Arriving in Madrid, I made my way to the Castilla y Leon region discovering that it makes up about one-fifth of the entire country. The cities and towns I visited were Burgos, Salamanca, Segovia, Valladolid and Zamora, each as unique and charming as the locals living in them.

First Stop Burgos

I first arrived in Burgos in the afternoon and was treated to a city tour by a guide who was not only pregnant, but expecting her baby any day. By the end of my trip she had phoned to say she had a baby girl.  We suggested she take a few days off before going back to work.

What continued to astound me during my entire time in Spain was the history in this particular region, both rich and pure and not at all what I had presumed about the country. In Burgos we began our tour at the Arch of Santa Maria, one of the twelve gates of the wall of the medieval city. Built in the 16th century, it was new compared to what lay inside the walls. The Cathedral in Burgos suggests an opulence not found in Catholic churches for many centuries. Now designated a UNESCO World Heritage site the first stone of the temple was laid on top of an ancient Romanesque church in 1221.

Upon entering the cathedral, I walked through the Royal Door or Door of Pardon and was immediately struck by an open facade bespeaking centuries of history. The ground plan of the cathedral is a Latin cross surrounded by 19 chapels, the vestry and a 13th century cloister. Tombs, paintings and statues adorned the individual chapels leaving me mesmerized by the simple, peaceful images of those that played an ever-so-small role in the identity of the Cathedral throughout time.

The people in Burgos are neither hurried nor slow moving.   I sensed everyone going about their business. I quickly learned to look forward to daily lunch and siesta, a time when shops close and families and friends enjoy each other's company.

A short drive from the center of Burgos I found myself at the Monastery of San Pedro de Cardena, a 9th century abbey currently inhabited by Trappist Monks. After visiting the El Cid chapel where a series of panels by Juan de Juanes and Ribera still exist, I took a turn quite out of character and bought a rosary, still smelling of roses now a month later. It's a small reminder of the charm that I found in a town so steeped in history.

Next Stop Vallodolid

We had been told that the Castilla y Leon region could be a bit wet during spring.  It was in Vallodolid we found that to be true. Opting for a walking tour, we finally made peace with the car observing the rather cosmopolitan city through the window protecting us from the downpour outside.

Vallodolid was a small farming village until 1074 when a prominent count was granted a lordship here. Several centuries later another grand occasion marked Vallodolid's name in history as two Catholic monarchs wed in the palace of Vivero followed by the birth of Philip II.

Whatever the Vallodolid appeal was that I found, Don Quixote enjoyed it, too. He wrote the first part of his book in this town.  He must have discovered that same history and charm that I experienced as I observed the busy streets and ancient churches.