Some Huge Buildings: Part III - Salamanca

One of Many Cathedrals

We wandered around Salamanca and looked at the many cathedrals, universities, and plazas. This one was one of the biggest and one of the most ornate, as you can see from the picture below. 

That doorway was the middle of three, the two on both sides being almost as lavishly decorated. Then on other sides there were even more carvings. It was quite a spectacle. We even saw the famed frog - a tiny carved amphibian that for some reason has become the thing to find for promised good luck, especially at exam time. (But we did have some help from Lonely Planet so I don't think we get any more luck than usual.)

Here it is at night. 

Another Cathedral that Didn't Look Like a Cathedral

This cathedral was opposite the one above, both facing each other across a plaza. We didn't think it was a cathedral at first because it looks more like a court or some legal building, but it turns out it was a cathedral. I guess they tried to go down a different architectural path from the one right next to it so people could differentiate. Don't want to have overslept on Sunday and then find yourself walking into a Baptist church rather than a Catholic, for instance.

The Plaza Mayor (One of Many Plazas)

We did a circuit of these buildings and plazas during the day, then waited for nightfall and went out again. We heard that there were some pretty great lights on at the Plaza Mayor. Incredibly impressive in daylit, it was even better at night. There was a band playing in one of the restaurants on the ground level, and it was filled with people all enjoying the sights. 

In the morning we snapped this picture from our window - Salamanca rooftops. After this we went to get chocolate con churros, which are doughnut strips that you dip in a thick hot chocolate. Nom. 

Some Huge Buildings: Part IV - Barcelona