Postcard from Valladolid, Spain: Offering you final virtual menu from 2022 trips

Above, Pide por esa Boquita croquetas

Croquetas start out many a meal in Spain, so it only seems appropriate to feature one more plate. The above is definitely a recommended one – a split order of croquetas with half squid ink and half cecina and membrillo at Pide por esa Boquita. The small restaurant felt bright and contemporary and attracted us back for a repeat visit. The seasonal salads were creative; lobster and vegetables were prepared in a not-too-heavy tempura batter; and the tuna tataki merited ordering again.

It was nice to spice things up for a change of pace at Indian Aderezo. The samosas were filled plumply, and the curried vegetables and garbanzos suited us well.

Filled with locals, Restaurante Niza offered us our requisite Italian fix.

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Postcard from Valladolid, Spain: Plateresque architecture competes with sculpture within

Above, Isabelline Plateresque details surround the courtyard of Colegio de San Gregorio in the complex serving as Museo Nacional de Escultura.

The National Sculpture Museum is housed in three historic landmarks clustered together in one block in Valladolid.

With the nationalization of convents and monasteries in 1836, the government of Spain seized a wealth of artistic treasures in need of housing. Many of those from the region of Castile first went on display in Valladolid in 1842 in the Colegio de Santa Cruz. In 1933, the collection was designated a national one and was moved to the Colegio de San Gregorio.

The exterior of the 15th-century building is characterized by intricate sculptural reliefs in the Isabelline Plateresque style. The gorgeous façade demonstrates a complete lack of a uniform theme – resulting in a fascinating hodgepodge of biblical and secular components with an abundance of putti and floral and vine-like flourishes intertwined among them.

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