Last night I ran into a large group of pilgrims I knew. They’d also met each other separately along the road. Many are finishing their walks here so I won’t see them again.
The highlight of my day today was an early visit to a nearby laundromat to give everything a thorough washing.
Hand washing every afternoon only gets things so clean, especially thick walking socks !
Salamanca is an ancient city thought to be founded by either a Celtic tribe or an earlier Indo-European people. It later became an important Roman town. The area was one of constant battle for many years as it lay in the border area between Christian and Muslim kingdoms.
Most of what we see today dates from the 12th century. The University dates from the 13th century
The old cathedral dates from the 12th century. The dome had to be replaced after the Lisbon earthquake of 1755.
The House of Shells was built by a Knight of the Order of Santiago in the 15th century.
I had a pleasant time having morning tea in the cafeteria of the Art Deco museum. It’s housed in a home built for a local merchant early in the 20th century.
The coffee machine – I want one!
The Plaza Mayor
Roast pork with crackling for lunch
Bron and I really enjoyed Salamanca and walked the pilgrim’s route following the shells into the town. I recall telling her of your intent (as it was then ) to do the great pilgrimage. A milestone achieved. Congrats Paul.
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I never saw the shells in the town!
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Beautiful city. Stay safe Paul xxxxoooo
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Paul, I am so enjoying your posts! Thank you. It is wonderful to be able to “follow” you as you make your way to the Tomb of the Apostle. God willing, I will be walking the VdlP April – May 2017 and I a using your blog to help plan out the stops along the way.
Ultreia!
Fran
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Thanks for your kind comments Fran it’s good to know that my blog is of interest to others. By the way I’m using the guide book by Gerald Kelly.
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P.S. Just out of curiosity, what camera are you using? The image of the plaza mayor in Salamanca is wonderful!
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I have a very good little compact camera – a Sony RX100. Its a bit of work transferring photos to my phone each evening and sometimes it’s hard to get a PowerPoint to recharge but that’s all part of the pilgrim experience
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