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Zaragoza was a city that we hadn't really given much thought to. Students seem to say that it's ok but, unless you're from there, nobody particularly seemed to care. Fellow teachers, however, raved about it. Who were we to pass off the opportunity to go and see for ourselves.
As has been our routine, we opted for the comfort of an NH Hotel. There are several to choose from in the city but the cheapest option was the
NH Sport. Finding it was a bit of a pain because of the maze of one way streets and the scarcity of parking spaces. Eventually we checked in and had a rest before going out exploring.
This was a city we fell in love with straight away. Getting to the old town was easy enough and, if you stay further out, there's a new tram system, but who knows where it goes! We were amazed when we got to the centre that we kept bumping into stag and hen (pre-wedding) parties, accompanied by bands. There were some incredible costumes on show. It seems that drunken fancy dress parties in the streets are a Spanish thing!!
Dominating the skyline along the River
Chocolate Factory
It's now a hotel! Ebro is the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Pilar where the Virgin Mary apparently descended on a jade pillar. It's an impressive piece of architecture best viewed from the far side of the river to save getting a crick in your neck! Over there we came across a medieval market which was fun, but I'm not sure the captive birds of prey would truly agree. We went inside the Basilica which is quite something. It's a shame photography is strictly forbidden. Nearby are statues of local hero Goya and beautiful open spaces complement the religious and state buildings which are everywhere.
On the social side of things, we had to find a small area known locally as
El Tubo (the tube), which is basically a few narrow streets full of tapas bars and cafes. We enjoyed ourselves there with a few beers soaking up the atmosphere. People still eat too late for us, but a fabulous Chinese buffet provided enough sustenance for us to have a good evening without having to wait.
The next day we did quite a bit more sightseeing before heading back to Pamplona. The bullring is quite imposing. It's just a shame that the
Sunday flea market our guide book told us to see was nowhere to be found! Nearby we loved the colourful police cars parked outside the old castle. Nowadays the Aljaferia Palace is the seat of government. Our book said it was free on Sundays, but it turns out that's only if you are under 12. I don't think we can pull that off anymore! We weren't bothered enough to pay five Euros each to go in, settling instead for a pleasant walk by the river. Next time we will go off to the Expo site which has some modern architecture to look at, but we made our way instead back towards the alluring old town. Alongside the river there are many reminders of the turbulent winter the Ebro has had with clear evidence of the terrible floods which were brought to the area.
Back in the centre, we came across a Sunday "antiques" market. The surprise was the number of Russian stallholders selling Soviet memorabilia, and the shocking sight of some Nazi steins and helmets. Our wandering took us past the old Roman amphitheatre which is nowadays sheltered from the elements by a giant screen overhead. All too soon
though, it was time to make our way back to our car. We still found time to sit outside in the Plaza España for a beer though.
Somehow, I think we'll be back for more!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Love the dancing
They look so serious.