This was our last day in Spain and the only fixed item on our agenda was to get to an airport hotel in Madrid in advance of our noon flight tomorrow.
That gave us the opportunity to stop in Burgos, founded in the ninth century as a military stronghold in Spain's effort to regain territory lost to the Moors. Three centuries later, with the Moors still a force to be reckoned with, Burgos was the birthplace of Spanish hero El Cid, revered for his leadership in combating the Moors.
Today, Burgos is best known for its Gothic cathedral, which is just inside Arco Santa Maria, a beautiful gate to the Old Town. The cathedral is a beautiful construction of towers, buttresses, stained glass, and Gothic perfection inside and out. A glorious dome embellished with a lacy eight-pointed star towers over the tomb of El Cid in the crossing of the nave and transept. Our audioguides provided (too) extensive information about the cathedral's many side altars, sacristy, cloisters, and museum; sometimes, we find it's better to turn off the commentary and just drink it all in.
A short walk brought us to the Plaza Mayor, more commercial than graceful, and then to the Paseo del Espolon, a lovely riverside walk under an arcade of English plane trees.
Our
last stop was several miles outside town at the Carthusian Monastery of Our
Lady of Miraflores. At this quiet place, still home to an order of
contemplative monks, the rather austere exterior belies the glorious interior
scene. Carved choir stalls and stained glass from the 15th and 16th
centuries led the way to an intricately carved altarpiece, described as a
tapestry carved in wood; it's said to have been gilded with some of the first
gold brought back from the New World. In front of the altar are the tombs
of King Juan II and Princess Isabel, parents of Queen Isabella. In the
form of an eight-pointed star, the royal tombs are a riot of carved alabaster,
with hundreds of figures rendered in intricate detail. As we crossed the
courtyard outside the church, we could hear the monks singing; this was as lovely
a final stop as we could have ever imagined for this trip...
Until -- our experience at dinner! Though we're at a hotel very close to Madrid's airport, we're actually in a residential neighborhood, with small shops, businesses, and restaurants. After consulting TripAdvisor, we found a high-ranking, authentic, favorite-of-locals, family-run restaurant just a couple of blocks from our hotel. We were warmly welcomed by Pepe and his wife, Carmen, who, along with assorted family members, have run their restaurant for over forty years. Pepe advised us about menu selections, came to check on us frequently, and brought us several extras. As the place began to fill with locals, some requested that the TV be turned on; suddenly we were closely following -- not soccer -- bullfights! We could hear the exhortations and groans from the bar patrons; clearly, the goings on in the arena had wide appeal. To top it all off (we thought), Pepe arrived with a special desert, served only on May 15, the feast of Madrid's patron saint, Isidore. But wait! There's more! As we were leaving, Pepe came out to bid us farewell, with gifts in hand. Tom has a new cap, emblazoned with "Madrid", and I have a lace-trimmed fan, featuring scenes of Madrid. I think that Pepe and Carmen's TripAdvisor score will be going higher yet!
This was one lovely day, and a memorable way to end this fine trip. We're ready to return to our real lives which, after all, are sweet, indeed. Thanks for reading and traveling along with us.
Until -- our experience at dinner! Though we're at a hotel very close to Madrid's airport, we're actually in a residential neighborhood, with small shops, businesses, and restaurants. After consulting TripAdvisor, we found a high-ranking, authentic, favorite-of-locals, family-run restaurant just a couple of blocks from our hotel. We were warmly welcomed by Pepe and his wife, Carmen, who, along with assorted family members, have run their restaurant for over forty years. Pepe advised us about menu selections, came to check on us frequently, and brought us several extras. As the place began to fill with locals, some requested that the TV be turned on; suddenly we were closely following -- not soccer -- bullfights! We could hear the exhortations and groans from the bar patrons; clearly, the goings on in the arena had wide appeal. To top it all off (we thought), Pepe arrived with a special desert, served only on May 15, the feast of Madrid's patron saint, Isidore. But wait! There's more! As we were leaving, Pepe came out to bid us farewell, with gifts in hand. Tom has a new cap, emblazoned with "Madrid", and I have a lace-trimmed fan, featuring scenes of Madrid. I think that Pepe and Carmen's TripAdvisor score will be going higher yet!
This was one lovely day, and a memorable way to end this fine trip. We're ready to return to our real lives which, after all, are sweet, indeed. Thanks for reading and traveling along with us.
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