A stroll through Ciudad Rodrigo
Ciudad Rodrigo has six antique gates: the washing gate, which carries storm water to the river, that of the sun, that goes directly down from Plaza Mayor, the Santiago, the Conde, the Amayuelas and the Santa Cruz. Some exquisite, others more humble, all give access along thick mile long walls rebuilt in the eighteenth century to the village.
Walking through its cobbled streets, dark and silent, where the sun only enters at midday; others wide, inundated with light and sounds one cannot help but think that Ciudad Rodrigo is a wonderful architectural gem. Brilliantly carved honey-coloured stone, facades and escutcheons, towers and domes, become visible on building fronts of beautiful palaces' like that of Castro, the Águila or the Vazquez.
Undoubtedly the most famous building is the Cathedral, a Romanesque temple with hints of a transition to Gothic with a stunning facade and an interior that is worth visiting. The fifteenth century choir, the two organs and the beautiful cloister, built between the XIV and XVI century are considered consummate art.
Any slow stroll through the town ends in the vibrant and beautiful Plaza Mayor. Presided over by the City Council of the sixteenth century, overseeing a beautiful gallery of arches with columns, it proves irresistible to stop at one of its restaurants to enjoy a good meal or tapas and local delicacies. Farinato a sausage typical of Ciudad Rodrigo with fried eggs; potato 'meneás' (stewed/puree with peppers and garlic) with fried bacon bits; hornazo, a pie with loin, chorizo and ham; the popular chanfaina based on rice and pig meat ... How can one escape?
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