Not too long ago I wrote a post about the exterior of the Cathedral of Burgos, a thirteenth century Catholic Cathedral.  As far as cathedrals in Spain go, this [...]]]>

A spectacular view of one of the largest altarpieces in the Cathedral of Burgos. Whether you’re Catholic or not, it’s impressive to look at.

Not too long ago I wrote a post about the exterior of the Cathedral of Burgos, a thirteenth century Catholic Cathedral.  As far as cathedrals in Spain go, this one is a bit on the famous side — and it’s no wonder why.  The building itself is beautiful. 

Just the other day I paid another trip to the Burgos Cathedral and I decided to expand upon my last post by taking some photos of the interior of the building to share with you.  As you can see, the interior is very ornate and beautiful.  Still, what’s really amazing to me is the fact that practically all of the art housed in this cathedral (sculptures, statues, altarpieces, etc.) dates back centuries.  To put it in perspective for you, work on this cathedral began before the continent of America was even discovered by Christopher Columbus — that’s a long time for a bunch of “old statues” to survive. 

The "Golden Staircase" links the interior of the cathedral with the outside world by serving as a point of entry.

If you like the above photos, you may wish to check out my complete collection on Picasa.  If you’re going to be in the Burgos area, I’d recommend that you visit the cathedral.  The building is open to the public seven days a week (hours vary by season) and the cost for tourists to enter is around five Euros.  The visit is definitely worth the price. 

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

As most of you who read this blog probably already know, I recently took a trip to the Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos.  What you probably don’t already know is that I made another stop on that trip in addition to visiting [...]]]>

La Yecla is a narrow pass that many rare birds call home.

As most of you who read this blog probably already know, I recently took a trip to the Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos.  What you probably don’t already know is that I made another stop on that trip in addition to visiting the “singing monks.”  That other stop was to a nearby natural park known as “El Desfiladero de la Yecla.”

As you can see from the photo above, La Yecla is basically a very narrow canyon which happens to have a path constructed right through the middle to allow visitors to explore its depths.  The interesting thing about La Yecla is that it is home to many rare bird species — especially vultures.  I didn’t manage to see any vultures during my recent visit; however, I did enjoy the rock formations and the various man-made fountains that are fed by the river which runs through the bottom of the canyon. 

If you’re ever in the Santo Domingo de Silos area of Castilla y León, I would recommend a trip to La Yecla.  It’s something that is really quite unique to this region of Spain and you probably won’t find too many other places like it throughout Europe. 

Hasta luego,
Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

I just got back from visiting the Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos and thought I would share a little information with you about the monastery and the monks that live inside it.

The monastery is located about 45 minutes outside the city of Burgos in a quaint [...]]]>

The cloister of the monastery.

I just got back from visiting the Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos and thought I would share a little information with you about the monastery and the monks that live inside it.

The monastery is located about 45 minutes outside the city of Burgos in a quaint little village known as “Santo Domingo de Silos.” It’s home to a group of Benedictine monks. Certain parts of the monastery are open to the public and visitors can pay three Euros to have a guided tour. On the tour you will see things like the beautifully landscaped cloister of the monastery and some very interesting (and very old) religious sculptures and carvings which line the walls of the complex.

One of the many religious sculptures housed within the monastery walls.

Still, the tour of the monastery was not what I found most interesting about my visit. You see, each day around 7:00 PM there is a vesper held in the abbey church in which the monks of the monastery sing Gregorian chant. The thing that makes this special is that the monks of this particular monastery are very well-known internationally for their Gregorian chant and they even have released two albums — entitled Chant and Chant II — which have actually topped the Billboard music charts. Thus, for me, the most interesting part of the visit to Santo Domingo de Silos was not the actual visit to the monastery. Instead, it was being able to watch the “monk concert” (which, incidentally, was a much more solemn affair than a Kiss concert).

If you’re interested in hearing what these monks sound like when they chant, you can check out their CD on Amazon. You may also be interested in taking a look at their official website. I would absolutely recommend a visit to Santo Domingo de Silos if you’re ever in the area — it’s a visit that can be done in as little time as one afternoon and, whether you’re religious or not, it’s extremely interesting to see how these monks live and to watch them chant.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

Here in Burgos, we are lucky enough to have a Gothic-style cathedral known as the “Cathedral of Burgos” (unique name, right?).  Construction on the cathedral began way back in the year 1221 and the marvelous building has been standing ever since [...]]]>

I never tire of walking past the Cathedral of Burgos on a sunny day.

Here in Burgos, we are lucky enough to have a Gothic-style cathedral known as the “Cathedral of Burgos” (unique name, right?).  Construction on the cathedral began way back in the year 1221 and the marvelous building has been standing ever since then.  As far as Spanish cathedrals go, this one is actually a bit on the famous side and, during the summer months, tourists flock to see it. 

You know, I have been living in Burgos for about a year now, have walked past this cathedral hundreds of times, and have made numerous visits to see its interior.  Still, I can’t help but stop and admire it every time I walk by.  When I think of the age of the building and the fact that its ornate artwork had to have been done by hand, I simply can’t help but be impressed — and believe me, the building is impressive both inside and out.  I guess having it here is just another “perk” of living in Burgos.

For those of you who are interested, you can visit the interior of the cathedral any day of the week (the times vary by season).  If you’re going to be in Burgos either the second or fourth Sunday of the month, you can enter the cathedral for free after 4:00 PM; otherwise, entrance costs four or five Euros.  The visit includes seeing the actual cathedral itself and a walk through a small museum that explains how the building was originally built and later restored.  I’d recommend you stop by, it’s worth a look.

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com

I don’t know if this is exactly what Quad City DJs had in mind when they created the song “C’mon Ride the Train” back in the mid-1990s.  It’s the Burgos “choo choo” tourist train and, for a small fee, it will take you to the most important monuments [...]]]>

The Burgos tourist train chugging along.

I don’t know if this is exactly what Quad City DJs had in mind when they created the song “C’mon Ride the Train” back in the mid-1990s.  It’s the Burgos “choo choo” tourist train and, for a small fee, it will take you to the most important monuments in the city of Burgos for your sightseeing pleasure. 

I still remember the first time I saw this unique creation creeping along the streets of Burgos at a whopping 5 miles per hour.  I was just walking along the sidewalk — minding my own business — when I suddenly looked up and my eyes laid upon it for the first time, a thing of beauty: the choo choo train.  You know, it’s not every day that you see a motorized, wheeled train chugging down the street, obeying traffic rules, and generally running without a train track; thus, my first reaction was to chuckle a little.  After the initial chuckle, I looked inside the train and saw all the tourists — cameras in hand – comfortably seated in the “passenger compartment” and I chuckled a bit more. 

Obviously, after seeing the tourist train, I just had to ride it.  A few days after the initial “sighting,” I got together a group of my friends and we had at it.  The ride lasted about 45 minutes and it passed by all the most historic places in Burgos.  The train came complete with an overhead loudspeaker which explained all aspects of the ride to the passengers: where the train was headed, what we were currently passing, etc.  To my surprise, the ride wasn’t that bad.  Of course, I don’t know if I’d rely on the Burgos tourist train to get me to Madrid (I suppose Renfe is better for that), but I guess it isn’t bad if you’re a tourist who wants to see the most important parts of the city. 

I love Spain.  What other country has choo choo trains running down the middle of busy city streets? 

Hasta luego,
–Chris
http://abroadinspain.com