Thursday, June 9, 2011

Burgos, Castilla y León

Recently, I found myself suddenly thinking about a certain Spanish dish – Morcilla de Burgos. Although it’s not difficult to find it in Madrid, what better place to have it than in the city of Burgos itself! (Yes I'm one of those who really like eating Morcilla de Burgos despite knowing what it's made of.)

So we drove almost 3 hrs north from Madrid to Burgos, and the first thing we did was to head into a tapas bar and indulge in a plate of Morcilla de Burgos. I finished it so quickly that I didn’t even remember to do what I'd usually do – snap a picture of it!

Anyway, the weather in Burgos was absolutely fantastic. The city is actually really pretty with its gothic architecture, spacious plazas and the Arlanzón River running across it. Great for some leisurely after-lunch wandering!


Above: Arch of Santa Maria - "The Gateway to Burgos!"


Above: View of Burgos City from the Castle, located on a hilltop.


Above: Plaza Mayor


Above: The Arlanzón River running across the city.


Above: Plaza del Rey San Fernando. Buildings with glass window covered balconies appear to be typical of this city.


The city of Burgos forms part of El Camino de Santiago or The Way of St. James pilgrimage route and not surprisingly, the route passes the famous Cathedral of Burgos, located right in the heart of the city.

Possibly one of the most magnificent Cathedrals in Spain, the Burgos Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A true Gothic masterpiece, it is as impressive inside as it is on the outside!











Apart from the Catheral, Burgos has another important monument, the 15th century Casa del Cordón - where several historical events were known to have taken place.

Just as I was about to reach the historical building, 'Bread & Cakes' caught my eye and stopped me in my tracks. No harm side tracking for a little sweet treat!




Above: Casa del Cordón, the building in which Christopher Columbus was known to be received by the Catholic Monarchs in 1496 on his return from his second voyage across the Atlantic. What a piece of history.

Venturing out of the city center, my final stop was to visit the Real Monasterio de las Huelgas before heading down back to Madrid. Another of Burgos's fine example of Gothic architecture, its vast compound consist of a church, a monastery and a cloister.




That's it! Have a great weekend!

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