Plasencia
If you are ever in Plasencia the best breakfast is down near the Clávelo gate, just outside the old walled town.
A small bar run by a woman who cares about the food she offers. Very nice toast, fresh tomato and good olive oil. And, she remembers your preferences from day to day, unlike some of the grumpy old men who run bars. She is busy, a constant flow of people, many of whom are clearly regulars.
By contrast, the cafe near the information centre provides oil, and tomato tasting like cheap ketchup, in sachets. Ugh. You were told!
For the most wonderful salmorejo, the tomato based soup, go to Hotel Palacio Carvajal Girón. The service is as good as the food and the nice dining room.
For gazpacho go to Restaurante Santa Tomas, up the hill past the aqueduct. Otherwise, I lived on the wonderful torta de casar cheese with fresh bread and strawberries and cream. Yeah, yeah! Too much! Well, that’s what my pants started to say.
Market day
Plasencia has one of the best open air fresh food markets I’ve been to in spain. A variety of fruit and veg, home made cheeses and chorizos of all types, seedlings, flowers and even white truffles. Plus many types of melons, legumes and olives.
The huge slabs of the fish you see most commonly, bacalao, always puzzle me: type of fish, if mainly preserved with salt still etc.
It’s held on Tuesday and Friday mornings. Dammit that I’ll have no more cooking facilities this trip.
Reminds me: the Plaza Mayor is overseen by a most unusual clock.
One of the most unusual must-sees in Plasencia is a sculpture in a fairly central square. Interesting! Nothing near it to say who did it or what it meant to them.
Moving on: leaving the apartment in Plasencia was a highlight. I really dislike cold and dark apartments. Plus I slept badly, too aware of some malevolent nocturnal presence.
Salamanca
What a beautiful city. Who could tire of Salamanca? Rhetorical. Don’t send responses.
My feet knew where to go. I walked from the bus station, checked into the usual hotel, and was still in time to get to Zazu’s for lunch.
Not just the once. Interesting salad, a pasta with salmon and, the other day, bacalao with asparagus ‘sauce’.
My feet then led me to some familiar haunts: a supermarket that has good sushi and to the cheesecake shop. Yes, and along various interesting streets and through the Plaza Mayor quite a few times.
Amazing how empty it can look early in the morning.
Everywhere you go the special nature of this city is evident.
From a central shopping area to the omnipresent views representing past glories.
Cathedrals? Roman bridge? University? Not directly this time but I did buy some nice new walking pants. 😁 For future trips 😏
Above all I had 2 restful days. My room faced the square and, sigh, was light and bright.
But, I ‘failed’ breakfast both days. On the first day it was absurdly expensive and the camerero was a very unhappy guy. On day 2 the tomato had enough salt for stage 1 of a salt mine. Inedible. Can’t win them all but, winning one would have been nice.
Saturday in Salamanca
Another day in a big city. Many out shopping and others just looking.
Outside one church boys dressed as sailors, or an admiral, or in lounge suits with a tie or bow tie, and a girl dressed as a bride all just ‘done’, their first communion finished.
All good things must come to an end. Time to leave. Flight home coming up all too soon.
Salamanca to Madrid
Got the slow train, remind me next time to get the quick one. But, it left at a time that suited me, around 12:30pm.
Wandering the world 