Cuenca, population 52,000, sits at 3200 feet – a hill town on a ridge between the Jucar and Huecar rivers. It’s 100 miles from Madrid. The Old Town – a ten-minute curving drive from the New Town – has to be one of the most spectacular villages in Spain.
This is the view as we walked in – having been dropped off just outside the Old Town:
Here’s another good overview shot:
Here is the view from my hotel room:
Cuenca is a medieval, fortified city. It was conquered by the Christians in the 12th century and they set to work building Spain’s first Gothic cathedral:
If you look at that picture above closely, you will see that the front of the cathedral is only a facade. Here is the cathedral prior to 1902. It was hit by lightning in April 1902 and much of cathedral was damaged. The facade was rebuilt as you see above and continual plans to finish the exterior have still not worked out.
Inside, though, the cathedral is enormous – totally surprising given the view from the street:
The best thing was the stained glass, which was replaced in 1995 and is modern. Most of my tour group members did not like it but I loved it:
Here’s a 1995 take on the rose windows (intricate and circular stained glass) I’m always posting here from other cathedrals:
In case you’re getting overloaded on cathedrals, I’m going to limit the rest of the cathedral discussion to a photo of this 16th century wooden painted ceiling, and leave out the politics, the various conquests, the reconquests, and financial issues for this cathedral:
Cuenca has also Casa Colgatas – 15th century hanging houses, built to maximize the limited space of the cliff-bound city. Only these ones still exist – it’s a modern art museum now:
I had a whole other section for you about a house museum in Cuenca, filled with just the best possible art, (well, according to me but probably not you), Foundation Antonio Perez – but I worry I’m overwhelming you…too much art/architecture/cathedrals…so here are just a few of my finds. It’s 24 meandering rooms of this – built into an old palace – and a reminder that – with a little luck (and access to a garbage dump), any one of us could turn out to be an artist!
And finally – I’m in Burgos for the night. I was just boasting to you about how much I love Cuenca, only to find that I love Burgos as well. Burgos has a French Gothic cathedral – construction started in 1221. This was my first view of it:
No more cathedral details for you – I can’t keep them all straight either. The thrill is mostly in seeing how they dominate the skylines of these cities – and then getting to wander inside and feel the always-cool air – staring up at the ceilings and stained glass.
I finished my day off just strolling around Burgos. Here’s the 16th century Arco de Santa Maria – one of 12 gates that protected the city:
Here’s the Arlanzon River, which runs right through downtown:
I liked this walkway, lined with sycamore trees. By May, it will form a shady canopy:
Here’s two more shots:
It’s hard to walk these cities alone – but it feels necessary for me. Some days are harder than others – as trite as it sounds – but it’s terribly true. Everything about my struggle is absolutely ordinary – we will all face a loss like this – and I hope by talking about it, I make it easier (for you? for me?)
Today was a hard day. Burgos is the first Camino city I’ve come across. Ron and I did two Camino cities on a Portugal/Spain tour a few years ago and I was charmed by the idea of a pilgrimage. I sat on the main square of Santiago de Compostela for a long time, watching pilgrims arrive, wanting to hear the motivational stories behind walking for days and weeks at a time. (Ron was having none of it – bought a sweatshirt, took a picture of some pilgrims arriving, and moved on).
But I got lost looking for a frozen yogurt for dinner today…and found the Camino street that runs through Burgos…designated by the shell below… and it reminded me that I mulled over doing this trip as a Camino, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for one. There is a thrill in seeing these shells though and maybe the powers that be can see that I’ve fashioned something (sort-of) similar for myself here.
I know it’s not a Camino in terms of mileage/hardship/carrying a backpack/following the Camino trail. But I am facing trials on my modified pilgrimage: hotels that don’t supply conditioner and limited access to ice cubes. And I do think – like the pilgrims who actually bother to walk – that I process something as I travel around, even if I do it on an air conditioned bus.
Bilbao is up next!
Travels with Valerie 