Madrid

Puerta del Sol. Tio Pepe!
A yarn shop, of course. Not too impressive in its selection, but I love the way it is displayed by fiber, weight and color. You choose from what is available and a friendly clerk will go into a back room and get the quantity you want.
I love a quaint little nursery tucked into a big city.
The cheese shop where I got Josh's stinky Cabrales blue cheese. Awesome shopping experience--selecting, weighing, packaging, and getting exactly what I wanted!
Puerta del Sol, the city's hub. Our guide called it Spain's Time's Square.
Plaza Major--in hindsight, I could have saved most of my shopping for this plaza and the surrounding streets.
Suckling Pig (cochinillo)--awww! It is proudly displayed in the refrigerated display case of a restaurant.

Toledo

"Old Toledo" is encircled by the Targus River. The city retains its medieval road plan, with twisty streets, and is a tourist and shopping mecca in central Spain.
Italy celebrates its popes, Spain its priests. Nuns in their habits are a common sight.
Lovely handmade lace from the region now graces my table.

Burgos

Puerta de Santa Maria, the gateway into the medieval northern castilian city that is dominated by the 13th century gothic cathedral, Catedral de Burgos.
Monument to Carlos III in colorful Plaza Mayor Burgos.
Bart mimics a statue of a pilgrim resting along the Camino de Santiago.
Yipee!

Bilbao

We went to Bilbao to visit Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum. You can see the Arcos Rojos over the bridge leading to the museum. Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque country, is industrial and modern. It has become an art destination. Even the graffiti is colorful and looks like modern art. I wish I could have gotten a photo of the graffiti.
Bilbao was unlike any other city we visited. There was a large police presence and we had to register all of our passports at the hotel.

Covadonga

Covadonga is situated along Picos de Europa, a mountain range in the region of Austurias. It was well worth the drive to visit this little chapel that was built into a cave in the mountainside.
The basilica in Covadonga stands out against backdrop. An historic victory in this town over the Moors turned the tide and marked the beginning of the reconquest in Spain.
Not noticeable at first, this little fountain sits near the base of the waterfall. The tastiest food on the trip was roasted wild boar and fresh baked bread from a little restaurant in this little town.

Leon

Leon Cathedral is known for its original stained glass, added to the structure every decade since the 1200s.
Leon is a picturesque city. Why can't old always look beautiful?

They really wear these hats, young and old alike, but mostly old.
Leon Cathedral was build in the 12th century. These buildings are not just monuments. They are still used daily for masses and sometimes community activities.
All the adults were invited into the bar next to the school for a beer and tapas. It makes me smile.At the school, we were served a typical regional meal. Salad is served with the meal, crispy lettuce with tomatoes and green olives.
Bread and red wine come with everything. Some small restaurants set out complimentary pitchers of red wine.

This hearty meal, cocido, is the regional specialty, sausage, beef, and pork cooked in a broth with potatoes, hominy and cabbage. The blood sausage and hunk of pork fat aside. the meal was delicious.

Galiza

Evident regional identification, especially in Galicia, Asturias and the Basque region. The people identify with the region first.