Zaragoza
EAT Meli
STAY The Bridge
JULIO
Since my mother's paternal side is "de Aragon" coming to the autonomous region of Aragon and Zaragoza province was a extra special pilgrimage. This city really charmed us and was visually just gorgeous. The The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, the Aljaferia and the spectacular cuisine made it really hard to leave. Zaragoza is just as important as Santiago de Compostela to Roman Catholics as a holy pilgrimage site due to the appearance of the Virgin Mary, standing on a pillar to St. james the Apostle.
We walked from the train station which ended up being quite far since I had accidentally seen the time it takes to drive versus walk. Whoops. Luckily our bags are small, light and roll so it was a nice tour of the outskirts and we got enter the city on foot. It is really charming. It's a college town so the place has a young and hip feel with lots of bars, food culture and cafes.
Built around the main Basilica there is a beautiful square and surrounding shopping, cafes and restaurants. As you meander down the main streets the Basilica towers over you looking right out of storybook or period film.
The inside of the Basilica is really gorgeous and houses the holy relic figure of the virgin known as La Virgen de Pilar. You see this much loved image on key chains and throughout Spain due to its lauded healing and mystical properties. There are also an exhibit on display near the alter of two huge bombs that fell on the cathedral during the Spanish Civil War that for some reason never exploded after breaking through the roof. I fond the cathedral one of the loveliest in Spain and if you go through and exit on the River Ebro side you can take a really nice walk along the Ebro all the way up to the fortified palace of the Aljaferia.
Built by the Moores in the 11th century it was eventually taken over by the Catholic Kings Ferdinand and Isabella during the Reconquista and used as a palace and retreat. It is beautifully decorated and preserved with the symbols of the royal couple emblazoned on brightly colored ceilings, thrones and walls. I wore the signet of Aragon, being the symbol of my mother's side of the family that comes from Alfonso de Aragon and never quite been able to make out all that is in the coat of arms. They had a special room that was dedicated to disseminating all the pieces of the traditional coat of arms. I was slightly shocked to learn that the small left corner that I could never make out four severed Moorish heads on the cross symbolizing the victory Saint James the Moor-slayer. Lovely. Things you learn when going back to your roots.
We stayed at an amazing hostel more akin to a hotel called the Bridge right in the center of town and frequented a tapas bar called Méli Mélo that had the BEST modern tapas and tremendous wine. We went back three times and count get enough. There is also el tubo which is the area where tapas and bars line the street and is packed in the evenings.
Julio decided we should walk to the hotel from the train station thinking it was only ten minutes. It ended up being ten minutes if you drove it. We walked for forty-five minutes.
The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar. The size and scope is awe inspiring. It is huge and lovely on the inside.
The Aljaferia
Inside the Aljaferia palace.
Moorish architecture similar to what you find in the Alhambra
The symbols of the catholic kings.
The symbol of Isabel
the symbol of Ferdinand
The tapas in Aragon were on par to Donostia.
Amazing street art. "all powerful technology rules us"
Our favorite Spanish Breakfast "Churros con Chocolate"
FOOD FACTS: Most of the land in Aragon is cultivated by dry land farming, producing crops of wheat, barley, olives, and grapes. The irrigated land, however, is far more productive and accounts for the better part of Aragon’s agricultural output. The principal crops of the irrigated zones are corn (maize), fodder, and fruit. The Aragonese market garden offers a great variety of fruit, vegetables and pulses, including the thistle and borage which, due to their increasing popularity, are often seen on the menus of top restaurants, haricot beans, onions from Fuentes, asparagus from the banks of the River Ebro and the oils from Lower Aragon, whose excellent quality is due to the olive used in their preparation. The fruit grown in Aragon is admired throughout the rest of mainland Spain: pears, apples, cherries, plums, peaches with designations of origin from Calanda and recently cultivated strawberries.