Salamanca

4 & 5 November 2023

We had been thinking of walking from Salamanca to Zamora on the Via de la Plata. It would have been another three days of walking but it didn't work out, and just as well, as, after walking 680 kilometres over all types of terrain, I somehow managed to stumble on a small set of steps, here in Salamanca, and severely bruised my already arthritis and surgery compromised toe and great toe joint. 

Yesterday was still wet and stormy - the tail end of Storm Ciarán which had swept over Europe - so we didn't see very much of Salamanca before my mishap but today, although quite cold, the sun was shining making it more pleasant to wander and explore the city - a slow wander because of my foot. 

Salamanca, the little we have seen of it, appears to be a city of gorgeous old, soft sand-coloured, stone buildings - many of them churches or university buildings. 

People are everywhere. There are many walking tour groups, cafés and restaurants are full, parents and little children holding hands as they walk by, and groups of teenagers hanging out together. It's a city of people, very few cars.

These photos will only give a glimpse of what the city is like:

Part of the old city wall.

We went to Mass at the Church of San Sebastian - a very small church compared to it's the neighbour, the cathedral. 

The altar in the Church of San Sebastian. 

Some of the ceiling detail...

The walls of this building were covered in scallop shells...

...and we saw many of these camino markers. 

There weren't any plaques for any of the sculptures we saw.

A stroll down this covered walkway took us to a panaderia. 

Of course,  we had to sample some of it's goods.

The rio Tormes 

On Puente Romano, a footbridge across the rio Tormes.