Category Spain
San Martín church in Frómista: Romanesque pilgrimage perfection and a figurine of a one-armed hobo
San Martín church in Frómista, Spain is the archetype of a Romanesque pilgrimage church. Obviously I’m crazy about the place. It’s the clarity of the structure I love most of all. Notice the precision of the architectural elements and the way the building cleanly meets the plaza. San Martín was built quickly—in about 15 years […]
Taste of America: they love us for our canned frosting
Earlier this year we were in León, Spain and stumbled on this curiosity: Taste of America. Taste of America proudly proclaims to be “The Original American Supermarket” and, oh hey, we’re American. Naturally, we went inside. I know, I know, the anticipation is killing you, so let me get right to the point. What kinds of […]
The surprising circus inside San Miguel de Lillo
The rewards for those intrepid travelers who hustle up Mount Naranco in a heavy rainstorm are manifold. Exhibit A: San Miguel de Lillo. This petite beauty has been rewarding water-logged church lovers since 848. Dear readers, I’m afraid I need to insist that you GO TO OVIEDO. Northern Spain is stunning and Oviedo is an architecture lover’s dream. Just […]
Romanesque frescoes in San Isidoro de León
The Chicago Public Library once had a book on Romanesque art I repeatedly checked out, renewed the maximum amount of times, and then immediately put on hold again. I’d leave bookmarks inside of the artworks I planned to visit, and the book would usually return to me with my bookmarks intact. One of the bookmarked […]
The jauntiness of Bilbao: Guggenheim Museum and caroling Basques
Bilbao is just right: budget friendly, full of lively contemporary architecture, a handsome old town, decent public transportation and of course a spectacular museum I’d really hate to be a pig in Spain. This isn’t even a specialty store–just a regular grocery and your choice of hanging pig legs. The Zubizuri (that’s White Bridge in Basque) […]
I am loving you so hard, Santa María del Naranco
Hey everyone–meet my new girlfriend: This is Santa María del Naranco, also known as my girlfriend. (In case you were wondering, I also have a wife and a husband.) Santa María del Naranco was a summer palace built in the mid-9th century in the kingdom of Asturias, present day Oviedo. At the time, Asturias […]
Faux-Pilgrim’s Progress: how we faked a pilgrimage
Last week as we were walking about in the rain in Santiago de Compostela looking for a post office, we were stopped by the leader of a tour group. “Excuse me” he said politely “I see that you are pilgrims. My group would like to see your pilgrim’s passport stamps. Could you please show them […]
Hilariously terrible art in the Cathedral of Burgos
Burgos is a matriarchy. The city is dominated by old ladies with their brown coats and boxy purses, walking arm in arm, playing cards and drinking cocoa in cafes, and just generally owning the place. (Note to self, consider retiring in Burgos). We were charmed by the old city at night and the few Camino […]
The glowing streets of Santiago de Compostela
It always rains in Santiago de Compostela so the buildings and cobblestones are covered in moss. The town glows and the twisting arcaded streets are magically inviting. What do you mean we don’t have to go West anymore? The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is confusing–sprawling with multiple entrances, partly covered with scaffolding. The famous Portico of […]
An outbreak of snowball fights in León
When it snowed in León snowball fights broke out everywhere. These naughty boys lobbed snowballs at all the passersby, including us. I returned fire. HOB eating mantecadas, the specialty almond cookie of León. I felt chilled and bought the same scarf all the teen girls are wearing. Casa de Botines by Antoni Gaudi. Painting in our Hostal […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 