Imagine a deep valley. Imagine very high mountains and beautiful landscapes. Imagine old small villages in which time doesn't go by. If you are not in a hurry, El Bierzo is the place for you.
El Bierzo is a geographical area located in the north-west of León. It has a population of around 145.000 people and a Mediterranean microclimate.
This land offers nature, rural tourism, gastronomy and, above all, the culture of wine. St. James’ Way crosses from east to west and it's good business in the area.
El Bierzo is a truly enjoyable place where you can practise a wide range of adventure sports like trekking, mountain bike and so on, or you can climb to the top of its mountains and enjoy the beautiful sceneries.
The region is also famous for its wines and plentiful in products such as the "King", Botillo, and his knights, the pippin apples, as well as Bierzo peppers and chestnuts, all of them controled by the "consejo regulador".
Indeed, no wise person should leave this region without tasting its wines. Nowadays there are a lot of wine cellars in which are producing excellent wines and Queen Mencia is coming up through the Spanish ranking. The wine festival in early May is the best way to taste many of these wines.
Twelve years ago, I was living in Paris, in the 16th arrondissement - or district - (there are 20); it is the largest city in France and has a cosmopolitan population of about 2 million people.
People call Paris “the City of Light” and, of course, it is the city of LOVE as it is the most romantic city in the whole world!
Paris is crossed by the river Seine and also you can walk across all its bridges or travel along the river on a “Bateau Mouche”; the most famous / popular bridges are the Pont Neuf and the Pont Alexandre III.
Paris is also an interesting city to go shopping: the best known street is des Champs-Élysées Avenue, described as “la plus belle avenue du monde” ("the most beautiful avenue in the world"), where you will find cinemas, cafés, luxurious specialty shops like Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Hugo Boss, etc.
If you want to eat well, I recommend the “Quartier Latin”, which is known for its lively atmosphere and many small restaurants called “bistros”.
For all these reasons, Paris will be my second hometown forever!
Maria - Ciudad Rodrigo:
Ciudad Rodrigo is one of the most wonderful places in Castilla y León. It’s my second hometown after Salamanca. I stayed there every summer of my childhood because my grandparents lived there.
It’s a small town in western Spain in the province of Salamanca, about an hour by car from Salamanca. It’s also been known as Miróbriga since Roman times but it was originally a Celtic village. This is the reason why the local people are called “mirobrigenses”.
Its historic centre is enclosed by the antique walls were built during the Middle Ages like The Walls of Ávila. They aren’t so beautiful as The Walls of Ávila, but you can also walk along them. It’s the best way to discover Ciudad Rodrigo. My favourite place on the walls is a place called “La Batería”, next to the Castle of Henry II of Castile. There you can enjoy a great view of the Águeda River and also you can watch Portugal on your right side and Peña de Francia on your left side. It’s an amazing picture!
Next you can visit the medieval castle, where there’s a Verraco (or bull) in front of it, built by the Vettones, the first people who lived in Ciudad Rodrigo. Not far away there is the ghotic cathedral, where you can see the shots on its walls from the Napoleonic Wars.
During your walk around the town, you can find several old houses like the Palace of Águila, with a great garden, Vazquez House, Castro’s Palace and so on. The Main Square has some historical buildings around it, including The City Hall and Marqués de Cerralbo’s House. In this square are built the famous “tablaos” every year, where the town celebrates “The Carnival of the Bull” before Holy Week. It’s the best-known festival in Ciudad Rodrigo. For five days, from Friday to Tuesday, you can enjoy the running of the bulls like in Pamplona and the endless partying.
An exhibition you shouldn’t miss is “The Theatre Festival of Castilla and León” celebrated every August. You can have fun with the theatre shows on the streets.
When you are hungry, you shouldn’t forget to taste fried eggs with “farinato” because it’s the most traditional dish in Ciudad Rodrigo.
When your tour is over, don’t forget to visit a place of interest called “The Three Columns” because it was part of a Roman building. It’s much loved by the mirobrigenses. You can locate it on the outskirts of the town on the road to Salamanca.
Ciudad Rodrigo is a fantastic place to spend a lovely weekend or to go on holidays in summer. You shouldn’t miss it!
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