Spain / Edinburgh 2013 Entry 1

Frankly, we'll skip the next few days of torture by the air travel system, much relieved by Connie sprading out the flight hours and jet lag with stops in Halifax and London. We never got near Halifax, just rested at an Inn dozens of miles away, and did nothing in London we haven't documented on previous trips. That way, we were fresh by the time we met Carmen and Maria and Yan, and were off the next day to a Dali exhibition at the Museo Reina Sofia. Dali, too has been well-documented - by Dali, no slouch as a showman and self-promoter, as well as others. I really did like the Museum, though, with the air and light in the space below, seen here.

Our first stop was Salamanca, where we stayed at Maria's own new condo, which has a wonderful huge building-top patio - it's sort of the penthouse. This is actually from our last hours there, where we showed Maria, and gourmet cook Yan, how to make the great American delicacy: S'Mores. Maria is a helpless marshmallow addict - from pusher Tio Roy forcing them upon her in infancy - and loves them all the better toasted.

Backing up a bit, we did spend some time seeing Salamanca, but not the things we've already seen on previous trips, which is most of it. Yan did show us the entrance to Maria's job at one of the oldest universities on Earth.

And as we have done about every four waking hours here, we had fabulous food at a great restaurant - this time serenaded by students from the University who are studying traditional music. We saw some of the same guys the next day at Burgos, so they actually tour doing this.
And onward to Avila, the city of walls, the next day, where as always, we spent as much time resting from the weighty heat in cafes, as we did touristing. You can only take so much touristing, and the food on this whole trip has been wonderful. It truly helps to have trusty native guides, seen here, to find the best nourishment.

And more of the gang, atop one of Avila's dozens of lovingly restored and maintained towers in the walls.

I have dozens of views from the towers - and I'll be skpping all the cathedrals because they are impossible to encapsulate in a photo. That was the main thing to see in Burgos, the gargantuan, roccoco complexity of the Cathedral, so Burgos gets short shrift. We went on in the afternoon to charming Covarrubias, a small town with narrow streets - but nothing more charming than the couple, Maria and Yan, guiding us about.

From there, we went on to the heart of Wine Country - very similar geography and climate to Sonoma in California - the town of Laguardia. Connie lights up the breathtakng landscape behind her.

Around the other side of the walls of the old town, there's a spectacular view to the west, where you can see what a rich and fecund wine country it really is.