“Suffering is the substance of life and the root of personality, for it is only suffering that makes us persons.”
“Man lives off of reason, but survives off of dreams.”

-Miguel de Unamuno

Salamanca is best known for its famous university, created in 1218. Even Christopher Columbus himself, at the end of the 15^th century—just back from discovering America—lectured here. The above quotes are from Salamanca´s most famous college rector and author, Miguel de Unamuno.

Having said all that, while most Spaniards know Salamanca for its prestigious university—Ben and I now know and love Salamanca for its charm and beauty. Its sandstone buildings glow golden in the sunshine, and the city just radiates character. Its biggest Romanesque cathedral was founded in the 12^th century, with a “newer,” larger cathedral having been built right into the side of the old one around 1512. The cathedral “tour” we went on was most definitely our favorite Spanish adventure-activity to date. We were basically given free reign to run all over the ancient cathedral with no supervision. We explored all its multiple floors and levels, balconies and towers, chambers and crevices. We even got to stand on several outdoor platforms high above the town, looking out over the whole region—with clear views all the way to the mountains.

But perhaps our favorite part of the day was dinnertime—where exhausted and hungry, yearning for American food (Spanish food isn’t quite what we were expecting…way overpriced and way under-flavored), we came across a Pizza Hut—something not easily found in Madrid. (Thank you to Salamanca’s American student population.) We both got a whole medium pizza to ourselves…and devoured it in Plaza Mayor (see below), watching the lights come on in the huge square. We topped it all off with this amazing orange-chocolate ice-cream we’ve discovered here in Spain; and we don’t even want to know what the curious Spaniards who were watching us were thinking…shabby old Americans gorging themselves in the middle of their classy, cultural landmark.

Salamanca is now my new “favorite city,” since our visit there was a day out of my perfect life—including the winding train ride there and back from Madrid. Here’s to hoping Ben will get a job there soon…

It’s too bad we really only have two pictures to post of Cuenca—because it was simply incredible. But it was a little hard to capture its beauty at night on film. And really, night is the only way to see this place in all its splendor.

Cuenca is a cozy little mountain town made famous by its “casas colgadas” (hanging houses) dating from the 14^th century. Jutting out from the cliffs—which line a huge ravine where two rivers meet far below—“hang,” quite literally, houses built into the bedrock, with multiple levels and terraces. They were all built centuries ago through some engineering marvel that keeps them from sliding down and crashing into the water and rocks below. I’m scared to death of heights, and I just can’t imagine how in the world someone came up with the idea of building right up to and over the side of a large cliff. It was amazing to see, especially at night when the houses were illuminated from within, and you could clearly view their features contrasting starkly on the dark face of the cliff wall.

The site was best seen from the suspended red footbridge bridge (that spans a 200ft drop). If you look closely, you can somewhat make it out in the picture below.

Another thing we loved about this town was the incredible sunset we witnessed there. There’s just something about being so high up, sitting on the ledge of an ancient building…watching the sun slowly sink below the mountains right in front of you—as it paints the sky red and blue and purple and orange.

There were also these natural little mountain aquifers everywhere that we loved. We found our favorite one coming out of a wall near the place we were staying, and we filled our water bottles up there several times with the coolest, cleanest mountain water I’ve ever tasted.

We want a summer home in Cuenca now. And I’m not quite sure how we’re going to afford all these houses we want to own all over Spain. The list keeps growing…

Top: The incredible sunset over the backdrop of old Spanish buildings.
Bottom: The famous hanging houses as seen from higher up on the mountain.

When Ben and I decided to take a short bus trip out to Buitrago to see this medieval fair he’d read about in the free Metro paper, I was thinking it was going to be just like the medieval fairs I’d been to in the States; the weird ones where strange looking Goth kids from high school congregate, along with hippy-ish adults who haven’t yet accepted the fact that they’re grownups (like the ones who haven’t quite realized that the 60’s are looooooong over).

We do many things well in the States—just not medieval. And how could we? We never had knights roaming the country, kings and queens, castles or moats. We grew up reading about those things in storybooks. But here, those things really existed (remnants of them are everywhere)—and kids take school trips to castles and palaces all the time. So how can our medieval fairs in the States compete with that chain of history?

The more Ben and I get to travel in Spain, the more we’re really beginning to understand just how rich this country’s history is—all the way back to medieval times and then some. Not too long ago Ben and I were standing in a cathedral here in Madrid, and Ben turned to me and said, “Isn’t it funny to think that this is where the Crusades all started? That this is where they went out from?”

And we feel that way all the time here; amazed at the breadth of world history that exists all around us.

Back to the medieval fair, we really loved our night there…strolling through a little village encircled by ancient crumbling walls. And we especially loved all the tasty little medieval treats that were being sold everywhere. You know Monsons and their food…

Top Left: Two little Spanish princesses.
Top Right: Ben loved this kind grandpa teaching his grandson how to joust in the middle of the fair.
Middle: Molly right outside the city walls in front of the river which circled part of the city. You can see behind her right shoulder a defense wall jutting out where soldiers used to defend the town from invaders coming in on the water.
Bottom: Ben standing in the amphitheater waiting for the horses and knights to be led in for the jousting competition.

Our second adventure in the world of España

“Rapunzel towers, turrets, topped with slate witches’ hats, and a deep moat at its base—make the Alcázar a prototype fairy-tale castle, so much so that its design inspired Walt Disney’s vision of Sleeping Beauty’s castle.”

Every time we go to a new town, the first thing Molly says is, “Oh! This is my NEW favorite city!” That was the case with Segovia. Segovia is a romantic little picturesque town, famous for its majestic Walt Disney like castle—where the famous Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand first met in the mid 1400’s. Isabella and Ferdinand are familiar to most as the royal couple who first kicked the Moors out of Spain, and then started the Spanish Inquisition.

We loved this place. From its churches, to its castles, to its ancient Roman aqueduct. Our time here was like walking through the pages of a storybook–too amazing to be real.

Top: Molly standing in front of the Alcázar, wishing she could live in a castle just like it.
Center: Molly in Plaza Mayor, the center of Segovia.
Bottom: Typical Spanish church, oozing with Old Word charm (this picture—unfortunately—sans Molly). We saw a bride and groom coming out of this church right before we took this picture.

“Somewhere in La Mancha, in a place whose name I do not care to remember, a gentleman lived not long ago, one of those who has a lance and ancient shield on a shelf…”

-Don Quixote, pg.1

Sometime—about 500 years ago—the eccentric literary legend, Don Quixote (de la Mancha), started out on his fictional journey, by marching over the bridge and out of the very gate you see at the top of our blog in the pink picture (with the miniature Molly tucked away in the right hand corner.) So we thought it quite appropriate to start out our own little Spanish journey by first visiting the same ancient town, Toledo, Spain—a real-life place of castles and knights errant.

For Ben and I, this time here in Spain marks also the beginning of our marriage, and many more meandering adventures to come together. Just as Don Quixote often found in his adventures, we have also discovered that life in España isn’t always what it appears…

Top: Molly and Ben standing on a walk overlooking the Rio Tajo. Over Molly’s shoulder is another view of Don Quixote’s famous bridge.
Middle: You can see Toledo sprawling out behind Molly—she was convinced the city looks just like the Italy she’s always dreamed of.
Bottom: Segovia’s town cathedral, where we watched our first-ever Spanish wedding procession going into the church. Molly couldn’t stop commenting on the ridiculous amount of money they must have spent on their wedding. (Which reminds us—we haven’t sent out our own wedding thank you cards yet…SORRY everybody!)