Yesterday morning, Anita went down to the little lobby and boiled some water for us. We carry 2 small thermos water bottles that serve us well for both cold and hot water. With that hot water, we were able to make instant coffee in our room. We’ve found a brand of both adult and decaf coffee that’s okay. There’s also a bakery nearby where Anita got us some pastries for breakfast in our room. It may sound like we’re too cheap to have breakfast in a restaurant but actually we find doing it this way far more enjoyable and convenient.
By 10 am, we were ready for a wander around old Salamanca. We didn’t get very far before we went back to our room for our merino wool long underwear. It’s cold here.
Just by chance, we happened to pass the “Real Clericia de San Marcos” church and tower. The bell tower was open for free this morning so we climbed up the narrow and steep stairs. It was a bit of an effort but it was worth it. Great views of Salamanca in every direction.
When we came down, we walked across the street to the Casa de las Conchas, a huge old house that is now a public library. The facade is composed of 300 carved sandstone scallop shells, symbolic of the Order of Santiago to which the original owner belonged. There’s a nice little courtyard inside but otherwise the building is a typical library.
Our real purpose was to scout out some restaurants and a grocery store where we could get beer, wine, yogurt and fruit. We walked back through the Plaza Mayor and north to where we found a grocery. However, we didn’t see any beer or wine. We searched a few more blocks and still couldn’t find a wine store. Finally, back at the grocery store, Anita asked where to find beer and wine. “Downstairs” was the answer. We didn’t know the store had a whole other lower level with a couple of aisles for beer and wine. Duh.
By the time we got back to our room with our purchases, it was time to remove a layer of clothes. It was still cool all day but not horribly cold. Back out on the street, we walked to the Cuatro Gatos (4 Cats) bar where we had a late lunch of tapas, beer and wine. Eating this way is often very tasty and much cheaper than ordering set meals. Plus we can try many different tapas. With a glass of beer and glass of wine, each tapa is only 50 cents so we we ended up buying 3 rounds of a beer, a wine and 2 tapas for under 5 euros per round. After 3 rounds we were well satisfied and a little looped.
We did some more wandering to wear off lunch and then went back to our room for a little rest. Being a tourist is strenuous.
In the early evening, we walked through a lot of the university campus. The University of Salamanca is the oldest in Spain and all the sandstone buildings are very beautiful. When we walked past the New Cathedral (finished in the 1700s), we stopped to find the astronaut carved into the stonework near one door (he’s just a few feet above my head near the red door in the picture). A restorer in 1993 added this little figure as his own personal joke. The local people were outraged for a while but now everyone seems to accept it as part of the history of the cathedral.
Finally, we stopped at one of the many bakeries to pick up some pastries to add to our yogurt, fruit and coffee for breakfast in our room. It’s taking some adjustment from lazing at the beach to being tourists again but we’re getting there. The final picture is outside our hotel.
By 10 am, we were ready for a wander around old Salamanca. We didn’t get very far before we went back to our room for our merino wool long underwear. It’s cold here.
Just by chance, we happened to pass the “Real Clericia de San Marcos” church and tower. The bell tower was open for free this morning so we climbed up the narrow and steep stairs. It was a bit of an effort but it was worth it. Great views of Salamanca in every direction.
When we came down, we walked across the street to the Casa de las Conchas, a huge old house that is now a public library. The facade is composed of 300 carved sandstone scallop shells, symbolic of the Order of Santiago to which the original owner belonged. There’s a nice little courtyard inside but otherwise the building is a typical library.
Our real purpose was to scout out some restaurants and a grocery store where we could get beer, wine, yogurt and fruit. We walked back through the Plaza Mayor and north to where we found a grocery. However, we didn’t see any beer or wine. We searched a few more blocks and still couldn’t find a wine store. Finally, back at the grocery store, Anita asked where to find beer and wine. “Downstairs” was the answer. We didn’t know the store had a whole other lower level with a couple of aisles for beer and wine. Duh.
By the time we got back to our room with our purchases, it was time to remove a layer of clothes. It was still cool all day but not horribly cold. Back out on the street, we walked to the Cuatro Gatos (4 Cats) bar where we had a late lunch of tapas, beer and wine. Eating this way is often very tasty and much cheaper than ordering set meals. Plus we can try many different tapas. With a glass of beer and glass of wine, each tapa is only 50 cents so we we ended up buying 3 rounds of a beer, a wine and 2 tapas for under 5 euros per round. After 3 rounds we were well satisfied and a little looped.
We did some more wandering to wear off lunch and then went back to our room for a little rest. Being a tourist is strenuous.
In the early evening, we walked through a lot of the university campus. The University of Salamanca is the oldest in Spain and all the sandstone buildings are very beautiful. When we walked past the New Cathedral (finished in the 1700s), we stopped to find the astronaut carved into the stonework near one door (he’s just a few feet above my head near the red door in the picture). A restorer in 1993 added this little figure as his own personal joke. The local people were outraged for a while but now everyone seems to accept it as part of the history of the cathedral.
Finally, we stopped at one of the many bakeries to pick up some pastries to add to our yogurt, fruit and coffee for breakfast in our room. It’s taking some adjustment from lazing at the beach to being tourists again but we’re getting there. The final picture is outside our hotel.
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