several famous Spanish writers in the 16th and 17th century and today celebrates the country’s rich literary history. On my first trip to Madrid I sipped my very first vermut the bustling Plaza Santa Ana where we will begin our tour at the monument of Frederico Garcia Lorca. He was a well-known poet and playwright in the 1920s and 1930s in Spain and part of a movement exploring avant-guard forms of art and poetry. He was assassinated at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 at the age of 38. The monument is…
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Historic taverns in Madrid
On my recent visit to Madrid I was on the lookout for painted red doors and bronze plaques. These are markers of a historic Madrid tavern. Stepping into one of these classics is like stepping back in time. Back to another century. Businesses over 100 years old, centenarios, are celebrated in Madrid with a decorative bronze plate on the ground at the entrance. It’s not only restaurants and taverns, there are also historic hotels, pharmacies, and shops selling shoes, capes and hats. There are around 150 of these centenarios in Madrid. This could have turn into a prolonged treasure hunt, but I was mostly interested in the eating establishments. I…
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Madrid is always buen rollo
I bought a T-shirt in a Madrid store called dear tee. The collection of shirts had fun prints, all designed in Madrid, made in Portugal. The white shirt I settled on is emblazoned with Madrid is always buen rollo. I didn’t know exactly what buen rollo meant when I chose it. It sounded positive. The salesperson explained the best translation was “good vibes”. It fits. The T-shirt, yes. The expression, absolutely. In the short time I have spent in Madrid, I got that feeling. Good vibes. Is it always good vibes? Well, close enough. Printed words on a T-shirt are allowed to exaggerate for impact. Madrid is a big city.…
