Living the retirement dream

We are sharing our ideal retirement experiences.

Rest Day in Burgos

Our rest days are always highly anticipated as we don’t have to get up early and rush out into the cold darkness and start walking. We do have to find a lavanderia and wash all of our clothes though. In the larger cities we also search out ethnic restaurants other than Spanish for a change of cuisine. In Logroño it was Italian, here it was an Asian noodle house. We have also asked for nicer hotels with room upgrades if available.

Burgos, a provincial capital in Spain’s autonomous community of Castile and Leon has a population of 180,000. It is a veritable architectural jewel full of monuments and is sometimes referred to as the Gothic capital of Spain. It was the seat of Franco’s government until 1938 and also home to the war lord El Cid who is buried in the cathedral along with his wife.
The present Burgos Cathedral of Saint Mary of Burgos is one of the finest examples of French Gothic art. It was built over a period from 1221-1795 (a new cathedral was built on the site of the original Romanesque one). It’s main facade is the Puerta del Pedron with a starred rose-window and a gallery of statues of the Castile monarchs and the apostles.
The Cathedral has flying buttresses and two 84 meter towers, crowned by magnificent 15th C spires. It has a Latin cross layout which symbolizes the the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In the side naves of the Cathedral there are 19 chapels each rendering a different style and breath takingly beautiful in their own right.
Inside the entrance to the Cathedral there is a clock chimed by a grotesque automaton known as Papamosca (fly catcher) and he opens and closes his mouth with each chime of the hour as though catching flies. Many French writers visited Burgos and incorporated the inspiration they derived from the cathedral into their works, Aexander Dumas and Victor Hugo were two such writers and some go as far as to claim that this clock inspired the. Hunchback of Notre dame
This is known as the Golden Staircase (Escalera Dorado) and is accessed by the Door of the Apostles. It is believed that it served as a model of the renowned grand staircase of the Paris Opera House.
This is the main Altar but the cathedral has 38 altarpieces.
!03 beautiful carved choir stalls.
Magnificent domed ceilings.
The Cathedral is the burial site of both Royals and Clergy.
Unique stained glass windows.
Night view of the Cathedral. Overall we were more impressed with the exterior of this cathedral than the interior as we found it to be more of a museum than church.
Such interesting abodes in Burgos.
Plaza Mayor at night.
Our Abba Hotel was very posh with luxury amenities such as bath robes and slippers. We are privileged pilgrims and proud of it.
We saw many empty Stork nests atop of the churches and other monuments.
This ancient and unusual fountain has water flowing from phallic nozzles and figures riding dragons astride giant fish. It was constructed in 1663.
Our pilgrim friend Baxter Wynn (South Carolina Baptist Minister) waiting for us to have dinner together at the noodle house.

Living our retirement dream

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2 responses to “Rest Day in Burgos”

  1. Ivonne Ruiz Avatar
    Ivonne Ruiz

    Excellent blog & pictures of Burgos snd it’s fabulous architecture. 👏👏

    Reply
    1. Living our retirement dream Avatar
      Living our retirement dream

      Sandy is a great photographer and writer.

      Reply

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