Chris at a meeting in SALAMANCA, Spain

I was invited to participate in this meeting of the European Society for Neurochemistry, held her in Salamanca last week. It is a pretty amazing place – reminds me of Venice without the canals. And it is also like walking into a Renaissance painting! Here is a description I read; “Salamanca is known as "La Dorada", or "Golden City", because of the golden glow of its sandstone buildings. This charming town is untouched in its architectural purity. It is one of the five Spanish cities declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Salamanca boasts a student population of almost 35,000 (approximately 6,000 of whom are foreigners) which provides a lively atmosphere and nightlife. “ I stayed in one of the old colleges, which you can see on the left. The Roman Bridge used to be the main entrance into Salamanca. It was an essential part of the Roman Silver Route (la Ruta de la Plata), which ran from the silver mines in the North, in Astorga, to Mérida. The University of Salamanca dates back to 1218, which makes it the oldest in Spain and the third oldest university in Europe, and the fourth oldest in the world.

Salamanca's Plaza Mayor (bottom picture), in addition to being one of the main monuments of Spanish Baroque, is the heart of the city. It is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful Spanish squares. The square has 88 arches, its spandrels decorated with blazons of distinguished characters of Spain's history: Spanish kings, saints, discoverers, conquerors and wise men. Oh yes, and they also have a picture of Franco as part of their history. It was a great place to have a glass of wine with some tapas.