Friday April 12, 2019

University Entrance

We thought we had set the air conditioning last night but woke up to the heat kicking on in the middle of the night. We could not get any cold air so just opened the window and the room cooled off nicely. I do not think they have turned on the air conditioning system but we were able to sleep well after the heat was stopped. In fact, we did not wake up until 0900 and did not get stirring until 0930. We had a large chocolate pastry we bought yesterday for breakfast. Very tasty.

Cielo de la Salamanca

Today’s tour started with a walk to the famous and very old Salamanca University. We only checked out the intricate stone carvings at their entryway and then walked to a small courtyard nearby to see the Cielo de Salamanca. This is a fresco of the Salamanca sky which includes zodiacs. It was painted in 400.

Peering Down

From the fresco, we walked to the Monastery of San Esteban. We start our visit by entering the Kings cloisters completed in 1544. It is a beautiful space with an unexpected surprise for us. Carol hears a bird noise but says that does not sound like a pigeon.

Great Shot

Looking up, I spot a stork nest and point it out. I see movement and tell her that I think a stork is in the nest. She says that she sees the stork, but no nest. Huh! Well it turns out that we are looking in two different places. As we look further, we spot five or six nests and several storks, some sitting on the roof, one or two flying, and others in their nests. We spend a bit of time admiring the birds, their activity, and listening to their clicking like vibrato calls. Very cool to see.

Giant Hymn Book

We continue our tour climbing up the ornate De Sotos Staircase to the second level of the cloister. Ther is a painted statue of Mary Magdalene on the side of the staircase. The second level has some displays of Indian artifacts from South America from when Spain was exploring and trying to convert the indigenous tribes. There is also a room with many relics and church artifacts, some truly beautiful and encased in jewels. Unfortunately, no photos allowed in here.

Church From Above

We enter another door which is the choir to the church. It is located on the second level and we get a birds eye view of the church below. We retrace our steps down the staircase and enter the Church of St. Stephen. The church was begun in 1524 and the altarpiece was completed in 1693. In the rear of the church, a father and some parishioners are readying processionals for Easter week. They are very beautiful.

Blessed Cookies

When we exit the monastery, we go to the Convento de las Duenas right next door. There is a door to go through where the nuns sell cookies that they make here. We buy some almond paste cookies and a small bag of another cookie. Outside, we find a bench and sample the wares. Very good and we stick to one each.

Thumbs Up

We decide that we will have some tapas and wine for lunch at a top rated Bodega. We have about twenty minutes to kill before they open at 1300. We walk through Plaza Mayor and check out the nearby Central Market. We thought there might be places to buy cheese or sit and have a bite, but it is pretty much all meat and fish stands with a couple of fruit places mixed in. We walk to Cuzco Bodega and sit outside until they open.We have a glass of the local Salamanca red wine and order two tapas. We order a pork sirloin with a Pedro Ximenez sauce and fresh sheep cheese. The pork sirloin is incredible and the sauce is lapped up by us with the bread they provided us. The cheese is great as well. We sit, relax, watch as the locals order, and have a second glass of wine each.

Roman Bridge

After lunch, a stroll to digest. We go to the Casa de las Muertes, house of death, which I thought would have more skulls on it but we count just four. From there, we find the old roman bridge and then look for what proves to be a very elusive entrance to the Huerto gardens. On our quest we walk below the old wall of Salamanca find an old stone tower that we can climb. Lots of stairs but a nice view from the top. It is now time to head back for another siesta, well at least for Carol as I am writing this.

Smoked Cod and Cured Beef

We went to dinner at Vinodiario, rated #1 in town. We are glad that we reserved yesterday as the place was full right from the start. They had a menu in English and the owner also spoke English and was our waiter. He said he and his brother own the restaurant and it is a family business. We order a couple of tapa appetizers, smoked cod and Cecina de Leon which is a cured beef with almonds. We are served a tapa of cheese while we wait. The appetizers each come on top of a half baguette and the flavored are incredible. We also had ordered a bottle of the house wine, which was a Garnache from Navarre. We savored every bite and sip of wine.

Iberian Pork and Chick Peas

We then ordered Iberian Pork Loin and Chick Peas as our main dishes. When we order potatoes with mojo, he says just a half order is plenty. How many restaurants would tell you to order less ( making less money) due to us not knowing the size of a portion. When the food arrives, we try a bite of everything and it is all incredible. The pork is moist yet with a little crisp on the outside. The Pedro Ximenez sauce is not overpowering and the pink peppercorns add a little bite. What surprise us is the chickpeas. They are the start of the meal with multiple layers of flavor. Sweet with a little spice and flavors from chestnuts, onions, carrots, a truly amazing dish. We think there may have been plum and apricot used in it also. At any rate, we can not believe how phenomenal this dish is.

Potatoes with Mojo

The potatoes are excellent as well with a green pesto like mojo sauce, perfectly seasoned and a good compliment to everything. We eat slower than normal savoring every bite. The wine is a perfect match for our food. We pass on dessert as we are totally satisfied at the moment and he says no problem, enjoy your wine. A short while later he brings us a small sample of their cheesecake to try. It is also phenomenal, very light and creamier than what we are used to. I am surprised later when I ask if they used ricotta in it, he says Philadelphia cream cheese. I think there must be something else mixed in that lightens it up. Our meal was a wonderful experience and they definitely deserve the number one rating. We return to our room, pack up some and get to bed at 1120. Tomorrow we go to Avila for a one night stand.

Expenses
IBIS Salamanca 50.35E
Conventional de San Esteban 7E
Cookies from nuns at Convento de las Duenas 7.20E
Tapas and wine lunch at Cuzco Bodega 15.20E
Pastries and strawberries from market 1.97E
Dinner and Wine at Vinodiaro 47.20E
Walked 5 Miles