#361: Meson de Candido (pg 264)

 

Oct. 3, 2026

The charming Meson de Candido romantically lit and situated right next to the 2,000 year old Roman Aquaduct, which remained in use until the 19th century.

Even though this is my fourth time visiting Spain, I still haven't gotten used to how late the Spaniards eat!  We made 8:00pm dinner reservations and yet, this is what this immensely popular restarurant looked like as we made our way to our table. 

Seated with a view of the Aquaduct and ready to order!

And we of course had to try their famous dish, the roast suckling pig.

Side note.... our favorite appetizer was the season salad for 12 euros.  It came with the most delicious mixture of fresh tomatoes and cheese and tasted so good!!

Post dinner selfie in front of the restaurant. 

Here's another view with more of the aquaduct and the restaurant in the right of the picture 

The way the aquaduct is lit up at night is really something!

The next day, we visited the Alcazar, thought to be the inspiration of Walt Disney's Snow White Castle.

Rooftop tour!

A bird's eye view of the cathedral.

River walk with a pretty spectacular view of the Alcazar. 

VERDICT: You know, it's interesting.  The first edition specifically mentions this restaurant with just a side note mention of the Alcazar and Aquaduct in the entry. And the second edition doesn't list Segovia at all.  Well, after being there, here are my thoughts.  There are very few restaurants in the world that are a "must do before you die" and this unfortunately is no exception.  However, I absolutely loved Segovia.  So if there was a correction to be made in the 2nd Edition, I think it should have been to change the entry to "Segovia" or maybe even the "Alcazar" and then under that entry, list this restaurant as a suggested place to eat (because I'm glad we ate there - delicious food, great service, lively fun atmosphere and vibe - after about 8:30/9:00).  Segovia is just an hour outside of Madrid.  You must see Madrid before you die and then you absolutely should make Segovia one of your day trips!  If you decide to spend the night here (and I would recommend that you do!  It's so much less crowded at night and to see the Alcazar and Aquaduct lit up at night is spectacular!!), then I would definitely suggest this restaurant for dinner and staying overnight at the Aurea Convento Capuchinos (a former monk convent restored to a current day luxury hotel) is worth the splurge!

#360: The Way of St. James and the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (pg 269); El Camino de Santiago and Santiago de Compostela (2nd Ed. pg 265)

 

The Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

Sept. 30, 2026 - Oct. 2, 2026

Notice all the backpacks behind us. That is because this is the final destination for those walking the famed El Camino or "Road to Santiago" or "Way of St. James" by foot.

Keeping good company with Jerusalem and the Vatican City, the city of Santiago de Compostela is one of Christendom's three principal pilgrimage destinations.  And I can now say, I have been to all three!

I highly recommend planning in advance and doing the roof top tour.  Pretty much any time there is a roof top tour option, I do it and I'm rarely disappointed!

Go to the website visitas.catedraldesantiago.es and press "Buy tickets for Cathedral - roofs in (preferred language - English or Spanish)"

The tour lasts about an hour and includes a 140 step trip to the top of the tower, the stepped roofs of the Cathedral and admission to several other things such as the Cathedral Museum, the Gelmirez palace, the Crypt of the Portico of Glory (very cool!) and the Diocesan Museum.  There are different options of tickets depending on if you want ala cart admission tickets or combo tickets but plan on ~20 euros/person.

Rooftop view with friends and family.

Check out those steeples!  So cool to be right up there with them!

Then we made our way up to the top of the tower and had a great view of the bell tower right next to us. 

A birds eye view of all the pilgrims arriving to their final destination in the plaza below.

Then we went into the very top of the inside of the cathedral which was also a pretty incredible view. 

And we were able to visit the 12th-century Portico of Glory.

This can only be visited with a paid admission ticket.  It used to be the main entry to the Cathedral, but it is now housed behind a Baroque facade which was added on later. 

It was built/made between 1168-1211 by Maestro Mateo. Back in the day, it was here that pilgrims would arrive after their arduous, hundreds of miles long journey to request the help of St. James.  That is Christ in the top middle.  Just below his feet is St. James.  Pilgrims would place their hands on the column below James and over time, they wore away the area and now you can see five distinct finger holes.  You are not allowed to take pictures of this or place your fingers in this well-worn area any more, but it was very cool to see it in person and to picture and imagine the thousands of people over the last thousand years who have come here, placed their hands here and implored of St. James.

The cloister

The altar within the nave.

Going to visit the tomb of St. James.

Waiting our turn to go inside....

And hug St. James.  If you look closely, that is my head peeking out on the left side of his face with my arms wrapped around him from behind.  This is a pilgrim ritual that is customary to complete the pilgrimage after arriving here at the cathedral.

Paying my respects inside the Cathedral of St. James.

Once back outside, we found the engraved shell that marks the "finish line" of the El Camino

And we stayed here for a while soaking it in and watching the pilgrims arrive and experience the emotion of it all.

We then left the square and explored and experienced the many other sights and sounds of this unique city, including tryin octopus at dinner! 🐙

But we kept coming back to the beautiful Santiago Cathedral, which was especially stunning during the Golden hour.

Falling in love in Santiago

Here's what I recommend...... Do alllll the things. Take the tour, attend mass, listen to the nuns sing, watch the pilgrims arrive, be a pilgrim arriving, climb on the rooftop, go to the bell tower.  Do it all. But end your day and your time in Santiago with churros and a good hearty laugh with friends and family.

Then look out your window as you go to bed (in Gaio 7) and say goodnight to this beautiful man-made, yet divine creation that is Santiago Cathedral.

VERDICT: Yes!  This is a must-do.  I often find that my admittedly subjective criteria centers around how unique I find the particular sight or experience.  Well, this one is unique!  There are plenty of beautiful cathedrals in the world.  But everything from watching the pilgrims arrive, climbing the rooftop, viewing the portico and finger-holes, hugging St. James, etc. made this one that doesn't blend in with all the others.  It stands out in your mind as a beautiful, memorable sight and experience.  I'm grateful I got to come here during my life.  And whether it's before or after your half-century mark (which is where I am as I write this), I hope you do too!

#359: Leon (pg 263; 2nd Ed pg 258)

 

Welcome to Leon!

September 28, 2010

If you think that Rose window looks amazing from the outside, just wait until you see it from the inside on a sunny day!

Mind blown!!

The Leon Cathedral is from the 13th century in the Gothic style and has some of the most amazing stained glass you will ever see! In fact, it has the second most stained-glass (only after Chartres in France) of any cathedral in all of Europe.  It houses 737 stained-glass panels, 70% of which are original!

Here's our little group hanging out in the wooden choir at the center of the nave.

This is the burial spot of Bishop Martin Fernandez, friend and confidant of Alfonso X, King of Castile and Leon from 1252-1284.  It was this man and the King together who built Leon to be a major cultural city with a remarkable, massive, attention-to-every-detail cathedral at its center.

Me standing in front of the glass door of the choie with one of the three rose windows above.

The cathedral is the main attraction of the city, but after seeing it, you'll be hungry and want lunch!

Leon is known for its tapas, so we decided to sit outside at Jabugo Bar on this beautiful day.

Yum!

Leon is also a major stop on the Camino Frances (French Way) Camino de Santiago, which is one of the most popular Camino routes.  Only 186 miles to go to Santiago!

Leon means "Lion" in Spanish and it has this cool statue coming out of the ground in one of the squares.

And this other statue of Antoni Gaudi overlooking his Museo Casa Botines, which he was hired to design and erect in 1892. This was one of only 3 buildings that he ever designed outside of Catalunya. 

And then, after walking the Roman Walls, we made our way to Plaza San Isidoro.  This door is known as the "door of forgiveness."  During the original pilgrim days of the El Camino, the trek was so arduous that there was a 60% mortality rate.  For those that were too weak to continue, they could stop here, pass through or touch this door and gain absolution even if they didn't finish their trek.

Here is Dave touching the door. You know, just in case......

My cousin Seth inside the chapel paying his respects.

And then we wrapped up our day of Leon sights with delicious (highly recommend) ice cream at Holy Cow.

VERDICT: The city is cool and historic and we had a great day there.  But the only "must do" here is the Cathedral.  So as a whole, I don't think this city is a "must do" before you die.  BUT there are several "must dos" in the surrounding area (Madrid, Santiago, Salamanca, etc) so you may as well...... But honestly, I'd make it a day trip and spend the night/more time somewhere else.