Burgos, Spain - November 2014

Lunch time

Our latest outing took us to Burgos.  It was about an hour train ride from Valladolid for maybe 7 euros each.  Be warned however once you get to the train station you must then catch a bus that will take you to the city center which is another half hour trip.  It isn't too bad but when you are working within a certain time limit it would be good to calculate this in.  Obviously you need to do the same thing on the way back to the train station as well so just account for an extra hour of travel time when planning.  The bus is only 1 euro each so it is totally reasonable.

Burgos was one of our favourite cities.  It was charming and full of gorgeous buildings, interesting hidden alleyways, a beautiful river and of course one of the most impressive cathedrals we have seen.  Oh and did I mention there is also a castle!   We of course did not get to go in the castle because the hours are quite poor.  It seems to only be open from 11-3 and not every day.  I wish I could remember which days but I do know that Saturday is one of them.  We arrived at the gates at 330 and left disappointed. 

However on our wander up the hill to the castle we found an amazing view point where you could see the whole city and it was spectacular!  Even of it is too late to get into the castle make the trip up the hill anyway you will not regret it.  While we were taking photos we met two girls who were living in Madrid as nannies.  They overheard us speaking English and came over to chat.  They were both from The United States and had met here so were doing some travelling together.  It is always nice just chatting to people from familiar places it really gives you a sense of home and you feel less like an outsider for a few minutes at least. It is also nice to hear people complain about the same things you complain about!  Sometimes I start to feel like maybe its me, maybe I am the problem, but then someone else says they feel the same and my feelings are validated.

The Arlanza River flows through town and was perfect to wander around for a good chunk of time.  It is November so the fall colours are outstanding and it makes the sunshine just a little brighter.  There are several small bridges over the river which makes for excellent photo opportunities.  We actually walked the river when we first arrived and then again before we left because we just needed a little more time with its beauty.

The Cathedral was also something that was worth spending some serious time touring.  It was 7 euros each to get in and was well worth the price of admission.  One of the best parts was that they offer each guest an audio device in the language of your choosing to help guide you through the cathedral.  It gives you the whole history of the building and details about each space and piece of art.  It is great because a lot of times we really do not learn much when visiting places because we do not understand the signs or write ups so this way very helpful.  The cathedral itself was started in 1221 and took over 5 centuries to complete.  It is an awe-inspiring space.  It is so hard to put into words the feelings you have when walking through such a sacred place.  It feels dreamlike in a sense because it is hard to imagine such a building being created.  Gorgeous.

As with every Spanish city during the afternoon the city basically shuts down so we had many of the streets to ourselves and run around like children taking photos.  The strange thing was that even after lunch time many of the shops did not reopen.  It was a Saturday so we thought it would be much busier but it was fairly dead.  We did find an amazing coffee shop in Plaza Mayor with desserts that were to die for!  I would have bought more to take home with me but I thought better of it.  That is something Spain is definitely not lacking in – The pastries – oh the pastries! It is almost worth getting fat.

While we were walking back to the bus stop to get back to the train we found these old ruins that made me think it used to be an old castle or something.  I am sure I am wrong but it is how it made me feel.  There was a museum full of children inside so we avoided that but the courtyard was probably my favourite part of the whole Burgos experience.  It was Gothic and dark and I felt like magical things could happen there. 

When we were waiting for the bus an older lady came over and started talking to us.  I of course only caught a few words but Ross was able to actually have a bit of a conversation.  I was so proud of him.  He is doing really well with the language and isn't afraid to screw up so he will try to talk to anyone.  She was sweet and was saying that she was from Brussels originally.  Some of the conversation was in Spanish and some in French.  Ross just made me so happy and I think she was enjoying chatting with him.  She had a big smile and waved good bye when we were on the bus.  It is interactions like that I miss the most, just a random chat with someone at a bus stop about anything. 

We really enjoyed our day in Burgos and absolutely recommend that you visit if you ever get the chance.  Just of you want to do any shopping maybe try to be there in the morning before siesta.