This is a short hike with many small waterfalls and pools for swimming. It seems to be popular for the locals to bring their kids to play in the shallow water. It is far enough out of the way and requires a long enough hike in that it remains free of tourists.
There is a lot to see if you are in the mood for hiking. There is a forest, ruins of old mills, and you can just keep hiking up the waterfall until you run out of waterfalls.
After the endless rain in Santiago, we were happy to see blue skies. Unfortunately, strong winds bore down on the city for our entire stay. That also meant, we were able to enjoy the stunning views without too many other tourists. We arrived in Salamanca in the late afternoon, so there was not much time for site seeing. This bull with a wheelchair was the only notable part of the adventure occurring before dark.
We stopped for tapas and cortados, at a bakery/bar in the touristy old-town. After the food in Santiago, we were all a touch disappointed in the fare. The highlight of the snack was reemerging from the cafe after sunset.
The sky was dark and the the entire city had been illuminated by streetlights and ground lamps placed to create dramatic angles and contrast. Coupled with the early modern stone architecture, the yellow lighting was reminiscent of a movie set. If only I could remember my lines!
Stepping into the Plaza Mayor for the first time was surreal. I half expected women in corsets with heavy skirts to walk the balconies arm in arm with men in skirted coats.
We visited a number of beautiful buildings constructed in the middle ages and early modern periods. Modern shops and neon lights stood in stark contrast to craftsmanship and enduring beauty.
The streets were narrow and lined with stunning, high walled cathedrals, offices, convents, churches, and… Each of the historic buildings was covered by intricate patterns or sculptures.
I had been told about the church of shells, but I had imagined something entirely different. Growing up in a tourist town where shells were glued to everything. I thought it was going to be some hideous conglomerate of dead sea creatures and mortar. Needless to say, I was quite pleased to discover it was actually scallops carved in stone to honor Santiago.
In order to take in the magnitude of any of these monuments, I was forced to stand against the equally beautiful building facing opposite.
These are buildings from the University of Salamanca. One of the oldest Universities. Apparently local folk lore is that first year students must find the frog skull, the astronaut, and the ___________ in order to pass their examns.
We made our way down to the roman bridge, possibly constructed as early as 27 bc-14 ad.
One part of the city reminded me of the set for an old pirate movie.
We unfortunately stumbled on the modern art museum only moments before it closed. It does look like a pretty cool vampire mansion though.
Spent the day at this beautiful natural park. It was a bit of a hike to get to the beaches. But late December, 70 degrees, and sunny on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea… Yeah definitely hiking to the beach weather. This was the first pebble beach I have ever visited.
We stopped here for a bit and enjoyed the sun. We found bits of beach glass here and there. A few birds. An adorable dog that followed us for way too long.
The drive here from Toledo was a little intense. We left too late and drove through the night. We passed some weird curly horned goat cows. I still don’t know what they’re called! The night sky was incredible, because there was no light pollution in the remote region. We, finally, arrived several hours behind schedule. The concierge was much displeased.
We stayed at the Hotel Albarracín. We didn’t have time to visit, but apparently they have an underground basement pool. I would love to swim there on my next trip to Spain.
This was one of my favorite spots in the whole city. We sat here to enjoy the view while making the pesky “we’ll be late turning in the rental car” phone calls.
It’s possible I maybe got a little obsessed with the sandworm door knockers.
We didn’t do much besides walk around the city, but one store was open. All beautiful hand made ceramics.
We made it to the west coast just in time for record breaking stormy weather. It rained for three solid days. I have never been so damp in my entire life. We caught something of a break in the rain to visit Castro de Baroña.
The view was nice and tourist free. The winds were so strong they tore through our ponchos, but it was a fun mini adventure none the less. It was fun to hop around in the foundations of the houses that once stood here.
And then… wild horses… TGU was super excited to meet the horse. The horse was mostly just hungry. It tried to eat our sleeves, fingers, ponchos, and everything else. I’m guessing it normally managed to beg snacks off the passing tourists.
Totally magical experience.
PigTailz 