Around Vitoria (Casco Viejo)

First of all, I need to retract a picture from one of my first posts (here).  Catedral de Santa Maria is not actually pictured there.  That is an entirely different cathedral that is actually a museum.  There aren't really any good pictures of Catedral Santa Maria because it's in the middle of a ton of winding streets, and it's hard to see it all.  So when I make it back over there, I'll document it best I can.  However, the following pictures are from the past couple of days, some when I met up with Mikel (the son of one of Laura's co-workers) and it rained like crazy, and some from when I decided to wander around on my own.

• Side note: When I met up with Mikel it was pouring outside but we kept walking through the rain anyways because most of what there is to show in Vitoria in the center of the city is outside. Let me tell you now that there is nothing worse than thinking you look pretty good under bad circumstances and then finding out you don't...at all.  Even worse is finding out after you get back to your apartment and see that your mascara ran so badly that you look like this <-- click for my tragic appearance.

This is the angel in the middle of Plaza de la Virgen Blanca.  She signifies the Battle of Vitoria in 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars.

The view behind the angel.  The church in the background is the church of San Miguel, built in the 14th century.  So it's older than the United States.

 Plaza de España is right next door to Plaza de la Virgen Blanca and houses the government of Vitoria.

This one is for Susan (Connors!).  Apparently the super Irish of your family moved to Vitoria to offer "great music and airconditioning."

Gastby is here as well.

The streets in the center of the city look like this.  Mikel said a lot of them are named after what they used to mainly have on them.  So if there were a lot of cobblers on one street, it would be named Zapateria Kalea.  Kalea is "street" in Basque.

This is la Iglesia de San Pedro, also built during the 14th century.

The following 9 or so pictures are from the Catedral de María Inmaculada.  Built in the 20th century, it is home to a museum of religious works. 

 This would be a random walkway with yet another tree tunnel.

Thanks so much for taking a peek of my new home with me!

Autumn