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| Spuds in blood, anyone? Our pilgrim passes the half way point | Spuds in blood, anyone? Our pilgrim passes the half way point |
| (25 days later) | |
| The landscape south of Salamanca is different to the Extremadura plain. It's much higher up, for a start, and sweet chestnuts mostly replace the holm oaks. There are still a few autumn leaves left on the trees, but it definitely feels more wintery, and I was glad of the wood burning stoves in the two albergues in the area. | The landscape south of Salamanca is different to the Extremadura plain. It's much higher up, for a start, and sweet chestnuts mostly replace the holm oaks. There are still a few autumn leaves left on the trees, but it definitely feels more wintery, and I was glad of the wood burning stoves in the two albergues in the area. |
| It is high up, but there is still commercial wine grown here – although when I asked somebody in one of the villages what it tasted like, she made something of a face. | It is high up, but there is still commercial wine grown here – although when I asked somebody in one of the villages what it tasted like, she made something of a face. |
| As I was coming down from the sierra, a matanza fiesta was in full swing by a bar in the village of Pedrosillo de los Aires, just south of Salamanca. I arrived at noon, and the star of the show had been dead for a few hours, but various bits of his innards had been grilled and were being handed round the bar, while elsewhere people were cutting up the prime joints – in particular the two legs, which would be cured to form jamón ibérico in a year or more – while other parts were being minced and turned into salami and chorizo, and some were hanging on a sort of washing line in the garden. Had I waited until 3.30pm, I was promised a degustación de patatas con sangre (potatoes with blood – a speciality of a matanza day). I was already well on my way by then. | As I was coming down from the sierra, a matanza fiesta was in full swing by a bar in the village of Pedrosillo de los Aires, just south of Salamanca. I arrived at noon, and the star of the show had been dead for a few hours, but various bits of his innards had been grilled and were being handed round the bar, while elsewhere people were cutting up the prime joints – in particular the two legs, which would be cured to form jamón ibérico in a year or more – while other parts were being minced and turned into salami and chorizo, and some were hanging on a sort of washing line in the garden. Had I waited until 3.30pm, I was promised a degustación de patatas con sangre (potatoes with blood – a speciality of a matanza day). I was already well on my way by then. |
| A little further on, as the land sloped down towards the plain of Salamanca, there were some ganaderías, large ranches where the toros bravos are bred for the bullring. | A little further on, as the land sloped down towards the plain of Salamanca, there were some ganaderías, large ranches where the toros bravos are bred for the bullring. |
| The approach to Salamanca from the south crosses the battlefield of Salamanca, which the Spanish call the battle of Los Arapiles. It was in here that Wellington and his Portuguese and Spanish allies defeated the French troops troops under Marshal Marmont in 1812, while Napoleon was otherwise engaged in Russia. The camino goes over a patch of high ground where Welllington was based during the battle, and from where he could see his third division circling round for a decisive surprise attack on the French flank. | The approach to Salamanca from the south crosses the battlefield of Salamanca, which the Spanish call the battle of Los Arapiles. It was in here that Wellington and his Portuguese and Spanish allies defeated the French troops troops under Marshal Marmont in 1812, while Napoleon was otherwise engaged in Russia. The camino goes over a patch of high ground where Welllington was based during the battle, and from where he could see his third division circling round for a decisive surprise attack on the French flank. |
| As you get to the southern edge of Salamanca, you are greeted by one of the world's great cityscapes, up there with Manhattan by night and Venice from across the logon – the two cathedrals and the towers and colleges of Salamanca rising ahead of you across Trajan's bridge over the rio Tormes. | As you get to the southern edge of Salamanca, you are greeted by one of the world's great cityscapes, up there with Manhattan by night and Venice from across the logon – the two cathedrals and the towers and colleges of Salamanca rising ahead of you across Trajan's bridge over the rio Tormes. |
| Salamanca is the largest city by far since leaving Seville, and it's something of a shock to find oneself in busy streets being jostled by students and tourists, and hearing languages other than Spanish for the first time in many days. The university dates back to 1215 – an exact contemporary of the Sorbonne – and the town is heaving with students, many of them foreigners whose spending power is economically important to the city, especially during the economic crisis. | Salamanca is the largest city by far since leaving Seville, and it's something of a shock to find oneself in busy streets being jostled by students and tourists, and hearing languages other than Spanish for the first time in many days. The university dates back to 1215 – an exact contemporary of the Sorbonne – and the town is heaving with students, many of them foreigners whose spending power is economically important to the city, especially during the economic crisis. |
| The Plaza Mayor is one of the biggest - and loveliest - public squares in Spain, a riot of glorious baroque. In the past it was used as the city's bull ring, but now it is mainly a meeting point for locals on their evening paseo. | The Plaza Mayor is one of the biggest - and loveliest - public squares in Spain, a riot of glorious baroque. In the past it was used as the city's bull ring, but now it is mainly a meeting point for locals on their evening paseo. |
| Near the two cathedrals (an old, mainly Romanesque one, and a "new" mostly 16th century mainly gothic one standing side-by-side), is the Casa de las Conchas, a 'must visit' for any pilgrim. It was built by Rodrigo Maldonaldo de Talavera, chancellor of the Order of Santiago and is decorated with over 300 stone scallop shells - the symbol of the Order of Santiago and of the pilgrims who make their way there (the shell was handy as a spoon for dipping into the communal stews). The tower of the casa de las conchas was originaly much taller, but it was slighted when one of its owners picked the wrong side in a civil war in the 16th century. | Near the two cathedrals (an old, mainly Romanesque one, and a "new" mostly 16th century mainly gothic one standing side-by-side), is the Casa de las Conchas, a 'must visit' for any pilgrim. It was built by Rodrigo Maldonaldo de Talavera, chancellor of the Order of Santiago and is decorated with over 300 stone scallop shells - the symbol of the Order of Santiago and of the pilgrims who make their way there (the shell was handy as a spoon for dipping into the communal stews). The tower of the casa de las conchas was originaly much taller, but it was slighted when one of its owners picked the wrong side in a civil war in the 16th century. |
| Alan Sykes is the Guardian Northerner's arts expert and much else, including temporary cookery correspondent of The Hotspur. He is trekking 1000km to Santiago de Compostela to expiate unknown sins. You can read his first four reports from the camino here, here, here and here. More to come, and you can send him a cheering Tweet: @geltsdale | Alan Sykes is the Guardian Northerner's arts expert and much else, including temporary cookery correspondent of The Hotspur. He is trekking 1000km to Santiago de Compostela to expiate unknown sins. You can read his first four reports from the camino here, here, here and here. More to come, and you can send him a cheering Tweet: @geltsdale |
| Here is a map of Alan's route - the Via de la Plata - which is copyright 2010 www.santiago-compostela.net, an excellent website which has lots of information on all the pilgrim routes. As you can see, he's doing well but half the journey still awaits before arrival on Christmas Eve. | Here is a map of Alan's route - the Via de la Plata - which is copyright 2010 www.santiago-compostela.net, an excellent website which has lots of information on all the pilgrim routes. As you can see, he's doing well but half the journey still awaits before arrival on Christmas Eve. |
| The photographs are by Alan too. | The photographs are by Alan too. |
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