More of Salamanca and its region

The house in Almenara de Tormes proved very well situated for exploring the area around Salamanca.
One day's journey took us westward almost to the border with Portugal to the town of Ciudad Rodrigo,
a nice and quiet place still surrounded by its old fortified walls. Our visit coincided with market day.

The former castle, built in the fourteenth century, now serves as a parador (one of Spain's government-owned luxury hotels).

Joe was intrigued by this restaurant.

Another day we drove to Valladolid. Although it had some nice sights, it was a large and busy city, and not our favorite place.

Perhaps the most interesting stop in Valladolid was at the national museum of sculpture, housed in a former monastery.

Carvings at the entrance depicted "wild men" naked with long beards and hair all over their bodies,
a common decorative feature of the sixteenth century, when the New World had just been discovered.

Below right: a medieval legend in which doctors, having amputated the leg of a porter in the church of Saint Peter's
in Rome, replaced it with the leg of an infidel. (The said infidel does not look too happy about the switch!)

The setting was as intriguing as the artwork.

Life-sized figures used in eighteenth-century processions cavort around Jesus on the cross.

Valladolid's cathedral (above) and Plaza Mayor or main square (below).

Yet another day saw us in Ávila, another city filled with medieval churches and surrounded by its ancient walls.
Ávila is the highest provincial capital in Spain, and the day we visited, it was blanketed in fog that only slowly lifted.

Ávila is all about Saint Teresa, and our first stop happened to be the church built on the site of her birthplace.

Ávila's main square, which we also visited on market day.

The church of San Vicente (Saint Vincent), from the eleventh century, with an elaborately carved doorway.

The saint's tomb inside, brightly painted, depicts his life.

San Vicente is just one of many churches in Ávila.

Ávila has long outgrown its walls, and the old town continues both inside and outside them.

From a vantagepoint outside the city is this spectacular view of the walls.

On our return from Ávila we stopped at the small town of Alba de Tormes.
It is famous for two reasons: as the burial place of Saint Teresa of Ávila (and we visited her tomb)
and as the original seat of the Dukes of Alba, one of the most powerful noble families in Spain
(the head of the family until her recent death was the flamboyant Duchess of Alba, Cayetana).

Another day we drove south from Salamanca into the mountains called the Sierra de Francia.
The region is filled with picturesque small mountain villages like Candelario, our first stop.
Candelario is essentially one main street, along which flows a stream in a narrow channel.

Our second stop was in the village of Miranda del Castañar, an impressively picturesque place with winding streets.
Its castle was donated to the local authorities by the Duchess of Alba.

The highest point in this range of mountains is the Peña de Francia, 5700 feet above sea level.
A narrow road snakes up to the top of the mountain, which offers stunning views in all directions.
At the summit is also a small monastery and church with a medieval statue of the Virgin Mary.

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