My AC clicked off last night and never came back on in sweltering Pamplona, making for a night where I seemed to go in-and-out of fever dreams, waking or maybe sleeping at the same time. So I gladly set off bright and early, into the cool morning air, for my bus to Madrid, and for an actual home base for something like 5 days. I caught up on my sleep during the 5 hour ride, but was surprised by how arid and dry it continued to get as you approach Madrid. By the time we hit the city outskirts, the surrounding fields were like dust, absolutely desolate. Actually, the drive for some reason really reminded me of the drive to Grand Junction from Denver. A lot of the same type of scenery. Finally in Madrid, I ... read more

Without a car, it takes dedication to get to Santillana del Mar and then up to the Altamira Caves. Even Rick Steves, my travel guru, doesn't recommend it. But, I made it happen. It involved taking a crack of dawn bus from Bilbao to Santander, the regional hub of Cantabria. Then another bus a bit inland to Santillana del Mar, until finally hiking up into the hills for maybe 40 minutes. And I'm honestly proud of myself. I was at the caves by 12. Pretty good, if you ask me. And why come all this way, against most travel writers better judgments? The answer is that Altamira contains cave paintings from 14,000 years ago, by the earliest of humans. They were discovered in the 1870s, and actually the masses of people got to be too much ... read more

Spent the morning at the next best sight in Leon, after the Cathedral, the Museum at San Isidoro Monastery. The great claim to fame here is the Romanesque frescoes that adorn the ceiling of the Royal Pantheon of tombs. They are so well-preserved that conservationists have not had to even add extra color. Some appear as if they were painted yesterday, which is impressive considered they were painted almost 1000 years ago. Unfortunately, though, they don't allow photos. I tried to take a few, but got horribly yelled at in Spanish - it's during such times I'm glad I don't understand Spanish as well. The paintings tell, once again, the Christian story, going along the ceiling from the Last Supper to the Crucifixion to the final Resurrection. You'll just have to take my word for it ... read more

Today was a needed day of rest. I had no real plans and no real sights to see. Mainly just wandered around town, went into some stores, revisited the Cathedral a couple of times, and especially had a good time sitting at the cafes watching people, reading, and overall just taking a break. Santiago is a great city for this rest because it truly is on the end of the pilgrimage route, and all day you see pilgrims stumbling into town, ready to get rid of their packs and walking sticks, and just sit down and celebrate their accomplishment. Actually, traditionally, pilgrims would burn their clothes on the roof of the Cathedral. But this was less celebratory, and more necessary back in the day of rampant diseases and really smelly pilgrims. It makes me wonder, though... ... read more

Spent the morning seeing the two main sights in Coimbra, the University that towers over town, and the equally impressive Old Cathedral. As with so many towns in Europe, though, the best sights literally sit at the highest point in town, and that usually means basically hiking up really intense looking streets that just go up and up. Not the best way to start the day, but at least you're rewarded with a good view. Coimbra University sits on such a cliff, which makes sense, though, since if was at one point the main castle in town. This University, I think I've said, is extremely old, dating from 1290. It's a beautiful place, and has one of the best preserved Medieval libraries in Europe. No photos allowed, though, and you're only allowed entry at specified times, ... read more