Spain, North to South and back again, Part 2

As I'm off down to Andalucia again in a couple of weeks I thought I had better finish this off before I go!
Now then, I left us about to go into Toledo for the second time - family will realise why I went back, it was Christmas shopping time :)
So, picking up where I left off...

Toledo - 16 October 2015

Sticking to what we knew, as there was a particular shop to visit, we wandered up through the Juderia, got the buying done, and then had more of a wander around, interspersed with a few cafe cortados.

 The Museum of Visigoth culture took our fancy - it is in an old basilica style church, much of which dates back to the Caliphate, but which also incorporates some early Visigoth stones, pillar capitals and so on.
The caliphate inheritance is obvious in the horseshoe arches and red and white striped stonework, whilst there's a dome over the crossing that looks very romanesque.

 Loved this dragon - reminded me very much of Welsh ones - that's why it is here!Presumably though it is St George who has found his way from the eastern to the western Mediterranean?

The church of San Pedro the martyr has been recently restored - Toledo is full of helpful signboard etc, and is very very "tidied up" - obviously a good money spinner as there are hordes of tourists visiting by the busload!

Lovely example of rejas on a large first floor window secure, yet giving a really good view up and down the street

Students hanging out on the steps of one of the university buildings

 What super street lights!

Some great cake shops - with lots of marzipan goodies in them. One in particular is shaped like an eel with its tail in its mouth, and the centre of the ring filled with crystallised fruit. Not cheap.

Marzipan goodies. We contented ourselves with a €2 bag with half a dozen little ones!









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Salamanca - 16th October

Travelling south to north across Spain is a "corrugated" journey - from the mountains in the south, down into the Guadalquivir basinm then up over the Sierra Morena and down onto the plains of La Mancha.
Once north of Toledo we went up and over the Sierra de Gredos, part of the central mountain range.

Flying over this in winter it is often snow covered and there are ski resorts around Madrid.

In October the weather was lovely, but we could see the snow fences alongside exposed sections of road, and the many wind farms seemed to have no problem finding a breeze.








Down the northern side and the country began to flatten out and, once past Avila (in the middle distance) we came into true "mamba" country (miles and miles of b***** all)

 Mamba country between Avila and Salamanca

The city of Salamance is visible from far off across the plain - so often this is the approach to a Spanish city - long, weary miles of nothing except the towers of churches or, in the case of a modern city, the skyscrapers, to lead you on.

Salamanca is approached over the River Duero - the usual neat, defensive position on a bit of a river cliff.

Amazingly the parking was very easy, and free! We parked in a very pleasant road above the river and within a couple of hundred metres of the casco historico.