DAY 34 - TORREORGAZ to CÁCERES - Sunday 26 May 2024

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Breakfast was at 7 am in a small bar so that we could leave early. We had 16 km to do on a road to get to Caceres, our destination for the night. 

Traffic was light and we made good progress. We saw mostly open fields, with some groves of trees. At one stage we saw a police car parked in a strategic place - good to know they're keeping us safe. 

We arrived in Caceres in good time and started to navigate our way in with Google Maps. Some passing locals soon stopped us and directed us to the Camino de Santiago path (we are now back on the Via de la Plata after our 3-day detour). We obediently followed the arrows until we came to a café, where we enjoyed some cold drinks.  

We checked into our accommodation and headed out to see the Caceres Museum. Highlights included 

- the granite pig sculptures, probably used to mark territory 

- the Arabic cistern, one of the few remaining examples of Islamic architecture in the city

- the paintings and photographs of the dehesa 

We had a brief wander through the old town before sitting down in the Plaza Mayor to try some specialities, including stuffed peppers and 'migas' (breadcrumbs). Then it was back to our hotel for a siesta. 

After siesta, we visited the Torre de Bujaco and walked along the old walls for some great views over the city, while the church bells were pealing. We then headed down to the church of Santiago to pay our respects. We found a pilgrim sculpture and scallop shells on the facade. In the old town, we discovered St George slaying the dragon while a first communion photo shoot was taking place in the nearby garden, decorated for the festival of birds. 

Our last visit was to a restored 12th century Arab house, featuring beautiful colours and furnishings and many rooms, including tea, dance, hamam, harem and garden. 

We popped briefly into the square where a dance performance was taking place, then finished our tour with a chocolate 'batido' and a bit of people watching.

Picturesque old town of Cáceres 
A bit of road walking this morning - from Torreorgaz to Cáceres 
Entering Cáceres 
Some highlights of the Museo de Cáceres 
Through the old town to the Plaza Mayor for lunch
Lunch in one of the many restaurants in the  Plaza Mayor
Some impressive old buildings in Cáceres
Santiago church in Cáceres,  with the traditional scallop shell motifs and a cute statue of a pilgrim patting his empty stomach
Some live performances kept the crowd entertained as  Cáceres held celebrations for International Family Day
St George, patron saint of Cáceres, seen here killing a dragon. A bit further on, we witnessed a girl with a white umbrella posing for several photos. 
The interesting Arab House Museum
Dinner
Bird Art - Cáceres had a bird festival a couple of weeks ago, which included the creation of bird-themed street art which is still visible in the city today
Birds
Day 34 - Map

Day:                                34
Distance:                       15.96 km
Walking time:               3 hrs 08 mins
Elevation gain:             180 meters
Cumulative distance: 616.86 km

Comments

  1. Murray and Sandra28 May 2024 at 12:41

    Sorry the Spanish bird IDs have taken a back seat to Estonian birds. It’s been very hot hear by Estonian standards 29C or even low 30s how hot is on the Extremadura?
    We had an exceptional wildlife experience last afternoon/evening: a Ural Owl (large forest owl); and long views of a wolf; and later a lynx; all within about a 2 hour period.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aussie Slow Travellers28 May 2024 at 20:40

      Great to hear you've had some wonderful wildlife experiences. Hot here too - mid 30s.

      Delete
    2. Murray and Sandra15 July 2024 at 08:12

      the birds today were: I don't know, probably a Black Kite (though I have half a thought that it might be a Red Kite), White Stork

      Delete

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