Sunset on the Plaza of Pilar, Zaragoza

Having left Madrid by bus around noon, I arrived in Zaragoza closer to 5 PM. I settled in the already familiar pension La Ferroviaria on Madre Sacramento street, where I walked slowly from the train station in about 20 minutes.

Saragossa.

When I went for a walk in the center of the city, the sun was already sinking to the horizon.

Saragossa.

Taking a shortcut, I went through the old neighborhoods and San Felipe square, which is always busy.

Saragossa. The Area Of San Felipe

Цель моего вечернего маршрута - площадь Пилар, откуда традиционно начинается знакомство с городом.

Saragossa. Plaza Del Pilar

Однако, я здесь уже третий раз, и отправился сюда исключительно ради закатных красок, столь любимого фотографами "режимного часа".

Saragossa. Cathedral Of The Virgin Pilar

Собор Девы Пилар - главная достопримечательность и символ Сарагосы.

Saragossa. Cathedral Of The Virgin Pilar. Spires

Многочисленные купола и шпили  в лучах заходящего солнца приобрели замечательный оттенок.

Saragossa. Cathedral Of The Virgin Pilar. Spires

Одна из четырех башен - близнецов, имеющих высоту более 90 метров. На одну из них, северо-западную, можно подняться - вход со стороны набережной.

Saragossa. Cathedral Of The Virgin Pilar. Tower

From the West, Pilar square is joined by Caesar Augustus square with the Church of St. John (Iglesia de San Juan de los Panetes), built in the 13th century.

Saragossa. St. John's Church (Iglesia de San Juan de los Panetes)

The octagonal bell tower of the Church has a well-marked slope.

Saragossa. St. John's Church (Iglesia de San Juan de los Panetes). Belfry

Interestingly, the spire with the weather vane is strictly vertical, otherwise the feather of the weather vane would always deviate to the side, tilt, and the arrow, respectively, in the opposite direction. Then I remembered the tower in my hometown of Nevyansk, also sloping and octagonal, built in the time of the Demidovs, and with the same freely rotating weather vane. Guides present this fact to tourists as a unique invention of serf craftsmen...only here is nevyanskaya tower built in the forties of the 18th century.

Saragossa. St. John's Church (Iglesia de San Juan de los Panetes). Weathercock

To the left of the Church of San Juan de Los Pnetes stands the tower of La Suda (Torreón de la Zuda), all that is left of the Moorish Palace of the same name. Now the tower houses an information center for tourists.

Saragossa. Tower de La Suda (Torreón de la Zuda)