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Published: July 14th 2008
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On the Road to Burgos
Early Sunday morning, after another European breakfast, we boarded our bus for the ride out of town out into the countryside and eventually Burgos in the north. We had three stops on our journey north.
The rolling hills of Spain are quite beautiful. Bill Zaccone likens the area to eastern Oregon. The winds blow low over the hills, and we passed many groupings of windmills. They weren’t the type that Don Quixote tilted towards. Rather, they were the more modern version. Spain has developed extensive use of wind and nuclear power.
Our first stop about 45 minutes north of Madrid was El Escorial. Our purpose was to tour the most famous monastery in Spain. Built in the mid-1500s, it was built over a 21 year period by King Phillip II, to commemorate Spain's victory over France. While Phillip was in residence, suffering from gout, he relied too much on his advisors. Consequently, by the time of his death at 71 (quite old for the time period), he had lost a huge part of his empire.
The monastery is massive and houses a large collection of art and one of the most respected
Pedro Works Up His Courage
Four of these should do the trick. Now I am ready to talk about El Escorial to a bunch of students. libraries in Spain. Books dating back 1500 years were identified. Many were written over years, using gold leaf to create the letters. Most of the art was painted by court artists, most of whom lived in anonymity, although there was a canvas by El Greco. There are many sculptures and art pieces in the building. One of the most intriguing pieces in the library is a spherical portrayal of Ptolemy's theory. It was a gift presented to Phillip II and portrays the earth at the center of the universe. This was many years before the arrival of Galileo. Our guide for the tour was a gent named Pedro. We never lost track of him, as he wore bright red pants. Pedro managed to slip in a joke or two as he guided us through the great expanse of the structure. He led us through the great mausoleum, where the kings and a queen are interred… the most famous being King Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.
Our second stop of the day was another hour to the north, Avila. Here the old meets new as it is one of the oldest walled cities remaining in Europe. The great wall
Avila, the Walled City
It looks as good as it did in 1050 AD. was built around 1050AD and remains completely intact today. After a quick photo op, we settled in for lunch. Spain is famous for serving everything on huge rolls. Ask for a cheese sandwich and you get it on a huge roll. I ordered a chorizo and it came on a huge roll. Madame Robb ordered a diet coke, and it came with a huge roll.
After lunch, it was back on the bus to Segovia. A short ride up the road and we were once again on foot. This time we were searching for the remains of a Roman aqueduct. After a short walk through town, we reached the massive stone structure. Very impressive. According to some, it still actively brings water to the town.
The other highlight of Segovia is the mighty castle built at the request of Queen Isabella. A brisk 20 minute walk through town brought us to the castle. The castle dominates the area from high on the hill. It comes complete with a moat, although it has long ago dried up. Our challenge for the day was to walk to the very top of the castle. Most of us met the challenge, though
it involved struggling up 152 stone steps, winding straight up to the top. There was not an inch to spare when passing others on their way down.
Our day ended with our arrival in Burgos just in time for dinner at nine. It was no surprise to anyone when we were served steak and fries. Actually, this version was more of a beef stew with tater tots. Dessert was flan with whipped cream. All in all it was a “Flan-tastic” day. And with that, I bid you good night.
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Janine
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People are Jealous
Family and friends keep asking how the trip is going and are very very jealous of you all. It looks really exciting and yet exhausting at the same time, but you all look up to the challenge - you're awesome (clap clap)! Looking foreward to reading more. (Jamie sit up straight for your pictures!) lol