Salamanca was a ruin when it was resettled around 1100. The Muslim and Christian armies had passed back and forth across the Duero plain for generations, and the city on the Tormes was half empty until Count Raymond of Burgundy, who had married a daughter of King Alfonso VI, brought in settlers from across northern Spain and gave them land. They came as Castilians, Galicians, Basques, Mozarabs and Franks, and each group tended to cluster around its own church, so that the old town ended up with dozens of small Romanesque parish churches, each serving a few streets. San Juan de Barbalos is one of this family, a plain, sturdy building of the twelfth century in the compact style of the time.
You will not find fame here, and that is partly the point. The Romanesque of Salamanca is a quiet affair compared with the big cathedrals, with thick walls, round arches, small windows and the occasional carved capital with leaves or beasts. Inside, the light is dim and the air cool, and in the entrance there is often a smell of candle wax and old stone. Opening hours at churches like this one vary, and many are closed outside services, so it pays to try the door in the morning or ask at a nearby bar.
The surrounding streets are best explored on foot, and the old centre is a maze of one-way lanes, so leave the bike in a car park at the edge, near the river or the bus station, and enjoy the walk. The traffic in the central area is strictly controlled, with access limited to residents in some streets, and there are cameras. It is worth knowing about this before you try to ride through. In the evening, the golden stone of the older churches turns a rich amber and the streets fill with people strolling.
Outside the city, the plateau of Castile and León spreads in every direction, with long, empty roads and big views. Fuel is easy within Salamanca and its suburbs, including Santa Marta de Tormes, and prices on the ring roads are usually better than in the centre. A mid-morning coffee with a sweet pastry, and a walk by the river before you leave, is as good a start to the day as any. In winter, wrap up well, as the air on the Meseta can be bitterly cold in the early hours.