The traveller has no desire to dream up castles in Spain since he already has them in Portugal … (José Saramago, “Journey to Portugal,” 1990; trans Hopkinson-Caistor, 2000)
We revisit Ciudad Rodrigo (pop 12,065 in 2021), though unlike yesterday's trip to Sortelha, we don't feel like we missed a lot – we just enjoyed our last trip. Rather than returning to the Catedral or the museums, we plan to wander the streets, have a nice lunch, and try to get to know the place.
During our last visit, there was a big flea market, a wedding, craft exhibits, and all sorts of activity – today the town is calmer. It's a regular day. We walk slowly and appreciate all the textures and details.
After watching a YouTube documentary about the Napoleonic-era battle, we now know that the canon-fire that damaged the Catedral came from British guns on the heights to the northwest; they drove Napoleon's army out of the city. And after our visit to Almeida, we better understand the border relationship between, say, that fortress town and this – like Elvas and Badajoz which we saw in the south.
Every picture we take feels like one we took before. But the artwork and their stories still feel fresh. Like the carved stone door surround at the old Palacio del Obispo: "Ciudad Rodrigo a su Obispo". Not sure if that fellow seems generous or cruel; is he giving a bag of money or taking it? The angel on the left holds his staff and mitre, the one on the right carries flowers and a cross.
The building that houses the offices of the Diócesis de Ciudad Rodrigo is open, and the courtyard gives us a quiet place to rest. The Madonna and Child is very much like the one we saw at the Igreja Matriz de Almeida.
The Castillo de Enrique II (Alcázar) is surrounded by construction, though we may still climb the murallas and enjoy the views.
We make our final stop near the Plaza Dámaso Ledesma at the REGSTA (tax office) – not to pay duties, but the inspect the architectural details at the entrance. The leafy motifs of the column capitals seem to give a toothy smile.
No comments:
Post a Comment