Salamanca

Salamanca in the region of Castilla-León (north-east of Madrid) is a university town. The University of Salamanca is the oldest of the existing universities in Spain. It was established in 1218 by King Alfonso IX and gives the city a very special feel. During the summer months, the university organizes Spanish language courses for foreign students and, thus, the city is transformed into a Tower of Babel.

You may even recognize parts of Salamanca even if you have never been there, since the city has been a filming location for a number of movies. Vantage Point, directed by Pete Travis and starring Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, William Hurt, Forest Whitaker and Sigourney Weaver; and Ridley Scott’s 1492: The Conquest of Paradise starring Gerard Depardieu and Fernando Rey were both partly filmed in the city.

Salamanca has a rich cultural heritage:
- Two cathedrals. The old and the new.
- La casa de las Conchas. Originally built as a palace and decorated with around 300 shells representing the symbol of the Order of Santiago (Saint James). Legend has it that a treasure can be found under one of them, or at the very least a gold coin, which was a custom at the time in order to attract good luck for the inhabitants of the palace.
- The main square.
- The Roman Bridge.
- The building that houses the archives of the Spanish Civil War. There is a small permanent exhibition about the war and also a replica of a Freemasonry hall.
- The statue that pays homage to the characters of the novel The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes and of His Fortunes and Adversities.
- A private Art Nouveau Museum Museo de Lis . Make sure you also visit the Cafe.
- The garden of the lovers Calisto y Melibea. From the novel attributed to Fernando de Rojas. This is where, legend has it, the procuress La Celestina arranged for the lovers to meet.
- The University. Where Fray Luis de León and Miguel de Unamuno taught.
- The devil’s cave. This is where, legend has it, the devil taught black magic. The cave is mentioned in the poem The Lay of the last Minstrel by Sir Walter Scott :
'In these far climes it was my lot
To meet the wondrous Michael Scott;
A wizard of such dreaded fame
That when, in Salamanca's cave,
Him listed his magic wand to wave,
The bells would ring in Notre Dame!

Salamanca is definitely worth a visit. There are a number of good hotels in the city. The Parador of Salamanca is a modern building and boasts great views of the skyline of the city and the Cathedrals. The only snag is that it is on the other side of the river Tormes and a 15 minute walk from the centre of town, crossing the Roman Bridge. If you don’t wish to walk, bus number 9 stops just outside the Parador and will take you close to the main square.
If you are on a driving tour, about 80 Kms from Salamanca, the village of La Alberca is worth a visit. This small village has managed to maintain much of its traditional architecture.

Useful sites

A couple of sites you may find useful:
SeatGuru
A wealth of information on the best seats to look out for in airplanes.
WorldTaxi Meter
Great site to know beforehand the price of taxi journeys in cities all over the world.

Back on Twitter

I now have my twitter account back on line. This is the message from Twitter:
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Trujillo

Today, we shall travel to the city of Trujillo in the province of Cáceres in the region of Extremadura. Although the history of Trujillo can be traced back to around 600 BC, the village begins to expand during the period that the Arabs occupied the city, between 714 and 1232 AD, and built the castle and the walls. But, Trujillo is today mostly known as the birthplace of many of the "conquistadores" that travelled to the newly discovered continent of America. The names of Pizarro and Orellana will always be associated to Peru and the Amazon river respectively. As can be expected, Pizarro is remembered throughout the city. The Parador is housed in what used to be the Convent of Santa Clara. It was founded in 1533 and continued as such until 1984. In fact there are still a number of convents in the city, where you can buy sweets and pastries baked by the nuns. The Parador, retains the sobriety of the original convent and the rooms are built from what were the original rooms of the nuns. Breakfast is served in what used to be the chapel and it makes for an amazing start for the day. More information at Paradores Nacionales . Not far from Trujillo you can also visit the natural park of Monfragüe.

Blocked twitter account

Twitter has blocked the twitter account of "special baggage". I am trying to find out the reason, but its taking a while. Apologies for any strange messages you may have received as a result of this action.
Spcial baggage has not done anything improper and is in contact with twitter to try and solve the issue as soon as possible. I will keep you posted. Thanks

The "Paradores" of Spain - Mazagón

Today, I begin a series of articles on the different "Paradores" I have visited. The "Paradores" are, normally, high end - a majority are assigned 4-stars - hotels. What makes them different is that they are housed in historical buildings, like medieval castles, monasteries, convents, palaces, etc., which have been restored to very high standards, maintaining a lot of the original features. The Paradores were established in 1928 and are state-owned. Today, there are around 90 paradores, scattered around Spain. Complete information at Paradores Nacionales

Prices vary, depending on the parador and the season. Its always advisable to be aware of special offers, and if you are going to be a regular visitor, become a friend of the paradores. There are also, different routes you can take, staying at different paradores along the way. One of the highlights of the paradores is the food. Each parador promotes the local cuisine and the quality and service are usually very good. Be advised that the portions tend to be large.
One snag you may encounter in some of the paradores is the fact that they are often used to celebrate company events and celebrations. If you are too near to the banqueting rooms, you may find yourselves being awaken in the middle of the night.It happened to me once and when I complained they changed us to a superior (and quiet room).

I am going to start with a parador which is not set in an historic building. It is a modern construction, but is situated above a very nice beach and close to the natural park of Doñana. It is the parador at Mazagón, in the province of Huelva in Andalusia. The parador is comfortable and its main attraction is the beach. However, be aware that whilst going down to the beach is fine, coming back up to the parador may pose a slight problem if you are not fit, as you will see from the photograph. On the other hand, you may look upon it as an opportunity to become very fit indeed, or at the very least to work up an appetite.

Hotel Hacienda La Herriza, Gaucín, Málaga (Spain)

If you are thinking of visiting the typical white villages of Málaga, the boutique hotel  Hacienda La Herriza is a good place to stay. The hotel is just outside the small village of Gaucín and 30 minutes away from the beaches of the Costa del Sol in Málaga (Spain). La Herriza lies on the edge of a natural forest and is perfectly situated for exploring the white villages of Andalucia. Most of the accommodation is in spacious and charming Andalusian style cottages with bedroom, a fully fitted bathroom and a separate drawing room. A place to relax and wind down.
(Road MA9300, km. 4.7 - 29480 Gaucin (Malaga) -Telephone: +34 951068200
email: info@laherriza.com )

Restaurant La Menorah, Estepona, Málaga (Spain)

If you happen to stay in or near Estepona or just driving through, I recommend you visit La Menorah. When you arrive, you will probably be welcomed by Jose Luís, the co-owner together with the chef Paco. Jose Luis will immediately make you feel as if you have gone to a friend´s house for lunch. Although there is a menu - or so I am told, since I have never seen it - it is best to have whatever fresh fish of the day is on offer. The last time I was there, we had octopus on a bed of boiled potatoes and covered with a delicious sauce, followed by my favourite: sea bass baked in salt. For dessert, we had the house special, called the "madness of Estepona". Prices will vary depending on the price of fish in the market. In August 2011, the bill for two, including wine and coffee came to 95 euro.
(Urb. Arena Beach. A7 Road - km. 151,2 -the old N-340 Road- Estepona, Málaga.
Telephone: +34952792734. Closed Mondays)