We went to Salamanca where I bought my kid a souvenir sweat shirt (with "Universidad de Salamanca" on the front) because this place is known for its university. You'll never know, he may get to study here in the future as an exchange student or something. I noted that there were lots of pizza parlors, bars for great night outs and amazing architectural buildings in sight.
Salamanca is considered one of the most spectacular Renaissance cities in Europe. Through the centuries the sandstone buildings have gained an exquisite golden glow that has given Salamanca the nickname La Ciudad Dorada, the golden city. This golden glow is unique in Spain and is due to the "Villamayor Stone", a type of sandstone coming from a quarry situated in Villamayor, a village close to Salamanca.
One of the most important moments in Salamanca's history was the year 1218, when Alfonso IX of León created the University of Salamanca (see photo above). Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centers in Europe.
The Plaza Mayor is the central square in the city and is known as the living room of the Salmantinos (Salamancans). It was constructed by Andrés García de Quiñones at the beginning of the 18th century. The plaza has a capacity of 20,000 people and is surrounded by shaded arcades. The plaza was originally a venue for bullfights but is currently used primarily for concerts. The plaza is regarded as one of the finest squares in Europe. Next to Main Square we can see the Central Market of Salamanca with typical fresh products of Spain.
The old Romanesque cathedral was founded in the 12th century. The dome that covers its crossing springs from a double arcade that is daringly pierced with windows, a distant reflection of Hagia Sophia. The mass of four pinnacles at the outside corners counter the thrust of the dome's weight.
The thrust of the vaulting is borne by four massive pinnacles. The vault of the apse was frescoed by the Early Renaissance painter Nicolas Florentino. The adjoining "new" cathedral was built in stages from 1509 and combines Late Gothic architecture, particularly in the interior, with the Renaissance style called Plateresque. It was still being finished in 1734. In the treasury is the bronze crucifix that was carried into battle before El Cid.
Many people continue to come from all parts of Spain to study at the University, and the students represent a significant percentage of the city's population (the University has 36,000 students, approximately). The support of the student population is one of the most important economic activities in the city. These young people (also consisting of international students studying the Spanish language) provide Salamanca with a highly active night life, specially when school is in session on both weekdays and weekends. This has led Salamanca to be in the top list of cities with the highest bar per inhabitant ratios in Europe, second to Bilbao.The University of Salamanca (Spanish: Universidad de Salamanca), located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid and close to the Portuguese, is the oldest university in Spain (the older "Estudio general de Palencia", which soon later disappeared, never got the title of University),and one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded by Alfonso IX of León in 1218 as a "General School". This foundation did not last and the university was refounded by Alfonso's son, King St. Ferdinand III in 1243.
The university was founded as a "General School of the kingdom" by the Leonese king Alfonso IX in 1218 to allow the Leonese people to study at home without having to leave for Castile. The historical phrases Quod natura non dat, Salamantica non praestat (what nature does not give, Salamanca does not lend, in latin) and Multos et doctissimos Salmantica habet (many and very versed Salamanca has) give an idea of the prestige the institution rapidly acquired.
Like Oxford and Cambridge, Salamanca had a number of colleges (Colegios Mayores). These were founded as charitable institutions to enable poor scholars to attend the University. By the eighteenth century they had become closed corporations controlled by the families of their founders, and dominated the university between them. Most were destroyed by Napoleon's troops. Today some have been turned into faculty buildings while others survive as halls of residence.
Nowadays, Salamanca is the university of choice for plenty of Spanish undergraduate and postgraduate students, (being the first in Spain regarding number of students coming from other regions.It is, as well, known for the Spanish courses for non-native speakers, with attract more than two thousand foreign students each year.
Today the University of Salamanca is an important centre for the study of humanities and is particularly noted for its language studies. State-of-the-art scientific research is carried out in the university and research centers associated with it, such as Centro de Investigación del Cáncer, Instituto de Neurociencias de Castilla y León, Centro de Láseres Pulsados Ultracortos Ultraintensos.
In conjunction with the University of Cambridge, the University of Salamanca co-founded the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) in 1989.
As of 2009, preparations are being made for the celebration of the institution's eighth centennial.
Source: Wikipedia
We love Italy. We had the opportunity to visit numerous lovely lovely churches in Rome. We took photos inside and outside the picturesque structures. Even the doors are marvelous and have their own stories to tell.
Birds . . . they're great to watch when in a flock. I love watching them fly together. At home, in the Philippines, I am so blessed to have a view of a flock of flying birds every afternoon, an hour before sunset and after sunrise as I walk my dogs in the morning.
Even my hotel in Malaysia has flying birds as motif on the walls. Cool! Fly on!
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, at the edge of the central plateau. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and Léon.
Brrrrrr . . . Burgos, 'twas freezing there. It was late afternoon when we reached our hotel (Zenit Puerta de Burgos).
Buongiorno!
Salamanca is considered one of the most spectacular Renaissance cities in Europe. Through the centuries the sandstone buildings have gained an exquisite golden glow that has given Salamanca the nickname La Ciudad Dorada, the golden city. This golden glow is unique in Spain and is due to the "Villamayor Stone", a type of sandstone coming from a quarry situated in Villamayor, a village close to Salamanca.
One of the most important moments in Salamanca's history was the year 1218, when Alfonso IX of León created the University of Salamanca (see photo above). Soon it became one of the most significant and prestigious academic centers in Europe.
The Plaza Mayor is the central square in the city and is known as the living room of the Salmantinos (Salamancans). It was constructed by Andrés García de Quiñones at the beginning of the 18th century. The plaza has a capacity of 20,000 people and is surrounded by shaded arcades. The plaza was originally a venue for bullfights but is currently used primarily for concerts. The plaza is regarded as one of the finest squares in Europe. Next to Main Square we can see the Central Market of Salamanca with typical fresh products of Spain.
Many people continue to come from all parts of Spain to study at the University, and the students represent a significant percentage of the city's population (the University has 36,000 students, approximately). The support of the student population is one of the most important economic activities in the city. These young people (also consisting of international students studying the Spanish language) provide Salamanca with a highly active night life, specially when school is in session on both weekdays and weekends. This has led Salamanca to be in the top list of cities with the highest bar per inhabitant ratios in Europe, second to Bilbao.The University of Salamanca (Spanish: Universidad de Salamanca), located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid and close to the Portuguese, is the oldest university in Spain (the older "Estudio general de Palencia", which soon later disappeared, never got the title of University),and one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded by Alfonso IX of León in 1218 as a "General School". This foundation did not last and the university was refounded by Alfonso's son, King St. Ferdinand III in 1243.
The university was founded as a "General School of the kingdom" by the Leonese king Alfonso IX in 1218 to allow the Leonese people to study at home without having to leave for Castile. The historical phrases Quod natura non dat, Salamantica non praestat (what nature does not give, Salamanca does not lend, in latin) and Multos et doctissimos Salmantica habet (many and very versed Salamanca has) give an idea of the prestige the institution rapidly acquired.
Nowadays, Salamanca is the university of choice for plenty of Spanish undergraduate and postgraduate students, (being the first in Spain regarding number of students coming from other regions.It is, as well, known for the Spanish courses for non-native speakers, with attract more than two thousand foreign students each year.
Traveling Europe, terms have changed. A bus is called a coach, an elevator (which is usually tiny there) is called a lift and when looking for a restroom, don't ask for a C.R., look for signs that say "WC". Yup, W.C. for water closet.
My memory of the story of Fatima is not that vivid until I came to this place. Francesco, Jacinta and Lucia. The three innocent children to whom the "Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion" appeared. Francesco died at 8 years old, followed by Jacinta and later, both of them were canonized. Lucia, on the other hand, whom we see with the Pope, died just recently, in 2005. It was her whom the Lady shared the secrets of Fatima, including the conversion of Russia and the attempt in the life of the Pope. Because of this, the bullet that hit the Pope was given as a gift to our Lady and was incorporated at the center of Her Crown.
At the place of the apparitions, our Lady requested Lucia to have a church there, thus a small chapel was built, later on a very large open church enveloped the tiny chapel (it looks like a very tiny house at the altar, see photo below and compare it to the one above with an olive tree at the right side). This is the Sanctuary in the Cova da Iria. It was here that we said the rosary in Italian, Spanish, English, Korean and Filipino.
The Lady appeared near an olive tree, which eventually disappeared as people got a portion of it little by little. A similar tree nearby was then preserved in memory of the original tree.
We have a dear Mother who loves us and brings us to Her Son. Mother Mary asks that we pray the rosary daily for the conversion of sinners.
A new church building was built at Fatima, though at first, the people were not buying the idea of a modern house of prayer. It is a gigantic auditorium with the latest gadgets. Spaces and equipment are provided for video press coverages, seat boxes for VIPs, panels for cameras, lighting effects, a super organ, a provision for an orchestra, thousands of seats, the works.
The enormous but slim cross outside was created by an Italian artist. A lot of other art pieces can be seen inside, including the grand altar (where a piece of the tomb of St. Peter is embedded, see the lighted portion at the center of the altar) with an artistic crucifix plus the backdrop of golden mosaic. Phenomenal!
The commercial squares have tall monuments, fountains and even pigeons that you can feed and just enjoy the company, while feeling the sunlight and the cool air on your face and skin. I was really absorbing this vacation aura.
Let's not leave the beautiful and historical churches like the St. Anthony de Padua church. St. Anthony, by the way was baptized at the Lisbon Cathedral.
We checked in at the Holiday Inn Continental, Lisbon.
This is an opportunity to show my gratitude to the best roommate (for almost 10 days, after which she preferred to leave me for Paris). To Lanee, thanks for a superb time together! Hope to see you again before Christmas and hopefully for another trip sometime next year. You and Europe will be cherished by me at the same level, to the max. Happy Birthday!
The Aguas Livres Acqueduct ("Aqueduct of the Free Waters") is a historic aqueduct in the city of Lisbon. It is one of the most remarkable examples of 18th-century Portuguese engineering. The aqueduct arches, with a pointed shape, are over the Alcantara valley.
The 25 April Bridge, inaugurated (as Ponte Salazar) on August 6, 1966, and later renamed after the date of the Carnation Revolution, was the longest suspension bridge in Europe and although made by the same engineers as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, it is not, as thought by some, a replica (the Golden Gate Bridge does not have X braces).
The Belem Tower is a symbol of the Portuguese Age of Discovery.
Belém's other major historical building is the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos (Jerónimos Monastery), which the Torre de Belém was built partly to defend. The building of the monastery, an example of Manueline architecture, was begun in 1502 on the instructions of Manuel I and took 50 years to complete. It was built as a monument to Vasco da Gama's successful voyage to India and was funded by a tax on eastern spices. The monastery contains the tomb of Vasco da Gama.
The Lisbon Cathedral was built after 1147, over the remnants of the mosque of the Islamic period.
We even had the chance of seeing a Lisbon tram, a traditional form of public transport in Lisbon. Transportation in Lisbon is more charming than in most cities. Much is owed to its geography; a part of Lisbon has been built on its seven hills. No visit to Lisbon is complete without riding the 1930s trams.
Yes, there are three things. I know I have come to a different country mainly because of the traditional tiled houses, the narrow tiled streets and the small compact cars.
In addition, the people you meet are different, speaking their own language and clothed in their own style. Let's not leave the cool weather and the autumn leaves. Superb!
