More in Burgos

This morning I went to see La Cartuja de Miraflores, a fifteenth century monastery of the Carthusian Order located about three miles away on the outskirts of the city.  I had planned to take a taxi, but I didn't see any on the streets or even at the taxi stands (perhaps because it was a Sunday morning).  I ended up walking the entire way... a hike of about one hour.

The monaastery was founded in 1442 by King Juan II of Castille, but the buildings and their decoration owe much to the patronage of Juan's daughter, Isabel la Católica.  (We know her as Queen Isabella... you know, the monarch who sent Columbus across the ocean blue.)

 Portrait of Queen Isabella in the monastery

The monastery is still the home of twenty Carthusian monks who live a life of solitude and silence.  Because of this, only the church is open to visitors.  But what a church it is!  It was worth the long walk.

The high altar is an incredible work of art done by the famous sculptor Gil de Siioé.  It was completed in 1499.

The central figure of Christ on the cross is surrounded by a circle of angels.

The rest of the altar is filled with carvings of Biblical scenes and saints.

In the lower corner Queen Isabella is shown in prayer.

In front of the altar is the tomb of Queen Isabella's parents, King Juan II and his second wife, Isabel of Portugal.  The tomb is covered with intricate carvings.

From the side you cannot really see the recumbent figures of Juan and his wife.  A photo taken from above is displayed to give visitors a view of the royal couple.

  

On the side of the church is the tomb of Prince Alfonso, the younger brother of Queen Isabella.  He died as an adolescent.

Both of the royal tombs were also carved by Gil de Siloé.

Now for something COMPLETELY different.  In the afternoon I went to the newest museum in Burgos.  Its theme is something you would never expect in this medieval city, and it would certainly meet with the disapproval of the creationist crowd.  It is the Museum of Human Evolution.

So, why is this museum here in Burgos?  The caves of the nearby Atapuerca Mountains have been inhabited by human ancestors for hundreds of thousands of years.  Scientists have found remains that date back more than one million years... the oldest hominids to have lived in Western Europe.  

The museum has some interesting exhibits, including artifacts found in the caves.  But there seems to be a lot of empty space in this large building.  I'm not sure that it is worth the 6 euro admission.

 

It is time to say good-bye to Burgos.  Tomorrow I will take the train on to another historic city... León.

Exploring Burgos

I spent the day visiting the artistic marvels and historic sites of the city of Burgos.

The number one place to see is the Cathedral, one of the most beautiful in Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  By the thirteenth century, Burgos was becoming an important city as the capital of the kingdom of Castille, and as a stop along the medieval pilgrimage Route of Santiago it was receiving visitors from all over Europe.  King Ferdinand III of Castille (San Fernando) decided to replace the old Romanesque style cathedral with a grander church in the new Gothic style that was all the rage in France.  Construction began in 1221, and although it was in use as a place of worship in only nine years, work on the structure continued until 1567.

I spent a couple hours exploring the interior of the cathedral.  I may be criticized for saying this, but, frankly, I found the interior of the Burgos Cathedral to be more impressive and interesting than Notre Dame in Paris.  Of course Notre Dame is an incredible work of architecture, but I found its interior to be rather dark and gloomy.  The Burgos Cathedral is brighter.  Much of the interior decoration was added later in Renaissance and Baroque styles and is incredibly extravagant.

Here are a few highlights of the church interior...

The enormous main altarpiece is dedicated to Santa María and is covered with polychrome carvings depicting the life of the Virgin.

At the crossing look up at the beautiful dome which was the last addition to the structure.

Directly beneath the dome is the burial place of the famous medieval warrior El Cid and his wife doña Jimena.

 

The choir features wooden carvings depicting Biblical scenes.

The Cathedral was built at the foot of a hill on land that was leveled.  As a result the street on one side of the church is at a higher level.  To create an exit onto that street, this elaborate staircase, known as the Golden Staircase, was built.  Later it was used as the model for the staircase of the Paris Opera House.

 

 There are fifteen side chapels, many of them contain very ornate altarpieces. 

 The ceiling of the sacristy.

A view of the Cathedral illuminated at night.

Next to the Cathedral is the little church of San Nicolás. The exterior is rather simple...

but the interior contains a huge altarpiece carved from stone.

In the afternoon after lunch, I climbed the hill at the edge of the Old Town to visit the ruins of the Castle of Burgos.  

The castle was begun in 884 to defend the frontier between the Christian territories to the north and the Moorish territories to the south.  It also provided protection so that Christians could settle in the area previously occupied by the Moors.  Thus the city of Burgos was founded as a small settlement huddled around the fortress.

In the thirteenth century, King Alfonso X (known as Alfonso the Wise) built a palace within the castle walls.

During the Napoleonic Wars in the early 1800s, the French army occupied the castle and added to its defenses.  When the British under Lord Wellington attacked, the French retreated, but not before blowing up the castle.  All that remains today are ruins.

What makes the climb up the hill worthwhile are the views of the city below.

 

I Made It to Burgos!

Yesterday I wrote that I didn't know whether or not my train to Burgos would be running.  Some train routes were being cancelled due to a strike, and I was receiving contradictory information concerning my 8 AM train.  I checked out of my Madrid hotel at 6:30, took the metro and arrived at the Chamartin Train Station at 7:00.  The source of the confusion was that my train continued on to the city of Bilbao.  Service to Bilbao was indeed disrupted by the strike, but I was able to go Burgos as scheduled.

So, after a pleasant two and a half hour train ride I arrived at my destination.  I took a taxi to my hotel, the Hotel Abba Burgos.  It is a modern hotel occupying one wing of a large building which once was a seminary.

The view from my window

The weather here is quite different from the weather in Madrid.  When I arrived it was overcast and very chilly.  Although the skies cleared in the afternoon, the temperature remained cool.

After settling into my room, I ventured out to explore the town a bit.   Burgos is a very historic city.  It was the capital of the medieval kingdom of Castilla.  It was also (and still is) a major stop along the "Ruta de Santiago" (the Route of St. James).  This medieval pilgrimage route begins in France, crosses the Pyrenees Mountains, and continues all the way across northern Spain to the shrine of St. James in Santiago de Compostela.

The city is built on the banks of the diminutive Arlanzón River.

In medieval times the city was surrounded by a wall, and this gate, the Arch of Santa María, was the principal entrance.

    
The city is dominated by the great Gothic cathedral, one of the most beautiful in Spain.

 
Most of the streets in the Old Town are pedestrianized.

The older buildings all feature a myriad of balconies. 

The "Plaza Mayor" (Town Square) of Burgos

The most famous son of Burgos was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid.  El Cid was an eleventh century warrior who fought in the "Reconquista", the wars to push the Moors out of Spain.  He is Spain's national hero, and this statue of him occupies a prominent spot in the city.

You will see more of Burgos over the next two days as I explore more thoroughly this historic city.

Work Before Play

Last night I had a good night's sleep, and I woke up ready for my first full day in Madrid.  But I had to start the day by taking care of some business.

Tomorrow I take the train from Madrid to Burgos.  I had purchased all of my train tickets from a travel agency ahead of time.  Yesterday I received an urgent e-mail from the travel agency informing me that my train tomorrow morning has been cancelled due to a strike.  So, after breakfast at my favorite place around the corner, my first priority was to go to Chamartin Station to see what the situation was, and to buy a ticket for a later train.  (This apparently is one of those strikes where only certain trains are being affected.)  

Getting to the Chamartin was very easy.  From the metro (subway) station one block from my hotel it was a straight shot to the train station.  Even though it was rush hour, the metro was busy but not packed like sardines.

I first went to the information desk, and the gentleman told that my train was not going to run, and directed me to where I could buy a new ticket.  For purchasing advance tickets, you take a number from a machine, and then when your number comes up you are called to a ticket window.  However, a fellow standing by the machine told me in Spanish that it doesn't start giving numbers until 9:30.  (At that point it was around 9:15.)  Several other foreign tourists came up to use the machine.  The same fellow told them that they had wait until 9:30, but  they did not speak Spanish.  So I went over and explained it to them.  (RENFE should compensate me for my services as an interpreter.  Ha ha!)

When I was called up to the ticket window, the man made a phone call and came back and told me that the train is going to run, and that my ticket is valid.  So we shall see what happens tomorrow.  The train is supposed to leave at 8 AM.  I will get up early and get to the station by 7 AM.  

I took the metro back to my hotel.  It was only a little after 10:00, so I still had plenty of time to do the sightseeing I had planned on doing.  I got on a different metro line and went to Moncloa, a section of the city where the campus of the University of Madrid is located.

When you ascend from the subway station you see the Arch of Victory, a monument commemorating the triumph of dictator Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War.

 
Nearby is the Museum of the Americas which displays artefacts from Spain's former colonies in the Americas... from both the pre-Hispanic era and the colonial era.

Given the fact that Madrid has several world-class museums, not many foreign tourists visit this museum.  I wouldn't put it on a list of "must see" sights for a first time visitor to Madrid, but it is rather nice museum.  (However, monolinguals will find it less interesting since all of the descriptions are in Spanish.)

The most outstanding exhibit in the museum is a collection of gold objects from the Quimbaya culture of pre-Hispanic Colombia.  These items come from two Quimbaya tombs, and were presented by Colombia as a gift to Spain.  It is one of the largest and most important indigenous treasure troves to be found anywhere in the world.

Next door to the museum is "el Faro de Moncloa" (The Lighthouse of Moncloa).  This 360 foot tall tower provides a 360 degree panorama of Madrid.

In the distance you see the modern skyscrapers of the city's financial district.  The third building from the left is the Foster Tower, the tallest building in Spain.

Looking down at the Arch of Victory and the Gran Via beyond.  The spire in the distance to the left is the Telephone Building which is a block from my hotel.

The University of Madrid campus and barely visible in the distance the Guadarrama Mountains.

 

Greetings from Madrid

I arrived in Madrid at 10 AM this morning.  I took a taxi from the airport to my hotel.  The fare from the airport to anywhere in central Madrid is 30 euros.  There are cheaper ways of transport... such as the subway... but after a long flight I opted for easiest way of getting to the hotel.  Besides, compared to some major cities, 30 euros is not exorbitant.

I arrived at the hotel at 11:00 AM, but check-in is not until 1:00 PM, so I had a couple hours to kill.  I left my bags at the hotel and went around the corner to a little "hole-in-the-wall" restaurant called "La Austriaca".  It is my favorite place for breakfast in Madrid.  The food is nothing fancy... just good ordinary Spanish food... but it is also a slice of non-touristy life in Madrid.  I had my usual "café con leche" (coffee with steamed milk), and "tortilla española" (an omelet with potatoes and onions).  Unfortunately by that hour they were out of "churros" (Spain's answer to the doughnut... long, fluted tubes of fried dough.)

The lady who waited on me at the counter (I think she is the owner) recognized me from previous visits.  She said, "As soon as you ordered "tortilla", I remembered you."

After my late breakfast, I still had another hour before check-in, so I wandered around the neighborhood.  Here are some pictures of the architecture...

I am now settled into my hotel room.  The place is called "Hotel Siete Islas".  It is a modern, comfortable, moderately priced hotel.  Its location, just a block from downtown Madrid's main avenue, the Gran Vía, is superb.  

Stay  tuned for more adventures from Spain...