Valladolid, Castilla y León

Before Madrid, a province located in the region of Castilla y León named Valladolid was the capital of Spain and it played an important role in the Spanish history.

Valladolid today is an industrial city and also a cultural centre. It still has a handful of well preserved historical monuments scattered in its old quarter, the notable ones being the Cathedral, the church of Santa María la Antigua (oldest in the city), the church of San Pablo, the gothic church of San Benito, and a university with a gorgeous baroque façade.











Interestingly, I noticed that the city has an artificial beach called 'Playa de las Moreras' created by the Pisuerga River. There's even a beach bar to boot.

It may not be the most attractive beach, but for an inland city, it's obviously not a bad option for the locals!






Set in the wine making region of Spain, Valladolid is known to produce good quality wines and also specialises in wood oven roasted suckling baby lamb. Try them if you visit!

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!

Zamora, Castilla y León

During the recent May Day holidays, I made a roadtrip to Zamora in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León, not too far from Madrid.

Famous for its Holy Week or Semana Santa festivities, the city of Zamora is rather compact and can be explored on foot within a few hours. The Duero river that runs alongside the city lends a picturesque setting to Zamora's backdrop of medieval Romanesque architecture.

Apart from the old city walls & the old stone bridge, the many Palacios & Plazas, the Cathedral & the Castle, my personal favourite highlights of the city include the very charming street "Calle de Balborraz" and the quaint looking set of watermills "Aceñas de Olivares".


Above: A view of Zamora from across the Duero River.


Above: A sea of red flowers in an abandoned field.



Above: Images of Zamora.


Above: 'Aceñas de Olivares' watermills.


Above: Calle de Balborraz


Above: The Romanesque Church of San Juan at Plaza Mayor.


Above: Another example of Romanesque architecture - The Cathedral of Zamora.


Above: Housed within the restored medieval Castle of Zamora is the city's contemporary art center, displaying the works of local sculptor, Baltasar Lobo.

Not the type of Spanish city that is crowded with tourists, Zamora is a fairly quiet and pleasant place to spend the weekend or from which to venture across the border to Portugal, which I did.

Next up, a short post on Bragança, Portugal!