Semana Santa in Pamplona and Zaragoza

On Good Friday we explored some more, emphasizing the outstanding Museum of Zaragoza. Throughout the city are remnants of its Roman history, but the museum really helped clarify just how large and important (and wealthy!) Zaragoza was in the first and second centuries A.D. It also has some remarkably well-preserved gothic art from surrounding churches and monasteries. We are not huge Goya fans, but he was from Zaragoza, and the museum also has a smart collection of his art for lovers of his work. One pre-conceived idea about Holy Week was that everything would be shut down. Far from the truth -- restaurants and bars weren't just open, they were thriving and packed. Fortunately, we'd made a lunch reservation for Maite, another Michelin recommendation. As we noted in Pamplona, we liked it better for not having a star. In fact, I'm willing to give Maite the award for best croquetas in Spain based on our thorough (if unscientific) sampling! Of course, all of this was just biding our time for the "big event" -- the massive Good Friday procession of all the cofradías, bringing together over 3,500 drums, thousands of participants, and an array of religious floats. We staked out a good spot on the Plaza del Pilar and captured some striking photographs we'll treasure forever. In spite of the subject matter (the Passion of Christ), it was a very festive atmosphere with families coming and going, and restaurants doing steady business. Unlike Holy Thursday, the drumming wrapped around midnight as we'd expected.

Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday had much less pageantry, but were still enjoyable. One highlight was visiting Iglesia de Santa Isabel de Portugal, where several of the procession floats were stored on Saturday, allowing visitors to make a circuit and see them up close. They really are quite spectacular. Over these days we made a point of visiting several of the city's Mudéjar sites -- the architectural style that fused Christian and Muslim artistic traditions from the 12th century onwards. UNESCO has gathered several Mudéjar sites of the region together under a single designation, including three in Zaragoza -- the tower of San Pablo and the apse of the Cathedral, la Seo among them. The latter is a bit hidden down a leftside alley but is dazzling once you stumble upon it. Not in the designation, but still of note, are two other Mudéjar towers: Iglesia Parroquial de Santa María Magdalena and Iglesia Parroquial de San Miguel de los Navarros. We also visited the third UNESCO site: Aljafería Palace on the edge of town. Be forewarned, this site only does ticket sales online -- with a glitchy portal I might add -- and then requires you to pick up tickets from a mobbed ticket window. Not the best system by a long shot! BUT... it was all worth it because this place is amazing. It has been lovingly restored because it also houses Aragon's parliament, and the historic elements are breathtaking. I don't want to oversell it, but honestly I was reminded of larger sites in Andalusia. Worth the terrible reservation system!

In the non-Mudéjar category we visited the city's massive covered market, which has also recently undergone renovation, definitely making food shopping a treat. And if you want to feel like a local, I highly recommend joining the throngs at Antigua Casa Paricio, a tavern where the vermouth flows like water and friends gather amid antique radios and vintage posters. It has been an institution since 1928. A couple restaurant recommendations we picked up during these days as well: a bright and cheery spot called El Patio de Betty; and some excellent Syrian dishes at Syriana. Our Easter Sunday meal was at Taberna 1941, a pulperia and seafood restaurant on the Plaza Espana that does seafood right.

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With Semana Santa behind us, we set out on some daytrips to explore the surrounding region. First up was Huesca, the very enjoyable self-described "Gateway to the Pyrenees," and early seat of power for the Kings of Aragon. Several are buried at the monastery of San Juan de la Peña, which also features a superb Romanesque cloister. Many of the capitals have been over-restored, but the majority still retain their centuries-old charm and beauty. Huesca's Cathedral and adjoining museum are also quite impressive, particularly the museum, which punches well above its weight. But perhaps the unexpected highlight of the day was an hour soaking in the Art Noveau ambiance of the old casino. This is Art Noveau on steroids, and wonderfully preserved. Salons radiate off the central, stained-glass roofed hall and bar. Go after 2:30 and enjoy a glass of something while the old men amble in to read the day's newspapers, carefully arranged in the library.

The next day we headed to Tudela. At first I was worried because we were seeing...wait for it...another cathedral, museum, and cloister. But all were terrific, including a surprise Hieronymus Bosch in the museum's collection. OK, some attributions say "a follower of," but I choose to believe! Plus (and no offense to Baroque lovers) it was great to see so much of the cathedral retain its Romanesque and Gothic elements. Of particular note was the cloister and the far right chapel with a tomb by Johan Lome of Tournai, a Flemish sculptor whose work had also wowed us in Pamplona. Lunch at Casa Lola was additionally a home run (an apt metaphor, as the walls are covered in memorabilia from every sport). Not only does it have a giant self-serve barrel of cider to accompany your meal, but the food is terrific, particularly the Guisante lágrima, a regional pea known as the caviar of vegetables or "green gold." It is expensive, but worth every bite.

Being wine lovers, we allocated a day for Calatayud, famous for its grenache wines, or Garnacha as it is designated in Spanish. As with many wine regions, Calatayud is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, moving away from just bulk production towards smaller, high-quality batches. The town also has the highest Mudéjar tower in the UNESCO designation. Finally, Calatayud is the site of one of Spain's most famous operas -- La Dolores -- which has led to a bit of a cottage industry, including turning a 16th century palace into El Mesón de la Dolores hotel and restaurant, where staff wear traditional costumes and Aragonese cuisine (and garnacha) is served. In other words, all the pieces were there. Sadly, it was one of the worst days of the trip! Calatayud is very down and out -- filled with vacant stores and dilapidated streets. There is nothing for wine enthusiasts -- no wine shops (save one) or tasting rooms or wine bars. Even the regular bars we saw tended to be dingy and uninviting. As for Mesón de la Dolores, skip this tourist trap and avoid the con artists who will happily bate-and-switch your order to pad the bill. A rickety train that was nearly an hour late back into Zaragoza was just the icing on the cake.

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Fortunately, the Travel Gods both taketh and giveth, so the next day happily produced an absoulte shining star in the form of the daytrip to Lleida. An easy AVE ride from Zaragoza, the hilltop of this ancient town is a must-visit, containing both a (now-decommissioned) cathedral and a fortress. Helpful hint: when I say hilltop, I mean it, and it might be outside the ability of many. However, head to what Google strangely calls a sculpture named "Monumento a Marius Torres." This is, in fact, a three story elevator taking you straight to the hilltop complex--no hill-climbing required. And yes, for those keeping track, the visit to Lleida was basically another -- altogether now! -- cathedral, cloister, and museum; but what a cloister!! This is gothic beauty at its purest, and the majesty and mastery of light in the cloister is a sight to behold. The cathedral retains some frescoes, but the real showstopper has been moved to the museum down in the lower town: a very intact fresco from the hilltop's medieval hospital showing the feeding of the sick as well as Camino de Santiago pilgrims. Secular (or semi-secular) medieval frescoes are hard to come by, so this one is 100% worth a visit to the museum in order to see it in person. The rest of the museum is pretty stellar too.

Our final day put the spotlight back on Zaragoza, starting with the interestingly-named Alma Mater Museum. Opened in 2011, it provides an up-to-date take on the traditional diocesan museum. But it was the temporary exhibit that really impressed -- one dedicated to Papa Luna, aka Antipope Benedict XIII. The exhibit is definitely an attempt to rehabilitate the reputation of this native son, and the phrase "Antipope" is nowhere to be found. But it does highlight Benedict's dedication to art and education, with an amazing display of 15th century manuscripts. The exhibit runs through July 2, 2023 if you can make it. Elsewhere we enjoyed the thoroughly charming firefighter's museum (Museo del Fuego y de los Bomberos) with a courtyard full of bright red vintage engines. We ended at Amor y Grasa, a tapas bar from a new generation of chefs interested in updating the classics. We thoroughly support this endeavour because the food was excellent, and a nice goodbye to Zaragoza.

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Glad you guys had such a special time in Zaragoza, I've been singing its praises on the forum for a while. Even though it's so easy to get to from Madrid or Barcelona, it's still a relativity hidden gem and does not feel touristy at all. I may have missed it in the report but were you able to make it to Olite in the end?

Sadly, no. There just wasn't time. We looked out the train window as we went by and shed a tear. But with a trip this long we knew there would be a couple casualties, and Olite just fell out. Of course, now I wish we'd pushed our daytrip threshold from Zaragoza and gone there instead of Calatayud!

Yes one must pick and choose when covering so much ground. I am also surprised by how neglected Calatayud felt wow! I've driven past it a few times and always wanted to check it out as I also enjoy the wines from the region.

Hope you enjoy your trip to Barcelona! Not sure about your timing, but you may be there for our Dia de Sant Jordi festival on April 23, this is like our valentine day in Catalonia, where instead of chocolates we exchange books + roses lol! The streets and plazas are filled with bookstalls and rose vendors and there are also various cultural events across the city.

We took a chance on a hipster cocktail bar called Moonlight Experimental Bar, which turned out to be one of the most innovative places we'd been in quite a while.

Also, If you are looking for an interesting and historic cocktail bar to visit in Barcelona, you might want to try Bar Marsella, where I had my first absenta, served in the traditional belle epoque style. Bar Marsella dates from 1820 and was a favorite haunt of the likes of Hemingway, Picasso, and Dali. Bar Marsella remains largely unchanged from its glory days, with antique furniture, peeling paint, and vintage posters adding to its nostalgic and bohemian vibe.

It's a unique place to visit, but know that it is located in El Raval neighborhood, which is a bit dodgy and seedy especially at night, perhaps one of the reasons why Bar Marsella hasn't become a disneyfied version of its former self like Els 4 Gats.

What can I say, thanks for another fabulous trip report!

You may consider adding a link, at the end of this TR, (as you’ve done on your previous trip reports) for the Barcelona portion of your trip.

Thanks for that catch! There's a link to the Barcelona report now!

I have just switched my plans for winter from Italy to Spain so was happy to see this report. (Somehow it didn't come up in my search last wrrk). Anyway, I have a week booked in Zaragoza between Malaga and Barcelona. From this splendid trip report, it sounds like I need it. I have day trips in mind, so will explore your choices further.
If you would send me a PM with the link to your apartment I would appreciate it.
I'll be there in February.
Thanks for the details. Right up my alley.