Spain 10 - Our last port of call the lovely city of Burgos and its amazing cathedral

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Our holiday is nearing an end. We woke early and said goodbye to our own toilet. It was dark at 7 in Spain – very different to Portugal or back home. We drove through a barren landscape full of dead sunflower plants again. We noticed that there was some building work albeit slow on a new railway line. We guessed funded by European money and would eventually link by high speed London to Paris, Paris to Bordeaux and Bordeaux to Madrid. It looked as if it had come to a standstill though due to the recession and money problems that were going on in the Spanish economy. We stopped for dinner in a BP service station and parking area. Glenn had chicken covered in an oil and I ate a hearty beef stew. Not expecting much the meal was actually one of the best we have eaten in a motorway service area and at a reasonable cost too.

Our destination camping site for two nights Camping Fuentes Blancas 3 kms outside of Burgos. The roads were toll free which is always a blessing and were fairly quiet. The campsite easy to find and set in the natural park a municipal site and an ACSI one at 16 euros per night. The blurb states 300 pitches so it was going to be a big site something we don’t really like but sometimes there is no other choice. It was this site or miss Burgos. Burgos won. When we arrived there was a queue to get in. The gate was barred by a tugger in a big range rover towing his caravan. He seemed to be in reception. Behind him was a red van pulling a caravan, waiting patiently behind them another car and then us. I walked over to reception to be greeted by an Irish man at the counter trying to book himself , his caravan, the red car and their caravan and a load of kids on to the site. The receptionist was quite clearly having a bad day and was being rude to him. She stamped about and huffed and puffed. He kept getting angry. It was fairly obvious she was annoyed and was venting her spleen on everyone who dared to walk through her doors. Eventually sorted I got to the counter. She mumbled to me that I could park anywhere and drew nay stabbed a mark on the map telling me I couldn’t park there as there was a rally on site that weekend. . She wanted the 32 euros and 1 cent tax for the two nights in the correct money as she had no intention of giving me change. I asked for a map – she shrugged over there – get it yourself. I asked for a bus timetable same response. She had obviously got out of bed the wrong side and stood in the potty whilst at it. I have never met such a rude woman and to top it all when I put the money on the counter a 20 euro note, a 10 euro note, a 2 euro coin and a 1 cent for tax she told me I had only given her 20 euros. There was no apology when she found the rest of the money on her desk. I didn’t dare ask about WiFi and washing facilities and just left to find a plot. The site was haphazard and half of it taken over by the local caravan club rally complete with speakers, a loud man shouting at a microphone and awful music. We feared the worse. We tried the small shop which was poor, we tried the restaurant and bar which was noisy and WiFi was 3 euros for a week but only available around the bar area. We paid because sometimes you just need it. But washing had to wait as the young helpful girl in reception said that I needed someone to come up with and open the doors to the washing machine room and help me load up the dirty washing. As the internet access was more important we decided washing would have to wait.

Our last job of the night was to ring Eurotunnel to rebook our trip home. We had planned to return on Tuesday but we have arranged four viewings of bungalows and need to get home Friday instead. We had to pay £20 to change the booking which is ridiculous considering it’s a quiet day, out of season and at 6 am in the morning – hardly peak time. Still it has to be done.

We had a poor nights sleep mainly due to a lot of noise on the campsite, the sounds from the road and the railway line and our Toggle phone which rang at midnight. A young lady garbled drunkenly down the phone. We put it down and within minutes she was on again. Down it went for the second time and within seconds ring ring. By this time annoyed it got switched off and we returned to sleep.

The next morning we walked to the bus stop to catch the bus into Burgos. The weather is considerably colder down to 22 degrees in the evening and about 27 in the day. It feels considerable cooler and does not auger well for the trip north through France and home where the weather has been inclement to say the least.

There were a number of Brits on the site which is hardly surprising as it seems to be the crossroads into Spain. Everyone passes through or by it to get somewhere else. Whether it is to go along the north coast of Spain or the Carmino de Santiago – Burgos is a mid way point. For those travelling to the centre or Madrid or for others like us heading for Portugal Burgos is that place you have to go past or go to.

Got up early and tried the campsite showers. Not a lot to write home about. After breakfast we walked to the bus stop which was just outside the camp gates. We spoke to an English couple who were also waiting for the bus and discussed their travel which had taken them on a leisurely drive along the northern coast of Spain as far as Santiago. They were now on their way home.

The bus came on time and cost 1 euro to get into Burgos . We were dropped off at the roundabout and again the city had no bus station. Our first stop was the cathedral which cost us 13 euros to visit. 7 euros for me and a one euro reduction for a jubilados. The structure was stunning and in my opinion the most beautiful we had seen in Spain or Portugal. Burgos was founded in 884 AD and was the capital of Castille and Leon from 1073. Hard to think just about the time William the Conqueror had invaded England and was busy building castles to defend his new territory. It was the capital until the fall of Granada in 1492. The city like many was founded on the woollen trade and it showed in the beauty of the architecture of the cathedral. Burgos was a modern bustling city now but its heart was round the medieval cathedral square. Not too big nor not too small a city. Just right.

Our Dorling Kindersley book describes the cathedral as being a lacy grey sculpture prominent from miles out of the city and this is certainly true. It is the 3^rd largest cathedral in Spain. Founded in 1221 by Bishop Don Mauricio under the patronage of Ferdenand III and built in the design of a latin cross. It measures 92 yards long and 65 yards wide and took 3 centuries to complete. Mainly Gothic with influences from Germany, the Low Countries and France it is highly decorated with many side chapels. We entered through the main ornate doorway the Puerta de Santa Maria which is lofty, lacelike and delicate. All the side chapels had decorated tombs and highly ornate altars. We saw the immense Golden Staircase which linked the nave with a doorway at street level. This was built between 1519 and 1522 in the Renaisance style. Heavily gilded and ornate.

We had audioguides (free) but hate them as they seem to detract rather than enhance what you are seeing. I always feel it takes to long to listen to them and you lose track easily of where you are. And I forget to take photographs. We moved to the Constables Chapel which housed the tomb of the High Constable of Castile and his wife. The memorial dates from 1496. There is a sacristy dating from the 18^th century and elegant cloisters with painted medieval tombs. They give a real feel of what the decoration of the church must have been when it was first built. Bright and garish.

The piece de resistance was the crossing and lantern high above the church. A magnificent star ribbed central dome. Words simply do not do it any justice at all. It rises from four huge pillars and becomes lighter as it grows ever upwards. It lets the light in as it reaches it apex. Under the lantern is the tomb of El Cid and his wife. El Cid was born Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar in 1043 into a rich and nobel family. He served the King Fernando I but was banished after becoming embroiled in the squabbles of the kings sons Alfonso VI and Sancho II. He switched allegiance to fight for the Moors and then changed sides again capturing Valencia for the Christians. Named El Cid the meaning is Lord (Sidi) in Arabic. There is a statue to him in the city but we didn’t find it. Time was of the essence as the buses only ran three hourly back to the campsite and there was so much to see in the little time we had.

We stopped for breakfast at a small café. Two mugs of hot chocolate. Not the Cadburys runny Hot Chocolate we know at home but a thick melted chocolate. And churros – thick long doughnuts and we dunked them in the chocolate. Not to be missed if you ever come to Spain. Worth every penny.

After our churros we headed for the Arco De Santa Maria another monumental famous archway in the city. Plain on one side of the square it looks disappointing but on the river side it is highly decorated with statues of local worthies. There was a small museum free of charge inside which housed an eclectic collection including El Cids sword.

There were various other important churches around the city but we felt a touch churched out. There are only so many you can take in before you become a touch too blasé about the whole thing. The river area looked nice and there are many museums to see too. M

We had made our minds up after such a poor nights sleep that we didn’t want to stay on this campsite and got the bus back to the campsite., packed up Suzy and hit the road north for the Basque coast and a small campsite at Orio. Why do I keep thinking of Oreo biscuits when I write that?

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Photos

Burgos
At last here

Burgos
The lantern in the cathedral

Burgos
The cathedral stunning inside and out

Burgos
Detail from one of the altarpieces

Burgos
The Golden Staircase

Burgos
Inside the cathedral

Burgos
Detail work from the columns

Burgos
Medieval painted tombs in the cloisters

Choc o clock time
Pure melted thick chocolate and thick doughnuts to dunk in - pure heaven

Burgos
Tomb of El Cid

Comments

[Brandon Scott]

Great entry
You captured some gorgeous pictures!

[JenGog]

burgos
thankyou