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From Zamora we motored on the Astorga.  As far as we were concerned, there was only one reason to go to Astorga, and that reason is Gaudi.  

Those who have read my paeans to Barcelona-based architect Antoni Gaudi know that we consider him to be the greatest architect who ever lived, as his work as the father of Modernisme is daring and bold, a joy to behold. 

I knew he had built a handful of buildings outside of the Barcelona area.  Planning for this trip, I looked up where the other buildings are.  It turns one is in Astorga, and the other is in nearby Leon.  Astorga isn't too far from Salamanca, and Leon is even closer to Astorga.  So overnight stops in each were added to the agenda.  

Our first stop in Astorga, after I savored the chance to park for free in the free town above ground parking lot that was free (did I mention the parking was free?) was for lunch at La Termes, a Michelin Guide restaurant that is only open for lunch.  The owners, a hard-working couple who could not be nicer.  It was a fixed four course lunch called "Margata," which is the specialty of the region. The first course was the meat course, a mix of ten different kinds of meat, including chorizo, chicken, beef, and a number of other things we weren't sure what they were.  (I think, but can't say for certain, that they were other cuts of pork and beef.)

The second course was the chickpeas and cabbage, and the third course was vermicelli soup.  Dessert was a delicious local custard.  It was all excellent.  Then it was time for Gaudi.

Gaudi's Bishop's Palace in Astorga isn't like any other building he created.  When the Bishop's Palace in Astorga burned down, the Bishop turned to his childhood friend, Gaudi, to design and build the new one.  That meant it was to serve as more of an office for the Bishop and his staff.  And, since it was under the church's budget, there was not enough money budgeted for a lot of the design frills that are a hallmark of Gaudi.  

So it's not high on my list of favorite Gaudi's but striking nonetheless.  There is a lot of beauty and design in his work, and while this didn't have the usual amount, it still had a lot.  The worship area is quite stunning, as were several of the rooms.  The spacious lobby had beautiful posts and arches in a red and white design theme. 

After going through the Gaudi building, we checked into our VRBO apartment for the night.  It was right on Astorga's Plaza Mayor.  Not as dramatic or large as Salamanca's it was still cool to have dinner just a few 100 feet away from our apartment.  Kids were playing in the square, chasing each other, kicking soccer balls around.  Parents were chatting away.  As a town on the French Way of the Camino, it's enlivened by the pilgrims hiking their way through.  It's definitely a meeting place.  

The highlight of Plaza Mayor is the Town Hall, which includes a couple of animatronic people (a man and a woman) striking the bell with hammers not just to ring the hour, but also every fifteen minutes.  It was a fun show to watch.  All in all, a very pleasant evening in this small walled Roman town of 11,000 people. 

The next morning we toured the Cathedral, which was better and more worthwhile than I had expected.  Gaudi's building is definitely the highlight of  Astorga, but the cathedral next door is pretty good as well.  A Gothic Cathedral begun in 1471, it used the walls of the Romanesque Church started in the 11th century.  The Cathedral is a real mix, as it has Baroque towers, a neo-Classist cloister, and a Renaissance portico.  

All in all, we enjoyed our time in Astorga.