Salamanca has more than its fair share of ecclesiastical buildings, including the Santa Basilica. While visiting there, I made this video. Near the middle you’ll see a chapel with a relic that is actually the arm of a saint.
Remember, this is just one of the massive structures open to the public in Salamanca. You can visit a few of them in one day, but certainly not all. I plan to return to Salamanca for a look at the ones I missed.
The moon was rising over Trujillo, Spain. The sun had set, draining the sky of light.
The statue of Pizarro looked out over a mostly empty plaza mayor. Only a short distance from here stands a row of restaurants, and it was to one that I was bound.
There was a kindly gentlemen standing in front of this place and he handed me a menu to peruse. Finding several dishes that appealed to me, I decided to take one of those tables above. Immediately, I noticed small details that indicated this was a good choice.
The individual oil and vinegar bottles were just one example of the small things that make a big difference. Service was about the best I had in Spain. Of course, I like to start with a salad and the kitchen assembled two varieties. One was the standard mixed greens, vegetables, hard boiled eggs and so on.
All the ingredients were off the farm fresh. The other salad involved more exotic items like anchovies and goat cheese.
Again, freshness and flavor ruled the day. Considering the enormous size of these starters, I was severely concerned about my ability to consume the main course. One was a stuffed salmon as seen next.
As I’m not a fish eater, I had the pork skewer. Thankfully, the portion was reasonable.
Again, you see the details tended to here with a plate appropriate to the style of the dish. No big deal, some might say. Yes it is, I retort. A place that gets the small things right is bound to carry it all the way to the end. And this place did. Sadly, I came up short and was unable to have dessert. My own fault for packing down two big courses and bottle of wine. Ah, well, it was well worth it.
Before the invention of the printing press, comic books, iPads, and other forms of delivering images with the written word, there was the illuminated manuscript. I like that term. All sorts of meanings lurk within it. While visiting Spain, I came across a number of such books in both original form and modern reproductions.
The colors pop off the page, giving your imagination a bit more fuel than words alone.
Some are bolder than others in both imagery and colors. The example above, with its reds really grabs the eye.
There’s also plenty of white space in the margins, which makes me wonder if the original owners of these might have written some notes on the pages not shown. Hard to tell and the curators didn’t seem like the type to let me page through.
Someday, I’d like to get permission to look through books like these. It would be a fascinating journey into the past and inspirational for future works. I’ll have to find a friendly librarian to bribe.
Ronda, Spain, again, this time a video of the interior of the Iglesia Santa Maria de la Encarnacion. Fine displays of icons, books, and more. Take a look.
I remain amazed at how many fine examples of such churches exist in Spain. They have survive, wars, economic turmoil, and worse. Yet, they persevere. Amazing.
The Bent Page 
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