Day 15 Burgos

Burgos is a sprawling city of 180,000 with a river running past its historical heart. The river has a lineal park along its banks, while the upper level has a wide pedestrian esplanade on each side. The old sycamore trees have been meticulously pruned and the branches of the trees are all grafted together. In the summer this provides welcome shade, while decorative street lights keep it aglow all night. The old city is full of intimate plazas,  graceful  buildings, and life size bronze statues where you least expect them.

I was out at 8:15, and nothing is open and no one is around. I found a cafe about 9 on the esplanade where I had breakfast: coffee, tortilla espanola (crustless egg and potato tart), bread and fresh orange juice for less than $2.50,

An impressive site is the first building in the photos, the opulent house where the sign states the rulers of  Castile and the Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella received  Christopher Columbus on his return from his 2nd voyage to the New World in 1497! The building is now a bank.

The famous medieval generalissimo El Cid, was born in Burgos, and along with his wife, is buried in a very simple  tomb in the exact center of the cathedral. His magnificent statue greets you as you come over one of the many bridges into the heart of Burgos.

The huge gothic cathedral is the centerpiece of the town; it is the 2nd largest in Spain, full of art and light. The few photos do not do it justice. Burgos is the historic Capitol of the massive province of Castile y Leon, and an important stop on the pilgrimage route. A Romanesque church was built in 1080, then greatly expanded into the gothic cathedral in the 1200's. Much of the impressive work inside is from the 1400's.

Lunch was a relaxing light Castellano Soup and coffee outside on the main plaza. The people watching is great, most appear to be locals, out enjoying themselves.

Today is Holy Thursday; there will be a 'Procession' at 8 pm in the plaza in front of the cathedral. I will try and check that out. By 8 I am getting ready for bed and the locals are coming alive; I know they are not out early on the morning. By about noon or later they are out walking and eating, then everyone disappears to return about 5.

Tomorrow I start a long walk on the Meseta, the high empty plains. WiFi may be problematic, you may not hear from me for awhile. We'll see. Meanwhile, the weather should stay clear, very sunny and quite cool. Sounds perfect!