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.

Santiago de Compostella

This is it, the pilgrim's destination. Legend has it the the remains of Saint James were discovered here, so the cathedral was built here in his honor.
Like our Pacific Northwest, the region gets a lot of rain. I love the mossy facades.
In case you're at the market and need a pig's face for dinner!
I love the tidy, colorful little outdoor markets. Look how the strawberries are arranged.
Wow! I never thought I would try foods like these. Zamburinas al horno are scallops. Good!
Percebes, an expensive local delicacy. We call them barnacles. Weird rubbery texture and taste like saltwater, but delicate and delicious.
Navajas a la plancha--razor clams. Raw they look like snot hanging from the shells. Cooked they firm up. Interesting but very gritty.
What a surprise to hear bagpipes! Galicia has Celtic roots. Their bagpipes are called the gaita.
We had good bonding experiences in our group of travelers.
Beautiful children everywhere are cherished by their families and communities. They dress them so cute!
I love the view of the cathedral across the tile rooftops.

Salamanca

Why Salamanca was my favorite city: it bustles with life, families, children. This family was on their way to the church for the baby's baptism when I asked if I could take a photograph. The mother graciously paused for the picture.

Salamanca recalls the old men strolling in Plaza Major. Round and round they went, at a leisurely pace, talking with their friends. There were also groups of women friends, and many young families.Just like the guidebooks say, people meet and walk about the square, the Plaza Major--THE place to socialize regularly with friends. These ladies were trying politely to get out of my picture, not knowing they were the picture.
Such a cool feature of Salamanca--storks nest on the rooftops. Look carefully and you will see two storks atop this tower. The city tries to keep the birds off the old buildings as the weight of the birds and nests can cause rooftops and structures to collapse. You will see huge bird-be-gones on some structures. Imagine the mess.
Casa de las Conchas, House of Shells, was the home of a university professor who belonged to the Order of Santiago and decorated the building with 350 scallop shells, the symbol of Santiago, as a monument to Santiago de Compostela.
Salamanca is known as the "Golden City" due to its golden glow of its sandstone buildings. The University of Salamanca is the oldest university in Spain, dating back to 1218.

Salamanca's new cathedral built in 1513 (next to the old cathedral from 1100) boasts this astronaut carved into its face. When the building was restored in 1992, an artist added the astronaut as a symbol of the 20th century.

This man typifies the older men in the small towns with his hat and cane. This one was looking for a few Euros.
The gypsies, in postures of supplication, stayed out of they way and were typically seen around busy cathedrals.

Avila

The city wall around Avila is build on fortifications started by the Romans and Muslims.
Cute little ladies go about their chores. This one pushed a cart and carried a big bag alternately, stopping and switching every block, taking her market goods home.
Jamon! Everywhere. It is displayed with national pride. Really, everywhere.