Zaragoza in a day

Zaragoza was founded by Augustus a Roman colony for veterans and was named, with zero humility, Caesaraugustus. When the Moors took over that became Saraqusṭa and that in turn mutated under the Christians to Çaragoça and then to Zaragoza. So the name is a direct line back to Ceasar Augustus. I think the layering of the name is a bit of an analogy for the city in many ways.

I started out today by breaking my promise not to visit another cathedral (I’ve updated the promise to: I won’t pay to visit another cathedral). The Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Polar is prettier outside than in, but a Sunday morning visit was made wonderfully atmospheric by the choir backing the mass that was underway.

Next, it was up the tower for a view of the river Ebro and the Basilica’s tiled roof. There was a lift most of the way up which definitely felt like cheating.

But exercise was available as the Palacio de la Aljaferia was a good 30-minute walk away. The Palace is on the site of the city’s Roman temple, on which the Moors built a mosque, and the Christians built a church and a castle. And now it is the State parliament. Zaragoza seems to have built over and around much of its history in this way – not a bad thing if you live here, but it does blunt the impact when you’re visiting.

I whiled away most of the afternoon sitting in a lovely plaza in the Sun and eating my favourite goat’s cheese salad and a glass of local wine. Then I took in my final tourist destination – La Catedral del Salvador. My new rule meant I didn’t go inside (11 Euros, you’ve got to be kidding, that’s what my lunch cost). Still, I greatly enjoyed admiring the outside, which is a fabulous example of the Moorish influence on Christian architecture.