Arrival in Burgos

I could have proceeded westwards along the coast, but I had planned a detour inland to visit Burgos. It's in the community of Castille and León on the eastern flank. The last time I passed through was when I spent a couple of days in Salamanca, on the western flank.

I passed the impressive looking State Library on the way to a laundromat. I grabbed lunch in a nearby cafe while the machine worked.

The Spanish language is called Castillian in many parts of the world, indicating this as the heart of Spain. The climate is continental with hot summers and cold winters (extreme of -22°C!).

Finally I had the luxury of a room to myself instead of shared backpacker accomodation, which I hadn't since Bordeaux due to the high prices in Basque Country. I rested until the evening when the light would be gentler.

I headed towards the Burgos Cathedral in the centre. On the way I passed this attractive fountain.

It's in front of the Evolution Forum Congress Centre and Auditorium.

This is a statue of Diego Rodiguez, son of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, better known as El Cid.

Metres away is a statue of El Cid.  More about this famous warrior later.

It's in front of the Municipal Theatre. You can sense that the architecture here differs slightly from Basque Country. A cogniscente could tell you what those characteristics are.

A panorama of Plaza Mayor, the central square.

A side street in an attractive mix of natural and artificial light.

The section in the middle has an interesting facade. 

A couple of streets away from the Plaza Mayor, Burgos Cathedral is one of the major sights of the city. We will return to it later.

The Arco de Santa Maria, a restored medieval city gate.

The outside of the gate.

I crossed the Puente Santa Maria and took this from the other side of Rio Arlanzón, the river that flows through Burgos, but outside of the centre.

I couldn't resist another picture of the fountain outside the Evolution Congress Centre even shinier in the dusk.

I found a late meal and called it a day.