Goin' to Barcelona

As I write, I am on a late night bus to Barcelona. The trip is arranged by the university just for exchange students. Around 60 of us in total. I hope i can get some sleep. We will see!

Day Tripping: Segovia

I didn't write this...

Having not planned anything too extravagant after my trip to Italy, a hastily arranged day trip to Segovia was right up my alley. Best of all was the chance to go with my friend Dario!

 

Having purchased the two bus tickets for a 8:00 am departure, I woke up Saturday morning with just enough time to get to the bus station. Hoping to avoid the chaos of the metro ride to the Principe Pio bus interchange (never before had I seen a metro train with more people crammed in), I took an alternate route hoping to at least replicate the transit time. Arriving with 15 minutes to spare, I checked my phone to find a message from Dario waiting for me at the Sol train station (the one closest to my apartment)! In few words, I told him to run! Thankfully, he arrived just in time and we departed on the 1.5 hour journey. Still waking up, I used the opportunity to catch a few z's much like the other patrons on the bus.

 

Usually when I plan trips, I always expect something to go wrong. I thought that passed when Dario almost missed the bus. Leaving the clear skies and 45 degree temperatures of Madrid, I opened my eyes half an hour later to find SNOW! Yes, it was snowing in Segovia. My luck had just ran out. Recalling the weather report, I had noticed the sunny sky forecast while forgetting to pay too much attention to the 30 degree temperatures. Still, I was dressed as warmly as possible for the occasion and same with Dario.

SNOW!

Arriving in Segovia, a small layer of snow covered some parts of the city but the sidewalks were clear. We were greeted by gusts of cold air exiting the warm bus.

 

For the occasion, I had torn pages out of my large Spain guide about Segovia, around 8 in total.

 

Our first stop was the most significant landmark of the city: the Roman Aqueduct. The aqueduct spans a few miles and is around five stories at its highest point. Immediately visible from the main road to the bus station, it is imposing when you approach. The fun fact about this aqueduct is its lack of mortar. Having survived this long is truly a statement to the quality of Roman engineering. And we still don't have a clue how it was built.

Climbing a long stairway, we proceeded to investigate the design further.

 

Proceeding toward the city center, their own Plaza Mayor, we sought a cafe and some hot beverages. We found one restaurant and ordered hot chocolate. Dario provided some cookies to perfectly complement the sweet drinks.

 

A little warmed up, our next stop was the Cathedral of Segovia. Quite simply, I have seen too many cathedrals to this point. From the outside, this cathedral is the most 'intimidating' I have seen. From the inside, it is the most simple.Walking around all of the chapels  the most famous holds an ornate statue of Mary with a variety of paintings. Of these paintings, the most distinct is the "Tree of Life." The imagery is very literal. While very beautiful on the inside, the cathedral was not heated at all! Walking around the church only provided so much protection from the cold.

Looks like a fortress...

 

Tree of Life

Walking around the church once more for pictures, we proceeded back toward the aqueduct to follow the recommended walking guide from my book. The route took us along the main pedestrian walkway, passing a few significant buildings with original Moorish architecture. Before returning to the Plaza Mayor, Dario noticed a museum and we agreed to seek some shelter there. The Esteban Vicente Contemporary Art Museum is the main art museum of the city. For the two eur student entry fee, the main collection is of works by Vicente, a native of Segovia who painted in Madrid. The works, honestly, are rather bland and insignificant in the greater art scheme. Funny thing was that we were the only two people in the whole museum. A museum guard followed us around the entire time. Honestly, the most useful part of the museum was its bathroom (and some TripAdvisor reviews agree with me). Still, it was a good opportunity to warm up again before continuing. 

Leaving the museum, we now sought a place to dine for lunch. With the sun finally peaking through the clouds, its presence made a world of difference as we walked down the streets. Returning to the aqueduct, we searched for some of the recommended restaurants from my guidebook. The signature food of Segovia is "cochinillo," roast suckling pig. Finding cochinillo was a must for our dining decision. One was the most famous restaurant in the whole city, but a little too expensive for our budget. Another was closed... like completely closed. The final one was too far away, so we decided on a restaurant with a fixed menu with cochinillo for only 21 euro.

Seated at an uncomfortably romantic two person table with a view of the aqueduct, the fixed menu began with bread and win followed by 'sopa castellana' (castillian soup) of ham, bread, and a fried egg in broth. While an interesting flavor combination  it is not my favorite. The cochinillo was the main dish. Dario had his served with a foot still intact. Cochinillo is a very tender pork easy enough to eat only with a fork. Initially, the taste did not greet me favorably. Later, and when mixed with the cooking juices, it really tasted good. For desert, a less-than-interesting vanilla custard. Overall, the cochinillo was the best part and probably worth the price we paid for the entire meal.

Our 'table'

Sopa Castellana

Dario's portion had a foot...

Dario and I wanted to save the remaining afternoon for the last main attraction of the city: the Alcazar. The Alcazar (Arabic for castle) sits on the edge of the plateau that is Segovia, overlooking the gently rolling hills below. Slightly above is the city center.

The Alcazar has two distinct parts requiring separate tickets: the castle rooms and tower. Thankfully the student rate of 5 eur provided access to everything. With access controlled by metro-like turntables  we entered the castle rooms first. Walking through the castle is very easy. While each room was beautifully decorated, the Moorish ceilings were the most unique. The most distinct room was the 'Room of Kings' decorated with around 50 miniatures of famous kings and queens of time. Interesting to notice how each king carried a sword in his right hand while no queen (around six in total) carried an armament. Lest we forget, the room immediately after was a chapel. The final two rooms were part of the armament museum, including the royal artillery museum. This was one of the first museums where nothing was written in English. Almost makes things a little disappointing when you need thrice as much time to read something! After glancing over the museum collection, we proceeded to the castle tower. We were provided ample warning about the 154 step climb to the tower by several signs. The warning was somewhat merited because the main climb was up a rather claustrophobic spiral staircase. The end result were some of he best uninterrupted views of the city center and surrounding terrain. Many photos were taken here. For as nice as the views were, the stiff wind gusts prevented us from lingering too much longer! 

All 154 of them....

View of the Cathedral and city center

Lest I remind you that the castle was not heated, our final destination was a bakery recommended by my guidebook (because we were going to eat at at least one place my book recommended). At the Limón y Menta bakery, I ordered the traditional ponche segoviano, or marzipan cake. Honestly, while very rich and sweet, marzipan is not my style no matter what a guidebook says. Dario was happy to finish everything and we both concluded the snack with real traditional hot chocolate. 

Still without sensation in some of our appendages, we returned to the aqueduct for a few more photos in the sunlight before departing on the next bus to Madrid. 

One picture together

Overall, Segovia is another nice quaint Spanish town for someone interested in visiting the Sierra of Spain. I was funny to overhear some of the other tourists, in English, proclaim how nice the city must be in some warmer weather. I do agree! Still, for the price and close proximity, the city is a little gem and worth a visit to see its three distinct monuments. I will save the better weather for a better town.

I almost forgot! My new tradition is getting a keychain in each city I visit. Starting after my visit to Salamanca (guess I'll need to go back to Toledo), I hope to have a large collection by the time I leave.

So far I have:

Salamanca: La Rana de Salamanca

Rome: tri-color Italian flag shield

And for Segovia: a section of aqueduct 

Sunset on the return trip... beautiful

When in Rome....

You would think the decision would have been easier: Rome, open weekend, cheap-ish airfares, no class on Friday, good weather, with three of my friends from the United States.
Still, my hesitance booking as late as two days in advance of departure looks foolish at this point.

So, Rome really does not need an introduction. And I'm not writing one!

Getting there was half the fun. The four of us (Me, Bobby, Eric, and Meg) left from Sol at 6:45 taking the train and metro to the airport for our 9:45 flight. For entertainment for this first commute, we had the collective antics of Bobby and Eric while Meg and myself made sure everyone was in order. Topics ranged from how tired everyone was to how good the oranges were that Bobby and Eric provided for a snack.

Our preferred airline for the journey was Ryanair. Initially, the idea of flying Ryanair made me nervous. I, like many, have heard the horror stories of their customer service and ridiculous random fees for the most stupid things. Most concerning is the main reason they can fly everyone so cheaply: they only put the minimum fuel per person on the plane. As a pilot, this concerned me, because flying with extra fuel is usually a good thing. It's also the reason that they claim so many  on-time flights: air traffic controllers are smart enough to land Ryanair first or have them land on fumes.

At the airport, we aimlessly wandered around, lost, looking for the Ryanair desk to do a passport check. For non-EU members, this is required. Security was next. Similar to the US, shoes off, laptops/computers/ipads separate, and jackets separate. The quart sized bag rule was not enforced. However, when my bag was searched separately and my large toothpaste removed, I forgot the three oz rule was still in effect. So, now I was flying to Rome toothpaste-less.

After browsing the duty-free shops and eating at a cafeteria (Sunny-D and cream filled doughnuts for the win!), we found the gate and lined up with everyone else. Ryanair only boards by general admission. So, you need to line up with another hundred or so people.

Departing on time, the flight was very uneventful as we all tried to get some sleep before landing in Rome.

Arriving at the Rome Ciampino Airport, we took a bus to the central train station of Rome: Roma Termini. It truly is the transportation hub of the city. Everything converges here. Lucky for us, our hostel was only a few blocks away. Checking in, my three friends checked in before me and managed to get the same room together. With that room filled, I was placed in another room with random occupants. Turned out not to be that bad. My roommates in the eight bed, one full bath room were from Brazil, Costa Rica, two Canadians, South Korea, and a female who checked out the next day and who I only saw once.

Our first meal was at a nearby restaurant recommended by the hostel with a discount card. We all ordered pasta dishes served with free bruschetta and a liter of the house wine. For the first meal after a long flight, it really was delicious.

With a fair portion of the afternoon still intact, we went exploring on foot. Our general destination was the most definitive sight in Rome: The Colosseum. Along the way, we took in some other sights we just noticed along the way. Basically, there were many things we saw along the trip that we still don't know really what they are. They just looked cool!

I find the streets of Rome very comfortable. While not in a grid system, the major streets are very wide, similar to major streets in large U.S. cities. The buildings are never taller than around 10 stories, similar to Madrid and other Spanish cities. So, if you combine Spain and the United States you get Rome.

Approaching the Colosseum, if finally hit me I was in Rome. We took several photos, walking around toward the Forum and the tourists entrance  At this time, with the sun setting, the shadows of the old facade showed the age of a building. It just might be one of the oldest buildings I have ever seen. While it was closed for visiting inside, we considered skipping an interior tour on the advice of some mutual friends that the interior is less interesting than the exterior.

Do you REALLY need me to tell you what this is!

We walked in and around the forum (at least the parts not closed by gates). This led us to a dead end at some small church. Of course, it was very pretty.

The next stop was the Trevi Fountain. Initially, I had no clue what this place was. There were so many people there. Apparently, the tradition is to throw a penny with your right hand over your left shoulder while looking away from the fountain for good luck. Without pennies (which are even more useless in Europe where most items are rounded by 5 cents), we would have to return. While there, we got our first gelato of the trip at Blue Ice. Perhaps a little biased by the moment, but it was delicious.

Trevi Fountain... with Gelato!

Finally, we visited the Spanish Steps. Simply, I could not tell what was Spanish about them (look how much I know about them). We rested on the steps for some time and looked toward the city lights with the black night sky backdrop. Here, I detour briefly to complain about some unwanted visitors. Even in Madrid, there are a number of street vendors selling the same products: mouth whistles, squishey novelty balls, and guys who walk around launching LED spinners into the air. Even in the most famous places in Madrid (Sol, Plaza Mayor...) you can at most find 5 of these vendors. And they keep their space too. In Rome, they are everywhere; at least thee times as many per location! At the steps, these vendors had their usual array but with laser pointers you could use to blind goalkeeper's eyes with from a distance. And they don't care about keeping their distance either. Several walked up to us on the steps, greeting us in Italian and English. I told one to go away, in Spanish, and he started cursing me (probably) in some other language. The funniest scene was at the Vatican. Inside the Vatican city, there are no vendors. Outside, they line up against the walls along the major streets. After some time, you can notice a pattern: squishey ball vendor, key chain vendor, post card vendor, mouth whistle vendor... on and on and on. You almost wonder how one profits with such a high density of competitors!

Spanish Steps

Anyway, dinner that evening consisted of free pizza supplied by the hostel in their bar. When I say pizza, I really mean soggy bread covered sparingly in tomato sauce with a mushroom or two. Still, it was free. After that, we decided to go local by having a glass of win at a local wine bar. The service there was interesting; we probably looked stupid pretending we knew something about wine and the waiters gave us some unusual looks. Still, we ended up spiting two bottles, one red and one white, and talking about random topics.

Il Vittoriano, which we passed on the way to the Vatican

Saturday was the busy day. We departed, on foot, to the Vatican City. Along the way, we took pictures of more interesting buildings and found a Kebab place so Eric and Bobby could eat breakfast (which they missed at the hostel). On the recommendation of the hostel, we found a tour guide company and arranged a tour. Best thing to accompany the beginning of the tour: Gelato!

Approaching the Vatican

The tour guide  Roberto, had a teenage sense of humor that was hilarious. He made jokes about other tour guides (they must all know each other), the 'political activities' of famous Italian politicians, and how to properly annoy the street vendors.

St. Peter's Square and Basilica 

The first stop (beyond some comments about the outer walls of the city) was the St. Peter's Square. There, we admired the facade of the basilica, the Pope residence, the outside of the Sistine Chapel, and the decorative columns of the square. He told us about a famous brick on the ground in the shape of a broken heart. You can touch it and make a wish for good luck.

At the focal point, you only see one of the columns in each row.

Next, we visited the museum, which allowed us entry to the actual Vatican City. The museum is the most visited in the world for good reason. The first tour stop was the Vatican Gardens. Looking only briefly at the extensive gardens, I almost wish we had more time; the Vatican gardens are some of the most beautiful in the world.

Part of the Vatican Gardens

Entering the interior museum, the galleries are filled with old statues from roman times and after. The history in these artworks is hard to comprehend. The two most famous rooms of the museum are the tapestry room and the map room. The map room is the most decorative, in my opinion, with an extensive ornate ceiling. Bypassing some smaller rooms, we made our way directly to the most famous room of the Vatican: the Sistine Chapel. The small-ish chapel was filled with people. Due to respect, a few police officers were trying to enforce the no talking policy in the chapel. No photos were allowed. There are two reasons for this: 1: even I would not take pictures of the chapel just out of respect, 2: the Sistine Chapel is copyrighted. Yes, one of the most holy landmarks is copyrighted to a Japanese media company which paid for the restoration of the chapel a decade ago. You could say even religion has its price.

Map Room

If this proves I was there...

The basilica was the final stop. The size of this cathedral is hard to describe. Inside, the tombs of St. Peter, Pope John Paul II, and other popes occupy their own distinct locations. The largest crowds were taking pictures or paying respects to the tomb of Pope John Paul II. We allowed more than 40 minutes to absorb the entire building.

Basilica

Tomb of Pope John Paul II

It's big. Like, REALLY big.

At mid afternoon, we found a small pizza shop where we ate and planned our next adventure. Our first trip on the Rome metro took us to Piazza Popolo. With the sun setting, We admired the plaza and the decorative obelisk just as the sun started setting. Proceeding upward, we walked to the botanical gardens overlooking the piazza. Facing westward, we found the best view of the city with the sun setting. Moving back down, we were amused by a pair of Italian guys riding a side-by-side seated bicycle up and down the hill, perhaps enjoying themselves a little too much.

Taking the metro back to the hostel, we prepared ourselves for a better dinner than last night. Walking to one restaurant, we were told it was full, though we were certain some tables were free. Finding plan B, we ate at a nice restaurant. For dinner, I had a delicious truffle pasta and split a tiramisu with Megan.

Sunday, being the final full day, was the most memorable.
Though a little late departing in the morning, our first stop was the Via Sannio street market, one of the largest street markets in the world. Taking a bus there, we allowed ourselves less than an hour with time budgeted for a return visit to the Vatican.

The market, while one of the longest in the world, is nothing special: a lot of vendors selling a lot of cheap goods. My lone purchase of the day was a fake Roma Soccer Club jersey and scarf for 15 eur. I talked the guy down from 17 eur by just staring at the two items long enough.
Making the length of the market, we soon found ourselves running to catch a bus back toward the Vatican. Why? Every Sunday at noon, the Pope blesses the public gathered in St. Peter's square. Walking in the Via della Conciliazione (the main street to the Vatican, closed to traffic for the occasion), we could see a large crowd gathered in the square. Assuming our positions just outside of the square, still with a view of the papal residence from where he would speak, we noticed the crowd only grow larger behind us.
Just after the noon bells, the Pope appeared and began his 25 minute blessing. Begining in Latin (I believe), he read a different blessing in Latin, English, Spanish, Polish, German, and Italian. Well spoken for someone of his age! We learned later that such a large crowd, estimated at over 50,000,  is uncommon for a usual weekly blessing. Though I initially believed some of the large banners among the crowd were intended for political purposes, some of them were actually well wishes and thank yous to the Pope.

Lookin' good Pope!

Over 50,000 people...

Feeling rather blessed, we proceed down the river arriving at the Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere, another old and famous church. I was impressed by the lighting in the cathedral with rays of sunlight pronounced by dust appearing rather holy.

Basilica di Santa Maria in Trastevere with some rather holy lighting

Hungry at this point, we were tempted into buying some more gelato before arriving at, probably, the best Italian restaurant we found our whole trip. With extensive pasta dishes for around 5 eur, a cheap wine list with names even we recognized  and heated outdoor seating, we had to eat there. With Meg and Eric's journey to eat authentic gnocchi in Italy, their minds were already made up after finding it on the menu. Ordering the same, we collectively dined on wine, bruschetta, gnocchi, and espresso for our late afternoon meal.

Continuing our walk, our final 'must see' destination was the Pantheon. The experience of the actual building (though rather impressive) was less amusing than our subsequent journey: trying to find the one gelato store a friend of mine recommended  Recommending "La Palma" gelato store, my Italian friend in the United States only specified its location saying 'it's near the pantheon.' With multiple streets intersecting at the building, we split up into groups and searched multiple streets, to no avail. With Bobby channeling his inner 'gelato'-sense, we proceeded randomly down some streets until arriving at the Italian parliament  Near there, we found the official team store for the Roma Soccer Club. Not wanting to disappoint my friends (using my knowledge of this gelato place as my claim to fame for the trip), I knew someone in the Roma store would speak English  After inquiring about a Roma jersey for the American player Michael Bradley, I asked if he knew about this place. To our surprise, he did know and gave us directions.

Pantheon

Finally arriving at said gelato store, we were greeted with too many flavors to count. For myself, a combination of Grapefruit, Chocolate Orange, and Chocolate Chili Pepper provided a unique contrast.
Feeling good, I did actually return to the Roma store to buy the jersey. It was a good price, in my opinion.
With Meg having exchanged for some pennies at the hostel, we were finally able to return to the Trevi fountain, again in the night time, and make our wishes. The fountain capped off an eventful day that concluded with an uneventful dinner at another random Italian restaurant. The food was ok at best, but ordering lasagna in Italy was one item I wanted to check off my list.

La Palma... with Gelato!

In the end, my gelato consumption was:

Chocolate Truffle
Nutella
Pistachio
Cookies and Cream
Mango
Chocolate
Chili Chocolate
Orange Chocolate
Cherry Vanilla


Viva Italia!

I probably own this...

Viva Italia

Hi all,

This weekend, I'm in Rome with friends from my school in the United States.
We arrived on Friday and did a brief walking tour around the coliseum and nearby.
Today, the Vatican City and anything else we decide.

I will write more about everything soon!

Caio!

Daily Tapas vol. 3

It has been awhile since my last daily tapas.
Let's get to it!

I'm still moving into my new apartment. I've been buying many household goods and now need places to put them! Another trip to El Corte Ingles was in order.

My first cooked dinner in my new place: pasta with chicken, olive oil, sea salt, onions, and tomato sauce.

Did you know that olive oil goes with almost everything. Every meal here is usually served with olive oil and vinegar.

My long trip today was to Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Why, because they are organizing a trip to the Ibiza island for students at my university. Half an hour to get there and an hour back to Leganes meant I was late for my Wednesday Siesta!

Every Wednesday, all of the other American students gather at a tapas bar where all tapas and drinks are 1 eur. We all have class at the same time afterward so it works out well (ok, except for the one who has class during our meeting time!).

My materials professor is rather interesting. Given 90 minutes of class time, he can cover an entire lecture in 45 minutes at warp speed. Don't know what to make of this but I still need to read the book.

I went to the library to read said book. Instead, I was thinking about places to travel. The Cadiz trip was sold out, going to Lisbon was intimidating not knowing Portuguese, and some of the nearby sights in Madrid are suitable for weekday trips. So, I decided to follow my friends on an impulse and book tickets to Rome. I might just see the Pope before he leaves!

Today went by so quickly! Sometimes it is almost too quick to enjoy. Hopefully things will settle down soon!

Greetings From Madrid Redux

As some of you already know, I now have a new apartment in the city! Located near th Spanish parliament building, I am a three minute walk (timed it) from Sol and just under a hour by train to campus.
The apartment searching process was very long and stressful. Just as my friends were finding new places, I was stuck in the dorms searching. And some of my friends found nice places too!
My criteria was simple (ok,not really): close to a metro station that served the Atocha train station directly or at most one change by light rail to Atocha (e.g. Sol). I wanted to live with at least 3 other people none of whom smoked. Th building had to be in generally good condition, hot water working, full kitchen, wifi, and washing machine. I lowered my expectations for clothes dryers because almost no apartments have them (air drying for the win).
Pedro, the landlord, had shown me a few places and offered this one just as my search got a little desperate. He told me everyone was a student and, coincidently, an engineer. My room is one of the smallest, but has a somewhere-between-twin-and-double-bed (someone can tell me what that is), a balcony overlooking a quiet side street, half closet, dresser, desk, and shelves. For heat, a electric radiator which I do not know how to use.
To move out of the dorms, I took the trains to Sol and walked to my place. Quite the adventure with two large bags and my backpack. I could not fit everything in my bags so I left some with my friend Javi in the dorms.
When I got to the apartment, no one was there! Quite a welcome wagon. I got some pizza for a late lunch and started doing laundry.
I hung around for a few hours doing laundry until the first person arrived. Her name is Lisa, from the alps of France. She tried talking to me in English, but we started conversing in Spanish as she showed me how the place works. Getting near dinner time, she offered to cook me dinner. I must have looked confused and miserable enough to warrant some sympathy. Over a meal of rice and vegetables, we talked in Spanish the whole time. Everyone in the place converses in Spanish, though a few know enough English.
I met people as they started returning. Missy actually shares the room with her boyfriend Florent. I did not know this. Now five people live here. He is also French and knows more English.
Piere is another French student who I met. His room is next to the bathroom. The last person is Connie from Mexico. I met her when I first visited and she attested to the quality of the apartment. Her English is also very good.
The process of moving in was mentally exhausting and I was glad to take a hot shower to finish the day. I also prepared a list of things to buy, like my own food.
To finish the day, I attempted to figure out my materials science class in some non existent building. Luckily, the professor responded to my email by the time I woke up that morning with enough time to get to class.
For breakfast, I stole some bread slices from one of the roommates.

Update: for shopping, I went to a local grocery store about a 10 minute walk from the room. From there, a trip to El Corte Ingles (the English store), the specialty store of Spain. I was not able to find everything, so another trip is in order.

Just Because You Like Tuna in Salamanca Does Not Mean You Like Seafood:Salamanca Night One

Editor note: This post describes my first evening in Salamanca. The rest of the trip is described in the post below.

Arriving at Salamanca, I exited the train from the second train stop. There, my friend Javier met me with his girlfriend Lucia. He offered to give me a brief walking tour of the city before I checked in to my hostel.

The city has three main landmarks: the Plaza Mayor, the university, and the cathedrals. First, we stopped at a tourist office to get a map and museum guide; both very helpful. The latter two landmarks I will have to visit tomorrow.

Plaza Mayor

Clock tower of Salamanca City Hall on the Plaza Mayor

This evening,I visited throne landmark open nearly 24/7: the Plaza Mayor. They say the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca is the best in all of Spain. They do have some rationale. Visiting the plaza just after 19:00, the plaza lights were all on, producing a rather romantic view. The plaza is larger than the one in Madrid, I think. The center of attention is the bell tower and flags identifying the city hall of Salamanca. Bordering the plaza are some touristy stores and a number of bars and cafes. My guide book recommended a few for desert and coffee, but at this time I needed dinner. My book recommended Restaurante Isidro, close to the plaza.
My hostel is only a block away from the plaza.

Surrounding the plaza mayor are a number of smaller plazas, more like glorified street corners. I, naturally, got lost and had to consult my map to find the restaurant. Arriving just before 20:00, the restaurant only opens at 20 hours, so I had more time to kill. I walked down the main shopping street, as identified by Javier earlier. The streets were filled with people, mainly high school and college aged people. All of the stores were filled with student aged people. If you had to assess the demographics of the city just from walking down the streets, you would think the city was run by students! Call it the Ann Arbor of Spain.
The other reason for its fame is the university. We walked briefly past the university, which really does nothing to separate itself from the town. You can imagine college towns with a college and a town, but in this case, the college is the town. It's what you get for having the oldest university in Salamanca.
Returning to the restaurant just after it opened, eating dinner was much needed at this point. Naturally, the restaurant did not disappoint. For the menu of the day, I started out with loaf of 'fluffy' bread and a bottle of house wine. Yes, a whole bottle of red wine. The first plate I selected was the local appetizer plate: calamari  ham, Iberian ham, chorizo, and cheese. Everything was delicious, minus the calamari which was rather bland. I would argue the ham here was the best I've had in Spain. Next, pork slices with salad and French fries. The fries needed ketchup but the pork was well prepared. For desert, a sundae size of chocolate moose. It complemented the wine rather well. To finish, a choice of coffee, though I chose tea. Finishing half the bottle of wine, the bill was only 12.50 eur. Not a bad deal for a nice relaxing hour long dinner.
Even at this time, most of the stores were closing. All of the bars were in full spring of course. Returning to a bar I had entered earlier, I encountered the famous student singers of Salamanca. Students at the university dress in traditional attire and serenade the bar patrons. I noticed the same group of six before dinner and they were still there when I returned. Maybe the drinks are free for them; I didn't ask. The second time around, they sang for a few female bar patrons and then joined some drunks in a few love songs.

'Tuna' of Salamanca

I managed to talk with a few of them. Their group, the 'Tuna' (look it up), carries on the tradition of students who would sing to pay for their education. Now, it is more like a fraternity. Anyone can apply (guys only, I don't know?) but the pledges are voted in after the end of the year. The pledges are identified by different attire. One pledge wore parachute pants, a striped bath robe, and a turban. He was also the one who took a picture of me with the singers.

Me and Tuna

Walking around the plaza another time, I paid more attention to the people this time. Many we're dressed in costume. Some students were dressed as American foot ball players and throwing a football around. Another group dressed as terrorists who managed to pick up a group of wandering girls. A few beggars bothered me, but not that much.

Weekend in Salamanca

Plaza Mayor de Salamanca

Salamanca offers a mixed bag of activities for a first time visitor. Combining new and old, this quintessentially Spanish city leaves me satisfied for the time and money.

Sunrise in Salamanca

I began Saturday at around 8:00, leaving me enough time before most major sights opened at 9:00. I made my way to a cafe near the plaza for a breakfast of toast with fresh chopped tomatoes and olive oil. To drink, cafe con leche, the national coffee of Spain: espresso and milk. Taking a brief stroll around the plaza just before 9:00, you could really tell the emptiness of the city for the time of day. The plaza (normally filled with people) was completely empty minus a few service trucks restocking the local bars. I could probably conquer all of Spain without anyone noticing if done so early in the morning.
With a few moments before things opened. I strolled to the famous roman bridge of the. The low lying bridge is authentic and provides wonderful views of the city above. At the bridge head is the famous headless bull, the symbol of the city. The bull was actually broken by the Romans when they conquered the city and threw it into the river. It's head was never found.

My first stop was the definitive landmarks of Salamanca, the Old and New Cathedrals. I must emphasize the relative definition of 'new'; the New Cathedral was finished in the early 1700s and the old was built in the 12th century. The new cathedral is the larger and taller of the two. Entering the New (free of charge), the expanse is hard to comprehend. The main church is bordered by several smaller chapels, each closed by a gate. Each chapel is its own artistic masterpiece, usually honoring a particular saint or holy figure. Nearing the alter and the pews, the highest part of the cathedral is directly above. Mirrors pointed upward to reveal the intricate artistic dome. A few highlights were the distinctive pulpit and choir, the rectangular section of chairs where monks would sing from large songbooks placed on an equally large spinal in the center. The alter (by comparison to others I would see later) was simple. The most elegant part is the recently restored organ with artistically arranged pipes. While walking around, it is very easy to find yourself gazing upward, following the prominent columns and wondering how such an artistic building could be built that tall.

Entrance to the Old Cathedral 

The Old Cathedral is actually attached to the new one and accessible from inside. Paying 4 euros, the more intimate old cathedral is no less splendid. Decorated with original frescos on the walls, the highlight is the altarpiece: a 53 panel epic of Jeasus and Mary. At the top, a depiction of the final judgement, where sinners are sent into the jaws of a hellish beast. To the side of the church is the cloister (if someone wants to tell me what that is, I would appreciate that). Though no photos were allowed, it consisted of a number of chapels and tombs of famous religious figures. A few audio guides in each chapel explained the significance of each in Spainsh. I could translate enough to get the idea, though I preferred my English guide pamphlet. A few of the rooms were also the first classrooms of the university of Salamanca (more on that later). A courtyard occupied the interior of this section of the cathedral.

Altar of the Old Cathedral

The Final Judgement

Just before leaving, I found an entrance to the towers of the cathedrals, a separate entry fee. Thinking the entrance was outside as I noticed earlier, I went anyway and it turned out to be the same. This particular exhibit allowed you to visit the tower of the old cathedral, the rooftops of the cathedrals, and other catacomb like rooms of the cathedrals. The tower of the new cathedral, the taller of the two, was covered by scaffolding for restoration. The rooftop views of the city are some of the best from the high points of the cathedrals.

Old in foreground. 

Here, I detour to discuss weather. I really lucked out with sunny skies, low wind, and temperatures that topped in the low 50s. Still, the overall weather here is colder than Madrid, with Salamanca being higher in altitude.
Walkways also provided interior viewed of both cathedrals, allowing another perspective to the magnificence of each building. At times, I questioned the construction of the exterior walkways, so I walked carefully. The two hours I spent in the Cathedrals was definitely worth the price.

Walkways around the Old Cathedral

Walkways around the New Cathedral

A talk about the cathedrals would not be complete without discussing their most famous attributes: the astronaut and dragon. Sculpted into the side door of the new cathedral, a restorer placed an astronaut into the famous stone doorway. I mean, it's not really hidden or disguised, it's just an astronaut. Below is the more harder to interpret carving of a dragon eating ice cream. As you can imagine, both do not look out of place on a centuries old cathedral. Not at all.

A little hungry, but not ready for lunch, I made my way close to the plaza to find the public market. There, I purchased an orange to snack on as I decided my next visit. Along my walk, I encountered several smaller plazas (though the Mayor plaza is THE plaza). Some are dedicated to famous writers but my favorite had a statue of Christopher Columbus, who frequented Salamanca for the knowledge of the university. Salamanca was also the last place where Columbus visited the catholic kings of Spain before departing for America.

I like public Markets

Cristobal Colon (Christopher Columbus)

My next stop was the third most important church in the city: Iglesia de San Esteban. Probably the largest single church in the city, the highlight was its brilliant altarpiece. Described as almost gaudy, the gold covered wood cannot be ignored. The centerpiece is a depiction of the stoning of Saint Stephen the myatr. Most of the artistic beauty of the church comes from its separate artworks along the walls. A tilted staircase led up to the choir loft overlooking the majority of the church. Also attached was another cloister, with another beautifully simple interior plaza. Getting close to 1:00, I left just as the church was closing for the afternoon break.

I think Jesus is freestylin' 

By this time, I was looking for a place to eat. The Bar Cervantes was recommended by my book. The bar is a traditional bar with a restaurant overlooking the plaza. My lunch consisted of a combination plate of steak, fries, potato salad, and fried eggs. They even had Heinz ketchup, if you could call that a taste of home. With bread and beer to drink, the total was around 15 eur, almost overpriced in my opinion. The table probably added to the price. From one floor up, I got a prime view of the plaza mayor through the window. This was high time for watching things on the plaza: tour groups in all white jackets, people actually eating outside in the 50 ish weather, and multitudes of locals and tourists alike. More interesting was when a red sedan decorated in white ribbon drive around the plaza celebrating a wedding with the bride and groom in back. The car was moving as quickly as possible around the plaza I was sure someone would be run over!

Entrance of the University

My first stop after lunch was the second most famous landmark in Salamanca: the University of Salamanca. The existence of the university dates back to the 11th century when it occupied parts of the cathedrals. The buildings were constructed a few hundred years later by a donation from the royal family. This event is marked by the ornate grand entrance of the university. The entrance itself is famous for a few reasons (more on that later). The old university buildings are a museum. The cloister style building is of two levels. In the middle of the plaza stands a tall tree, from California. Most of the old classrooms are modeled like churches even with traditional pulpits. Fear not! There is an actual chapel in this historically catholic university. The old library on the second level would make Harry Potter proud but was only visible through glass windows near the door. The university is so old that it is historically credited with the first instance of a professor beginning a lecture with "As we were saying..." Yep, it's THAT old.

"I would not cheat if I were you..."

Old school classroom

Library

Leaving the university took me back to the entrance. There, small crowds of people were admiring the facad. More importantly, they were all looking for the famous symbol of the city: la rana. The rana de buena suerte (the frog of good luck) occupies the top of a skull along the entrance, maybe 15 feet from the ground. The frog itself is small and hard to find (maybe the size of a small orange on such a large facade. Historically, students have looked for the frog seeking good luck before exams. Attempts to find the frog on my own failed, needing to consult both my guide book and the informational display about the facade.
Accross from the university is the museum of Salamanca. It appears to be an old home turned into a museum. In the end, nothing really special to see there; just some religious artworks, pottery, and other things. I was the only one in there (for free) and it was a little awkward communicating with the museum staff at the front desk directing me to different locations.

La Rana and skull

Adjacent to the museum was some random plaza (suprise!) that was rather decorative. A few photos were necessary. Along this plaza was the entrance to the famous mural "cielo de salamanca" depicting the heavens and zodiac symbols made from the stars. Around 10 minutes were necessary to absorb the details of the large work.
After this, I went wandering around the actual university. It is really impossible to separate the town from the university. All of the buildings look the same and match the style of the city. The real university is right next to the old university, though the old university buildings are only used for special occasions now.
Later, I walked across the roman bridge to the other side of the river. There, walking toward the 'new bridge', I found some wonderful views of the city.

I found this in a nearby park. A love story. 

The "New" Bridge

Exhausted from walking all day, I returned to my hostel and took a typical Spanish siesta.
Beginning the evening, I decided to walk around the plaza as sunset with the perfect food for a winter evening: ice cream! The Cafe Novelty is one of the oldest on the plaza with a very classy (cerca 1900) style. The ice cream stand serves the public on the plaza and is the most famous in the city. Ordering oreo ice cream, I ignored some awkward glances from locals as I walked around the plaza that evening. Returning to the cafe, I ordered a beer and enjoyed the ambiance of the establishment. The beer, though, was over two euros and did not come with a tapa (as typical at most restaurants). What a ripoff!
I picked a random cafe for dinner, which consisted of a cheese sandwich, cafe con leche, and salad while watching a Real Madrid match on tv. The sandwich was of note; I believe it was pharmesan cheese, high class for a sandwich!
The evening involved bar hopping, following the other students. Don't let the look of the city fool you; with such a large student population, this place knows how to party!

Sunday was such a letdown. Cloudy, windy, and rainy throughout, it was the 'perfect' day for some indoor activities. I really only had one planned: Museo Art Nouveau y Art Déco. This museum, occupying a former house built in the 1920s, was a pleasant change of pace from other museums. No religious art! Specializing in American and European art from the roaring '20s, there were several beautiful works including an original Faberge egg (which I guess are famous).    

For the record, it says "Calle Van Dyck" on the maps...

For lunch, I made my way to the famous Calle Van Dyck, filled with a few noteworthy eating establishments.  I ended up at Bar Chintas. Standing at the bar for my entire meal, I looked rather out of place among the older locals, men in leather jackets and women in fur coats. The tapas were wonderful: tortilla espanola, shrimp with sauce on bread, fried calamari rings, and a free squid with sauce on bread tapa courtesy of the owner (I must have looked so miserable with all of my bags and hungry). 

My friend who lives in the city, Javi, suggested driving back to the city with him if I could change my train ticket. Doing so, I had a few more hours to kill before leaving with nothing to do in the seemingly empty city during the rain. Thus, I sat myself down in another random cafe near the plaza, ordered a coffee (just to order something) with potato tapa, and started writing this.

I was driven back to Madrid by the cousin of my friend. The car ride was enjoyable even as the darkness of evening obscured the scenery. I worked on improving my Spanish by talking as much as possible with everyone. A memorable moment was getting fuel somewhere in the Siera region before you arrived in Spain. Having increased in altitude, it started snowing and the wind was fierce. Arriving in the city some two hours after we departed, the journey finished by taking a metro ride to the dorms with Javi.

Overall, Salamanca was an above average experience for a first visit.  Described as one of Spain's most quintessential cities, its reputation cannot be ignored!