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Hi, I'm Rick Steves, back with
more of the best of Europe.
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This time we're in Castile, in the heart of Spain
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exploring Toledo, Avila,
Segovia and Salamanca,
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Ole!
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The region of Castile, or Castille, is the birthplace
of so much of what we consider Spanish:
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the great kings, the language, the castles
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and an empire which financed the great discoveries
and ruled much of the world
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in its 16th-century heyday.
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We'll two-step back in time,
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marvel at El Greco,
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pop some explosive pickles,
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00:01:06,816 --> 00:01:10,305
check out Spain's most awe-inspiring
medieval walls,
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drop in on a bachelorette party
with the local troubadours,
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and then we'll settle into one of
Europe's most enchanting scenes.
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Europe's Iberian peninsula is shared
by Spain and Portugal.
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Madrid, Spain's modern capital,
lies in the region of Castile.
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We'll start in Toledo,
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swing by Segovia and Avila,
before our finale in Salamanca.
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Toledo is so well-preserved
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and packed with cultural wonder that
the entire city has been declared a national monument
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you'll see no modern buildings.
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It's an ideal place to savor the delights of Spain:
cultural, historic and tasty.
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Spain's historic capital has 2,000 years of
tangled history crowded onto a high, rocky perch.
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It's protected on three sides
by a natural moat (the Tagus River)
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and everywhere else by formidable
man-made fortifications.
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Toledo was for centuries an important
Roman transportation hub
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with a thriving Jewish population.
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After Rome fell, the city was ruled first
by the Visigoths and then by the Moors.
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Centuries later, when
the Christians conquered the city,
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they made it Spain's political
and religious capital.
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In the 1500s, when the city reached
its natural limits as defined by its river,
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the king packed up and moved his capital
to more spacious Madrid.
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Toledo became a political backwater,
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only to be rediscovered by
Romantic 19th-century travelers.
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Today, while small in population
and of minor importance politically,
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Toledo remains a vital center of culture,
art and religion.
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Physically, it survives much as it was
when Europe's most powerful king called it home.
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Toledo's handy escalator
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gives those approaching the city
from the bus station or car park
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a sweat-free lift into town,
particularly welcome in the hot summer.
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Lassoed into a tight maze of lanes,
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Toledo has a confusing medieval street plan.
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But major sights are well-signposted.
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Explore and remember, some of the best attractions
come without signs.
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For centuries, Christians, Jews
and Muslims enjoyed this city together.
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Toledo's history is a complex mix
of these three great religions
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with an impressive record of peaceful co-existence.
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Physical reminders of Toledo's
multi-cultural history are everywhere.
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In the year 711, zealous members
of the world's newest religion, Islam
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conquered the Iberian peninsula.
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For seven centuries, these North African Muslims,
called Moors, dominated Spain.
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The Moors were impressively tolerant
of the people they ruled,
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allowing Jews and Christians
to practice their faiths freely.
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With cultural ties stretching from here,
across North Africa
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all the way to Arabia and beyond,
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Moorish civilization here, in Spain was a beacon
of learning in Europe's so-called �Dark� Ages.
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Mathematics, astronomy, literature�
and architecture�all flourished.
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After Christians took back Toledo in 1085,
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many Moorish craftsmen and builders stayed on
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leaving their Arabic imprint
on the city for generations to come.
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This looks like a mosque,
but it's actually a Jewish synagogue.
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It was built in the 1200s
for Jews by Moorish craftsmen.
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The decor, while Arabic in its style,
comes with Jewish motifs
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the shell is a Hebrew symbol calling worshippers
to listen to the word of God.
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While the men worshipped in the main area,
women worshipped behind the screen.
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200 years later, the mosque-like synagogue
was retrofitted to be a Christian church.
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The peaceful co-existence couldn't last forever.
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00:04:59,857 --> 00:05:02,439
Spanish kings united Spain
into a Christian nation.
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00:05:02,736 --> 00:05:05,943
They gave Jews and Muslims
a choice: convert or leave.
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00:05:06,053 --> 00:05:08,681
In 1492, sure, Columbus sailed
the ocean blue.
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But that was also the year
the Spanish Christians exileded the Jews
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and successfully kicked
the Moors back into Africa.
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A sweet left-over from its Moorish days?
Toledo's famous mazap�n.
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Shops all over town sell mazap�n goodies
in ready-made gift boxes�
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but I like to select my own.
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A great thing about travel
is trying things you never tried before
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for years I've been looking at these
frutty mazapan and I've never tried one.
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It's actually good, but I'm going
to stick with the purists.
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Toledo's main square is
the inviting Plaza Zocodover.
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Tourists come here today
for more than mazap�n.
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Toledo was the 16th century home of one
of Europe's greatest painters, El Greco.
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Born in Greece and trained in Venice,
Domenikos Theotocopoulos
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tongue-tied friends just called him
�The Greek� or El Greco
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moved to Spain to find work as a painter.
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He found employment in Toledo,
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where he spent the rest of his life and developed
his unique style of painting.
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El Greco-philes will want to visit
Toledo's Santa Cruz Museum.
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Originally an orphanage and hospital,
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today its wards house 16th-century art,
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including a superb collection
of El Greco paintings.
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His work mixes influences from all three
of his places of residence�
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�icon-like faces from his Greek homeland,
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bold color and twisting poses from Italy
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and the almost mystical spirituality
from Catholic Spain.
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El Greco painted supernatural visions
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elongated saints�
stretched between earth and heaven.
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He painted souls, not bodies.
Faces flicker like candles.
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00:07:01,917 --> 00:07:07,470
Thoroughly modern in its disregard of realism,
his art feels contemporary even today.
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00:07:10,099 --> 00:07:13,259
This altarpiece, finished one year before
El Greco's death,
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is the culmination of his inimitable style,
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It combines all his signature elements
to express an other-worldly event.
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While on earth the city of Toledo sleeps,
a vision takes place overhead.
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An angel in a billowing robe
spreads his wings and flies up,
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supporting Mary, the mother of Christ.
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00:07:33,723 --> 00:07:35,334
She floats through warped space,
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to be serenaded by angels and wrapped
in the radiant light of the Holy Spirit.
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00:07:41,122 --> 00:07:44,909
Mary is charged from within
by her ecstasy of her faith.
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00:07:45,581 --> 00:07:51,980
No painter before or since has captured the mystery
of the spiritual world like El Greco.
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Nearby, the simple chapel of Santo Tom�
holds El Greco's most-loved painting.
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00:07:59,944 --> 00:08:02,869
The Burial of the Count of Orgaz
couples heaven and earth
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in a way only the Greek could.
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Imagine�you're at the burial of the good count
right here in this chapel.
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He was so holy, two saints even came down
from heaven to help out.
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The funeral is attended
by Toledo's leading citizens.
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Each face is a detailed portrait.
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El Greco paints himself looking out at us�
drawing us into the scene.
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The boy in the foreground,
pointing to the two saints, is El Greco's son.
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00:08:36,741 --> 00:08:39,902
The count's soul,
symbolized by a ghost-like baby,
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00:08:39,903 --> 00:08:44,767
rises up through the mystical birth canal to be reborn
in heaven, where he's greeted by Jesus,
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00:08:44,768 --> 00:08:46,848
Mary and all the saints.
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00:08:47,490 --> 00:08:52,261
A spiritual wind blows as colors change and shapes stretch.
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00:08:53,061 --> 00:08:57,347
Jesus points to St. Peter who controls
the keys to the pearly gates.
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00:08:57,582 --> 00:08:59,084
The painting's subtitle:
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00:08:59,319 --> 00:09:03,918
�Such is the reward for those
who serve God and his saints.�
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00:09:09,801 --> 00:09:12,492
Our hotel, the Residencia La Almazara,
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while truly in the country,
is just two miles out of Toledo.
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The summer residence
of a 16th-century cardinal,
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00:09:19,532 --> 00:09:23,130
it's a lumbering old place
with inviting public spaces,
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00:09:23,396 --> 00:09:25,290
a sprawling garden
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00:09:27,527 --> 00:09:30,297
and simple but comfortable rooms.
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Fond of the cardinal
and, perhaps, this view,
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El Greco hung out here for inspiration.
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00:09:38,102 --> 00:09:42,561
Toledo, Spain's leading Catholic city
has a magnificent cathedral.
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Shoehorned into the old center, its exterior
rises brilliantly above the medieval clutter.
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And the interior, so lofty and vast, is celebrated
as the most Gothic of Spain's churches
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00:09:54,404 --> 00:09:57,439
and the most Spanish of Gothic churches.
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Wander among the pillars and imagine
when the light bulbs were candles
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00:10:00,958 --> 00:10:02,836
and the tourists were pilgrims
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00:10:02,930 --> 00:10:04,682
And for worshippers, past and present,
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00:10:04,791 --> 00:10:08,531
the windows provided spiritual
as well as physical light.
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00:10:10,596 --> 00:10:15,447
Marvel through the iron gate at one
of the most stunning altars in all of Spain.
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The complex composition shows the story
of Jesus' life� from his birth in the manger�
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to his death on the cross.
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00:10:27,056 --> 00:10:30,170
While the centerpiece holds
the holy communion bread and wine,
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00:10:30,295 --> 00:10:35,520
the entire altar conveys the Christian message
of salvation through Christ.
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00:10:39,370 --> 00:10:41,451
While the cathedral is primarily
a place of worship,
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it's sacristy and treasury have enough jewels,
great paintings and other art
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to put any museum on the map.
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My Spanish friend and fellow tour guide,
Carlos Galvin, is joining us for dinner.
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All that art and history stokes
my appetite for a special meal.
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Restaurante Cas�n L�pez de Toledo,
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located in an old nobleman's palace,
offers traditional spanish favorites
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with a modern flair.
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00:11:11,006 --> 00:11:13,728
Here, they specialize in Castillan food
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particularly game�
like venison and partridge.
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00:11:19,517 --> 00:11:24,148
And it's always artfully presented, in a way
that would have pleased the Spanish nobles
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00:11:24,211 --> 00:11:26,026
who used to eat here.
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00:11:27,901 --> 00:11:31,753
So, this is venison.
Venison is very typical in Toledo.
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00:11:31,871 --> 00:11:34,276
Is this like partdrige ?
Game.
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00:11:36,271 --> 00:11:38,911
Historically, this was a hunting area.
Yeah.
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And we're drinking wine from the Duorro region,
from Northerrn Spain and Portugal, renown for it's wineyards.
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A meal like this is a fine way to cap
another great day in Castille.
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Carlos and I are heading for Salamanca with
quick stops in Segovia and Avila along the way.
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Segovia, an historic town of 55,000 with
a rich history and a famous Roman aqueduct
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is well worth a short visit.
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Nearly 2,000 years ago, Segovia was
a Roman military base in need of water.
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00:12:15,851 --> 00:12:18,921
So Emperor Trajan's engineers
rerouted a stream into town
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00:12:18,922 --> 00:12:21,307
by building this nine-mile long aqueduct.
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This massive structure,
ingeniously constructed with no mortar
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provided water to Segovia until modern times.
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00:12:28,113 --> 00:12:30,147
While locals claim it could still function today,
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its primary function seems to be
providing a backdrop for family fun.
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00:12:49,039 --> 00:12:54,515
Segovia's main pedestrian drag is clogged
with people enjoying a festive spring day out.
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00:12:54,516 --> 00:12:59,111
While Romanesque churches and statues
honoring 16th century local heroes are ignored,
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kids get plenty of attention.
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00:13:07,736 --> 00:13:11,256
The Plaza Mayor marks
Segovia's old town center.
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00:13:11,588 --> 00:13:14,033
It's early in the afternoon on a Saturday
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00:13:14,111 --> 00:13:19,196
and, as on plazas all over Spain,
people are out with family and friends.
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00:13:19,372 --> 00:13:22,129
For this gang, it's prime time
to enjoy an aperitovo
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00:13:22,305 --> 00:13:26,471
before heading home for
the main meal of the day, a late lunch.
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Segovia's Plaza Mayor wasn't always so idyllic.
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It was long the scene of bull fights.
Imagine spectators jamming these balconies
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00:13:34,965 --> 00:13:38,407
screaming �Toro! Toro! Ol酔
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00:13:39,033 --> 00:13:41,673
In the 19th century bullfights
in this square were stopped.
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00:13:41,947 --> 00:13:46,465
When residents complained, town fathers
gave them a more gentile form of entertainment
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This bandstand.
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00:13:48,303 --> 00:13:51,471
The town's cathedral stands
high above its main square.
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00:13:51,608 --> 00:13:54,933
Embellished to the hilt with
pinnacles and flying buttresses,
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it's a good example of that final overripe
stage of Gothic called "flamboyant."
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00:14:04,333 --> 00:14:08,807
Segovia's Alcazar, or fortress,
still seems to defend the far end of town.
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00:14:09,023 --> 00:14:12,934
Once the king's summer retreat and palace,
it burned down and was rebuilt.
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00:14:12,993 --> 00:14:16,181
Like so many castle rebuilds
in the Romantic 19th century,
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00:14:16,357 --> 00:14:20,640
it's a fanciful exaggeration
barely resembling the original.
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00:14:26,545 --> 00:14:31,884
A short drive through more of Castile
brings us to the fortified city of �vila.
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00:14:38,534 --> 00:14:42,347
�vila is famous for its
perfectly preserved medieval walls.
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00:14:42,465 --> 00:14:47,080
For over 300 years, it was on the battlefront
between Moors and Christians,
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00:14:47,569 --> 00:14:51,519
changing hands several times.
Built in around 1100,
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the wall is the most complete in all of Spain.
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00:14:56,546 --> 00:14:59,969
�vila's cathedral was actually built into the wall.
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And behind the ramparts, the peaceful streets
give a charming look at small-town Spain.
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00:15:08,730 --> 00:15:14,793
The Convent of Saint Teresa is built upon
the birthplace of �vila's most famous resident.
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00:15:15,301 --> 00:15:18,939
Teresa wrote the most popular
spiritual devotions of her age
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00:15:19,095 --> 00:15:21,872
and founded the Carmelite religious order.
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00:15:22,811 --> 00:15:25,823
Pilgrims remember the saint
in this gilded chapel
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00:15:26,019 --> 00:15:31,103
A case full of relics includes Theresa's finger,
complete with a fancy ring.
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00:15:34,056 --> 00:15:36,736
Local nuns cooked up
the town's famous pastry
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00:15:36,814 --> 00:15:40,999
and now anyone visiting �vila
enjoys its yummy yemas.
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00:15:41,077 --> 00:15:44,871
These pastries are like a soft-boiled
egg yolk cooled and sugared.
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00:15:44,929 --> 00:15:47,158
In Spain, every town has a specialty
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In Avila, it's yemas.
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That's good.
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00:15:55,860 --> 00:16:00,847
Heading east from �vila, you feel immersed
in the high and vast plateau of central Spain.
214
00:16:01,003 --> 00:16:03,937
It's a rough land steeped
in history and tradition.
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00:16:04,113 --> 00:16:08,845
And huge bulls on the horizon remind drivers,
this is the land of bullfighting.
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00:16:09,022 --> 00:16:15,358
These fun bullboards are all over Spain,
built years ago to advertise a local sherry.
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00:16:19,034 --> 00:16:23,043
A Roman bridge leads to the sunny
sandstone city of Salamanca,
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00:16:23,278 --> 00:16:25,449
Spain's premier university town.
219
00:16:26,075 --> 00:16:29,517
Salamanca is more youthful
and less touristy than Toledo.
220
00:16:29,595 --> 00:16:34,406
Enjoy a paseo, that's Spain's traditional stroll,
with the local crowd down Rua Mayor
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00:16:34,425 --> 00:16:37,672
and into its famous main square.
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00:16:43,930 --> 00:16:48,135
Plaza Mayor, built in 1729,
is the ultimate Spanish plaza
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00:16:48,136 --> 00:16:52,046
a fine place to nurse a drink
and watch the world go by.
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00:16:52,182 --> 00:16:58,362
It's a stress-free, multi-generational mix
that to me is quintessentially European.
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00:17:01,080 --> 00:17:03,701
The handsome town hall overlooks the square.
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00:17:03,857 --> 00:17:06,263
While most squares honor a king or saint,
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00:17:06,264 --> 00:17:10,056
this one also commemorates
commoners from the region.
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00:17:12,129 --> 00:17:17,605
Plaques above the colonnade depict Castilian writers
such as Cervantes, who wrote Don Quixote,
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00:17:17,781 --> 00:17:20,910
heroes and conquistadors such as Cortez,
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00:17:22,181 --> 00:17:24,567
popular saints like Teresa,
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00:17:25,193 --> 00:17:29,456
kings and even dictators�
here's Franco.
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00:17:35,637 --> 00:17:41,425
On Sunday after Mass, old-timers
get-together to shake their castanets.
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00:17:58,659 --> 00:18:02,707
Sure you'll pay a little extra to eat here, but
it's a bargain when you consider the ambience�
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00:18:02,785 --> 00:18:07,010
enjoying the finest square in Spain,
savoring some of Europe's best people-watching.
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00:18:07,078 --> 00:18:11,063
Now, you come to a restaurant,
and you don;t want to deal with the big menu
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00:18:11,259 --> 00:18:13,972
That's right, and then you order raciones.
237
00:18:14,070 --> 00:18:17,004
Raciones are a little larger than tapas.
238
00:18:17,297 --> 00:18:20,646
Ok, if you get a tapa, it's like a tiny plate
Exacly.
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00:18:23,384 --> 00:18:26,416
So, these are Patatas Bravas,
brava means brave.
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00:18:26,587 --> 00:18:28,689
Brave because they have a very spicy sauce.
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00:18:28,836 --> 00:18:33,114
And then, ofcourse, the stardard thing
would be a little bit of Hamon.
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00:18:33,506 --> 00:18:34,434
What kind of wine is that ?
243
00:18:34,630 --> 00:18:38,786
ok, this is Rioxa, from the north of the Spain
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00:18:39,177 --> 00:18:41,231
Oh, that's good.
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00:18:43,357 --> 00:18:46,389
So, if you want a strong spanish wine,
the Rioxa is a good bet ?
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00:18:46,609 --> 00:18:48,516
yeah, a vino con cuerpo.
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00:18:49,737 --> 00:18:53,917
Yeah, full-bodied.
That's a good word.
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00:18:56,387 --> 00:19:01,154
One of Salamanca's top sights is the Church
of San Esteban, dedicated to St. Stephen
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00:19:01,155 --> 00:19:02,620
or Esteban - the martyr.
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00:19:02,767 --> 00:19:05,603
This is a fine example of
Spain's Plateresque style
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00:19:05,799 --> 00:19:09,417
masonry so intricate it looks
like the region's silverwork.
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00:19:09,955 --> 00:19:13,206
The facade features
the stoning of St. Stephen.
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00:19:14,941 --> 00:19:18,779
Inside, priests are dwarfed
by the over-the-top altarpiece.
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00:19:19,048 --> 00:19:25,844
This is a textbook example of the 17th century style,
named after Jose Churriguera.
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00:19:34,230 --> 00:19:39,583
Nearby, Salamanca's covered market is
a marvelous place for a cultural scavenger hunt.
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00:19:39,803 --> 00:19:44,057
Here, you'll find all the things
important to daily life in Castille.
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00:19:44,912 --> 00:19:47,112
Fresh local produce...
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00:19:48,810 --> 00:19:50,491
Salamancan sausage
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00:19:50,844 --> 00:19:52,545
and hamlocks.
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00:19:53,229 --> 00:19:58,197
Ham (or jamon in Spanish),
has a cult following here in Castille�
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00:19:58,529 --> 00:20:01,658
So, tell me , Carlos,
about this entire mechanism
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00:20:01,737 --> 00:20:05,941
Is this typical ?
Yeah, we have one at home
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00:20:05,942 --> 00:20:10,400
Every family has one of these,
and we buy a Jamon every Chrismas
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00:20:11,516 --> 00:20:15,760
And we carve it like you do to the turkey.
Is it difficult to cut ?
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00:20:16,150 --> 00:20:18,888
It's not difficult, do you want to try ?
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00:20:22,995 --> 00:20:26,379
What is the important thing ?
To make it very thin.
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00:20:27,239 --> 00:20:30,877
So, the thinner, the tastier...
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00:20:31,659 --> 00:20:34,593
There you go, that's perfect.
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00:20:34,730 --> 00:20:37,292
Jamon iberico.
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00:20:51,099 --> 00:20:55,616
Next, for something with more kick,
we're trying some banderillas
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00:20:55,753 --> 00:20:58,374
potent spikes of spicy pickles.
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00:20:58,510 --> 00:21:03,087
This is an assortment of everything on one banderilla.
What is a bandereilla ?
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00:21:03,184 --> 00:21:06,509
It's what you stick on the bull.
So, it's a fancy little spear.
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00:21:06,568 --> 00:21:11,340
An explosion of taste. Exacly.
You eat them altogheter.
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00:21:50,707 --> 00:21:55,518
A highlight of any visit to Salamanca
is its famous university.
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00:21:56,221 --> 00:21:59,077
The oldest in Spain,
it was established in the early 1200s
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00:21:59,213 --> 00:22:02,440
and was one of Europe's leading
centers of learning for 400 years.
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00:22:02,753 --> 00:22:06,019
Today, while no longer so prestigious,
it's laden with history
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00:22:06,234 --> 00:22:10,263
Especially popular with american students
for its excellent summer program.
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00:22:11,044 --> 00:22:16,872
The university's ornately-decorated grand entrance is
another example of Spain's fancy Plateresque style.
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00:22:16,990 --> 00:22:19,532
The people studying
the facade aren't art fans.
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00:22:19,669 --> 00:22:24,539
They're trying to find a tiny frog on a skull
that students looked to for good luck.
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00:22:24,813 --> 00:22:30,269
Ok, up the column, take a left,
find a skull, the frog's on top.
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00:22:30,270 --> 00:22:34,122
Now forget him. Let's follow
the facade's symbolic meaning:
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00:22:34,865 --> 00:22:39,539
The bottom part thanks King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabel for the money to make the building.
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00:22:40,478 --> 00:22:44,722
The middle section celebrates Charles V
with the coat of arms of his Hapsburg empire
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00:22:44,858 --> 00:22:48,379
the world's only superpower
in the early 1500s.
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00:22:48,598 --> 00:22:51,844
Finally, as a statement
of the school's open-mindnendess,
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00:22:51,962 --> 00:22:57,027
the top honors the pope while putting him
in the company of pagan gods.
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00:23:00,958 --> 00:23:03,402
This venerable arcade leads to lecture halls
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00:23:03,403 --> 00:23:09,054
where Spain's brightest minds grappled
with issues raised by the dawning of a new age.
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00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:16,017
Imagine Golden Age heroes paging through
these books and pondering these globes.
293
00:23:16,134 --> 00:23:19,283
Cortez came here for travel tips.
294
00:23:22,998 --> 00:23:27,672
The narrow wooden tables and benches,
whittled down by centuries of studious doodling
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00:23:27,848 --> 00:23:29,589
are originals.
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00:23:31,506 --> 00:23:34,831
Professors spoke boldly from the pulpit.
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00:23:36,688 --> 00:23:40,619
It was here that the free-thinking monk
Luis de Le�n taught in the 1500s.
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00:23:40,756 --> 00:23:44,902
He challenged the Church's control of
the word of God by translating part of the Bible
299
00:23:44,923 --> 00:23:47,915
from Latin into the people's language, Castilian.
300
00:23:48,169 --> 00:23:51,239
Because of this, he was tossed
into jail for five years.
301
00:23:51,377 --> 00:23:55,425
When finally released, he returned
to this pulpit and began his first lecture with,
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00:23:55,621 --> 00:23:57,400
�As we were saying...�
303
00:23:57,733 --> 00:24:02,739
Courageous men of truth like Luis de Leon
believed the forces of the Inquisition
304
00:24:02,740 --> 00:24:04,929
were not even worth acknowledging.
305
00:24:05,771 --> 00:24:08,137
Traditionally, Salamanca's struggling students
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00:24:08,138 --> 00:24:11,653
earned money to fund their education
by singing in the streets.
307
00:24:11,750 --> 00:24:17,593
This centuries-old troubadour tradition survives
today as musical combos, called Tuna bands
308
00:24:17,715 --> 00:24:22,384
dressed in distinctive outfits,
play lutes, guitars and sing.
309
00:24:22,971 --> 00:24:27,151
For a fee, they serenade
fancy family gatherings.
310
00:24:30,500 --> 00:24:33,262
And, celebrating with a beer
after their gig's done,
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00:24:33,384 --> 00:24:37,076
they can't resist brightening
a bride-to-be's bachelorette party.
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00:24:37,374 --> 00:24:40,406
And this fun-loving tuna band,
the oldest in Salamanca
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00:24:40,523 --> 00:24:44,669
gave us a memorable trip finale
back on the Plaza Mayor.
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00:25:09,038 --> 00:25:12,245
Thanks for joining us.
I hope you enjoyed our highlights of Castile.
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00:25:12,354 --> 00:25:13,387
I'm Rick Steves.
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00:25:13,528 --> 00:25:15,452
Until next time,
keep on travelin'.
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00:25:15,530 --> 00:25:17,017
Adios.
30688
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