We woke up in Zaragoza, the fifth largest city in Spain, and the capital of the region of Aragón. We met our local guide, Benoit, at the hotel and set off for the Palacio de la Aljaferia, a fortified medieval palace built during the second half of the 11th century. We didn’t go in, but I was impressed by the huge moat around it, which was never filled with water. We did take the opportunity to take a Three Sisters photo.

As we drove around Zaragoza, I was impressed by the architecture of several structures. Here’s the Plaza de Toros, also known as the Misericordia, which is used for big concerts and sports events.

We also passed an unusual water tower, Torre del Agua, which was built for the 2008 Expo in Zaragoza and designed by Enrique de Teresa.

The Pabellón de Aragón was also built for the Expo of Zaragoza in 2008 and was designed by Daniel Olano to look like a wicker basket, as well as mirroring the undulating landscapes of the region of Aragón. Today it is not used for any particular purpose, but children and teens use the area underneath as a skate park. (Culture Trip)

I did take photos of these structures but because we were only passing by quickly on the bus, I didn’t have enough time to properly compose a picture.

However, I really enjoyed our visit to the (Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar). Supposedly in the year 40 AD, the Virgin Mary appeared to the apostle James, atop a pillar of stone. Several of our guides have told us the difference between a cathedral and a basilica—a cathedral is the seat of the bishop while a basilica is a place appointed as a special place by the pope.

After a quick lunch and shopping, it was back on the bus on our way to Burgos, a three hour journey. We stopped at a quaint medieval town called La Guardia. There were two churches here which unfortunately were closed. Nearby one of them was a sculpture (?) of shoes and bags, representing the many pilgrims throughout the ages who have walked the Way of St. James.

I especially wanted to photograph the beautiful mountain range which overlooks the town, and it was more difficult than you could imagine, because there were always trees, power lines or other buildings in the way. After numerous attempts, I finally found a place at the edge of town to show you the large stone areas which from a distance looked like snow! I was told later by our tour director that these mountains are part of the Cantabrian mountain range.

When we finally arrived in Burgos, upon the recommendation of our tour director, we tried black pudding in a local restaurant. Here’s a description I found on the internet:

Spanish Black Pudding has been an integral part in the Spanish food tradition for generations. It recently gained massive popularity around the world when a few scientists claimed it was a nutrient-dense superfood, such as broccoli, kale and spinach. Well, you can’t escape the fact that Spanish black pudding is made from the pig’s fat and blood. Although its dark colour is a bit premonitory to many, this dish was specially made with the intention of consuming a hearty by-product.

Burgos’ Spanish black pudding is a cold meat made from pig blood typical of Burgos’ gastronomy. This is special because rice is added, hence also the name of rice black pudding. During 2018, the European Union recognized Burgos’ black pudding with the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). Serve this delicious fried cold meat sliced, inside a sandwich or in the form of a tapa or appetizer accompanying other Spanish foods such as peppers. (From the blog Gastronomic Spain)

All of us at our table tried it, and even though it sounds disgusting, it was delicious!