Author: Joseph

Somehow the fonts changed on these posts and I cannot recapture the one I preferred….today was bright and sunny and the spring chill has almost vanished. We started the day at one of Antonio Gaudi’s first projects, Casa Botines, a building originally built to house a textile shop with apartments above. The building had many…

Travel schedules meant a late departure from Burgos, but on a fast train — speed topped out at 249 km an hour! We arrived late in the afternoon in Leon and have found it to be a college party town — so many young people and so much wine and beer. Before leaving Burgos I…

I may not be walking the Camino to Santiago — Burgos is one of the stops on the Camino and a pilgrim hostel is around the corner from our hotel — but I have made two mini-pilgrimages in the past two days. Yesterday to the Real Monasterio de las Huelgas, founded in 1187 by Alfonso…

It is easy to overdose on religious art in Burgos as there is so very much of it. Visiting only the cathedral today would have provided a lifetime’s worth of images to ponder. In addition to the cathedral I visited San Gil’s Church, a museum of church altar pieces, and the remarkable Royal Monasterio (convent)…

Arrived today in Burgos. So far getting around by public transport has been a breeze and inexpensive — it is such a great relief not worrying about a car. Burgos’s cathedral (third largest in Spain after Sevilla and Toledo) dates to 1221, although construction continued for centuries. The cathedral is on the side of a…

A lovely day exploring Bilbao beyond the Guggenheim. The oldest part of the city — Casco — was a delightful place to wander with the cathedral, a few other notable churches, narrow streets lined with colorful houses, and a truly amazing market where one could buy ready to eat food (pinxtos) as well as beef,…

Rain. Lots of rain. The long streak of good weather ended today with heavy rains. Between San Sebastián and Bilbao I saw almost nothing of the countryside because the rain was so heavy. Whereas San Sebastian was small, quiet and charming, Bilbao is bustling and busy….but it has its own charm. Broad streets radiate from…

Last night’s dinner at Dani Lopez’s Kokotxa was one of the best meals I remember with impeccable service. Flavors were clear and distinct and mixed in creative ways to make the most of contrasts of texture and taste. It was a superb dinner. Today I climbed Monte Urgull, one of the two hills that guards…

Even though it is rainy the city is beautiful. There are two perfect crescent beaches: the smaller one for surfers; the larger and calmer one for swimmers. The sand on both beaches is golden and they open onto the Bay of Biscay — southern England is somewhere out there beyond the horizon. The streets —…

At last in Spain. We took the TGV (the fast train) from Paris. The train was indeed fast and comfortable. Our seat-mates were a couple from Metz on their way to Biarritz to celebrate an aunt’s 99th birthday. They were a talkative couple, which provided opportunity to practice my French, although I mostly listened. The…