Day 12: Off the Wall in Salamanca

SALAMANCA, Spain -- A quick visit to this University town and I noticed that there's a lot of subversive stuff they're putting on the walls around here.

Exhibit A:Graffiti, 16th Century-style
It's said that back in the day when you earned your degree in Salamanca you'd get your name written in bull's blood (sangre de toro, now a popular Spanish wine!) on the campus walls. Man, all I got was a lousy diploma!

Exhibit B:

Franco
The Spanish government passed a law in 2007 that was supposed to get rid of all the vestiges of the Generalísimo, but the conservative municipal government in Salamanca rejected it earlier this year, maintaining Franco's bust alongside reliefs of all the previous rulers of Spain around the periphery of the Plaza Mayor. At least he's often splattered with three bands of paint representing the colors of the Republican flag, though it's a small consolation.

Exhibit C:

El astronauta

One of the lower portions of the façade of the Cathedral was manhandled to such an extent by visitors that they had to completely redo it: and they decided to have a little fun by forgoing apostles in favor of an astronaut, and replacing gargoyles with a dragon licking an ice cream cone.