Last weekend some friends invited me to go with them on a trip to Burgos (a town about two hours outside of Madrid) with a quick stop in Lerma (a little town on the way to Burgos) for lunch. It was such a great day! First, Lerma:
This building is a parador (government hotels that are established in former palaces) that was built in the 17th century by the Duke of Lerma. He was apparently kind of a Machiavellian figure who ran Spain during Phillip III's reign as the king preferred partying to ruling. The house was built to look like the Royal Palace at El Escorial - built for Philip II. The interior is very pretty:
The town also has a pretty church and convent with a pretty view of the surrounding countryside:
Pretty huh? After sight seeing a bit we headed out for lunch. Lerma has a variety of restaurants that specialize in roast meats. My understanding is that this was a big area for hunting back in the day so the food is primarily big servings of delicious meat! I shared a big plate of yummy lamb chops and french fries with my friends and finished it off with equally yummy desserts! This region also has some great vineyards and the restaurant had a nice selection of local wines.
After the great lunch we hopped back in the car and headed on to Burgos which is fantastic!! I think this is one of my most favorite cities in Spain - it's so beautiful and interesting!! Starting first with the Arco de Santa Maria - the old entrance to the city. Remodeled in the 16th century but constructed before then (I'm not sure when exactly) it is wonderful:
The city is located on the banks of the Arlanzon River and has so many pretty views near the water:
But the star of Burgos is the Catedral de Burgos - it's spectacular:
The cathedral was initially constructed in 1221 and then added on to through 1795. It is also the burial place of El Cid and his wife. El Cid is a national hero of Spain - he was born in Burgos in 1040 and is most famous for driving the moors out of Spain. I took a TON of photos inside the cathedral and I wish I could post them all here - but I'll just post a few:
There is a pretty interior courtyard that is surrounded by stained glass windows:
The last picture is me, Kellie and Katie chilling by the wishing well in the courtyard. There are so many pretty photos of the cathedral - it's a gorgeous place - but this is already a pretty long post. The last spot we checked out in Burgos was the remnants of the old castle at the top of the hill. It's a pretty spot that offers great views of the city and has a nice spot to enjoy a drink in the cool shade:
Check out the view:
Awesome! After the castle it was back down to the square in front of the cathedral for a nice tall beer and then some tapas. It was a fantastic trip - Burgos is one of the prettiest cities I've seen in Spain and I highly recommend it!
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