Zigzagging in Zaragossa

 

Well - if you're thinking about a short break in Spain that isn't Madrid or Barcelona, let me recommend Zaragoza. Named after Caesar Augusto (say it quickly, and you'll get why - it was the last place that bore his name, there had been many others around Europe as the Romans were quite busy), this laid-back, compact city is elegant yet unpretentious and an excellent midpoint between the two aforementioned big cities. With two tourist information offices in the main cathedral square, very good public transport and an old town that's really very easy to get around, it has a lot to offer.

This may be quite a lengthy blog post - I'm currently burning hotspot data (well, dipping in and out - it's rather intermittent and I'm really wasting my time trying to listen to BBC Sounds) on a local train to Valencia that's going to take 5 hours, so I have time to reflect, along with gazing at the spectacularly scenic route.

I arrived around 7.45pm on Thursday night. The train from Paris to Barcelona (7 hours) was bang on time, but (be warned if you attempt it) it's not that easy to find out where the high-speed trains at Barca-Sants go from unless you explore to discover it's platforms 1 - 6. I was on the 1800 to Zaragoza, and again bang on time, but was kept waiting at Barc right to the wire before being allowed on to the platform. 

I got a taxi to the hotel - I think I had to pay a supplement as was staying in the old town which is considerably pedestrianised with traffic restrictions. Hotel Avenida is only a 3-star but I can thoroughly recommend it - cost me only about 50 euros per night, with 12 euros for an all you can eat breakfast, well worth the extra. It's modern, stylish and comfortable, if a little noisy from within at times. 

The location is perfect, within spitting distance of the Central Mercado and less than 10 minutes' walk from the major attractions, shops and gastronomic area (known as El Tube, because if you've had one too many, the rooftops may look as though they're gravitating towards each other over the narrow streets, forming a tube. I know. A bit tenuous). Trams and buses very close by, and if you want the big shops like Corte Ingles, that's only 10 minutes away too. It's the sort of old town where everything is pretty close together - I often found myself unexpectedly coming across a street or shop yet again. It all felt very safe and relaxed.

I ventured out after dumping suitcase etc in need of wine and food and settled for the Imperial, close to what remains of the Roman wall. Note to self - always take time to translate the menu if the waiters can't help. Otherwise you end up ordering raw fish salad smothered in an inferior tartare sauce and lots of frisee, which I loathe...nice drop of Tempranillo though. 

I made a similar faux pas the following day in the market when I ordered what I thought was a mixed plate of snacks but got a whole plate of (very good) patatas bravas which together with a lemon beer (only 2.5%!) did not make for the most nutritious lunch! Unlike the big markets in Barcelona, this one doesn't offer much choice in the way of snug eateries where you can grab a bite and a beer at the counter, but there's plenty of casual dining on offer in the old town. 

I followed the advice of my downloaded mini version of the Lonely Planet guide which is concise, but very useful as it lists the must-sees together with accommodation and food/drink tips - not great maps though. Two places recommended turned out to be great finds, and I can also recommend La Ceci for lunch near Calle de Estabanes, though I resisted the anchovies in chocolate. Empanadas are big here (served at El Angel below, along with tempura veg and fish) along with the usual jamon, croquettes and tortilla de patate. One of my favourite things was a pastry called Trenza, studded with nuts and fruit and served at my hotel for breakfast. 

Perhaps because I was there on a Friday/Saturday, it would appear that Zaragoza has its share of stags and hens - it was quite rowdy but not in a nasty way. There was a lot of dressing up, including a man dressed as a banana and (from a distance) a couple of pink unicorns. 

I love wandering about just getting a feel for a place, taking a different route every time and sometimes coming across something unexpected:

But of course I also undertood the obligatory "free" walking tour. I'd booked for the Friday morning but as I think I may have been the only one to do so it was cancelled and instead I went to the one on Saturday instead. Pablo was lovely, but boy could he talk (and having studied theology he was really into all the religious myths and legends which doesn't float my boat so much), and he had obviously been trained to make sure he always took in all his audience when talking to them. So keen was he to do this, that he never actually stopped moving (there were only 5 of us, me and two couples), even when showing his laminated photos, to the extent that I was getting motion sickness just watching him. 

We started at the statue of Caesar Augustus, which has been controversial because it was given to the city by Mussolini in the 1930s - so it's been moved about a fair bit as the city decides where it's most appropriately sited owing to its dodgy donor origins. They've settled on next to the ruins of the Roman city walls, which are interesting in themselves because no-one knows where the stone for them came from - there's no quarry round about. Like many Spanish cities, many different tribes have taken charge of the city, starting with the Celts who rolled over when the Romans arrived as they recognised the talents of the incoming rulers and decided that they'd be on to a good thing if they just integrated. The Romans were supplanted by the Visigoths, then the Moors etc etc, and the city has some very fine Roman amphitheatre ruins but also a wonderful mix of Spanish and Moorish architecture, with more than a smattering of French Art Nouveau, which came about in the early 1900s when the then city council took a liking to all things Parisian. It lends the city a certain elegance for sure, together with a mix of classic and modern sculptures. 

It even has its own leaning tower - in fact there's a couple of them - turns out to be a bit of a recurring theme (though I seem to have managed not to take a photo of one). The statue of the young person sitting looking up is in a square where there was once a tower to look up to (now only available in mural form) - but it was demolished because the local nobs were finding that it got in the way of their carriage runs... and then there's the church of Santa Elizabeth where they ran out of money to use alabaster so had to build the towers in bricks instead - stunning in moonlight though, regardless.

As usual with a Catholic country, there are some fairly OTT churches, and unusually, two cathedrals within 150 yards of each other. The smaller one came first, then a new archishop wanted to build something grander and without the Moorish bits, but was then told by the then pope that the city couldn't have two at once. The decision on appeal was that the two cathedrals should take it in turns,  6 months at a time, so you have La Seo and the Basilica de Nuestra Senora del Pilar - Virgin of the pilllar, who appeared to St James the Apostle on top of a jasper pillar. She has her own very flashy chapel inside with a relic of the pillar that people in need of blessing go to touch. The church also sells wristbands emulating the bits of the Virgin's robe which were sold as relics - you can buy these in the shop, or from a vending machine in the Sacristy, which I initially took for packs of expensive-looking chocolate. Sorry no pics of the inside - no permitido, but it is very ornate as you might expect.

Also very lovely is the Aljaferia Palace, a beautiful mix of Spanish and Moorish architecture that's been lovingly restored. It's just a few stops on the bus (where a lovely patient bus driver persisted with my dreadful pronunciation and made sure I put together the right fare of 1.50). Only 5 euros to visit, with free downloadable audio guide. It's the 50th anniversary of its restoration, and the 40th anniversary of the parliament of Aragon having its meetings there. When I visited there was armed security everywhere, with a few places cordoned off together with media presence, so I guess it must have been in session.

I came across a flyer for the Rock and Blues cafe and ventured there on the Friday night to see a very curvaceous Beth Ditto-esque lady singing with her excellent band. It was kind of bluesy but then went a bit cutesy and country, and as I had to stand and seemed to be surrounded by smooching and snogging couples, I only stayed an hour, but it was a nice place with some interesting decor and artefacts Please excuse the upskirting here:

On the Saturday (especially as it was raining) I went to the Museo Goya, obviously the city's most famous son - though have to admit the work left me a bit cold. There's only about 14 of his paintings there - the rest are all by his contemporaries, or artists that came before and after. His engravings were interesting if very political  and graphic - he was a great believer in the Enlightenment and was keen to point out people's moral failings, yet was also a big fan of bullfighting and drew a lot of glorifying images of bulls being variously tamed, tortured and killed. The War of the Spanish Peninsula is depicted in very violent fashion, showing French brutality and images of extreme cruelty and rape. I enjoyed the floor showcasing Goya's legacy over the past two centuries far more, with many artists I wasn't familiar with (the notable excpetion being Velazquez). There was also an exhibition of 20th century photography, including Man Ray, Cartier-Bresson and Doisneau, which I really enjoyed. It's pretty good value at 4 euros to get in - and if you get chucked out for the 2pm siesta, you can go back from 4 - 8pm the same day.

Also great value at 4 euros was the permanent collection in a beautiful old palace containing the works of 20th century artist Pablo Gargallo. I hadn't heard of him before, and am now a huge fan. He was a contemporary of Picasso (see PP's head with floppy hair below, and his David-esque body with a flower in his teeth), and his early drawings are amazing, but he then turned to sculpture and it's frankly jaw-dropping. His later works invert and use voids to indicate solid shapes, and the pieces are beautifully lit to cast artful shadows on the white walls. It even warranted a fridge magnet purchase.

I think that's probably covered everything. Another 3.5 hours to go to Valencia - unlike the high speed trains I've enjoyed so far, this is a bit of a chugger (and aagh no buffet car - good job I brought empanadas) but the next few trips are much shorter hops. Next stop Valencia.