Charming Cáceres

Friday 7 to Monday 10 March
Hola de Cáceres, provincial capital of central Extremadura, the westernmost region of Spain, located midway between Portugal and Madrid.  It is aptly named and translates as "extremely hard/tough."  The weather is characteristic - either very hot or very cold with rain in the winter months.  We arrived in early spring to endless blue skies, warm sunlight and a cool breeze, which was especially chilly early morning and late evening.

Our bus route from Seville took us through other extremeño towns of Zafra (a pretty white village) and Merida (famed for multiple Roman ruins) but we decided that, with limited time left in Spain (ho, hum), Cáceres was for us.  The landscape opened up to vast rolling hills, endless olive and acorn (bellota) groves, the occasional hunting bird, a handful of the very shy but famous pigs - pata negra (black leg) from which a regional speciality (and national obsession) - Jamón Ibérico Bellota - is derived.  We were also greeted with the unique call of storks nesting in their huge treetop nests. 

Nesting Storks atop Palacio Toledo

Cáceres  is a UNESCO world heritage site because of its beautifully preserved medieval city.  The aptly named ciudad monumental boasts 9 palaces, 6 churches (including a cathedral), a convent and towers.  Furthermore, the Cácereño Semana Santa (Holy Week in Cáceres) is regarded as one of the most beautiful and an interpretation centre here is dedicated to the Easter processions.  The storks also feature on the UNESCO list too as part of the natural heritage of the region.

The ciudad monumental is compact: no more than a square mile and crammed with many architectural and religious gems - you need a long weekend to see everything.  It would've been lovely to spend more time and explore the countryside but, alas, another time. So without further ado ...

Jamon! Jamon!
You can't come to Extremadura and not try Jamón Ibérico Bellota - it would be an insult!  It is my absolute favourite - I salivate at the thought of it - truly!  So, after checking into the elegant Hotel Iberia, a former palace just off the Plaza Mayor, it was time to eat.

The beautiful reception at Hotel Iberia

We'd heard the best area for good food is Plaza San Juan, a stone's throw from our hotel.  Our American friend and self-confessed foodie, Cathy, had recommended Meson San Juan.  We were having trouble choosing from the fabulous menu so we went with the recommendation of Don Rafael, the owner.  We knew we were in a quality establishment and that he knew his business and we were duly presented with a plate of the finest Jamón Ibérico Bellota Extremeño and a glass of his own red wine!  Then he brought us Tosta con Torta del Casar y Solomillo (bread topped with a local cheese and medallions of Ibérico fillets) - and more wine - food of the Gods!  If you're in any doubt as to the quality of this meat then have a little read: http://www.jamon.com/iberico.html

Happy diners @ Meson San Juan

We also met Paco and Marie Carmen with whom we shared some time over more of Don Rafael's wine.  They are muy simpaticos (lovely and friendly) and we discovered that Paco and Rafael are family.  Somehow the conversation got onto football: they are Atlético Madrid fans and Mick is a lifelong Chelsea fan.  This roused Paco's anti-Mourinho feelings and we had fun with some banter (yes, my Spanish has extended to football and medical vocab)!  As quite often happens in Spain, we ended up spending a lovely afternoon with them, after which they offered to take us on a mini tour of the city tomorrow - how kind are the Cácereños?  Once again, we are touched by the kindness and open-heartedness of the Spanish people.  I will really miss this when we return to dreary Britain.

There wasn't much time for sight-seeing after that so we decided to call it a day, except for a little later in the evening we fancied tapas at San Yuste but it was closed so we pitched up at Meson San Juan again.  This time Rafael recommended a dish from his "anticrisis menu" - huge almejas (clams) and a bottle of wine for €8pp!  We also fancied some asparagus from nearby Vega (also home to top quality pimentón) and - truly - it is the best we've ever tasted - so fresh and cooked to perfection.  We really love Rafael's restaurant, food, staff and his business style.  Don't overlook a visit here if you find yourself in Cáceres.

Saturday 8 March
We met with Paco and he took us on a mini tour of the old city to include a drive to the nearby mountain for some great views of the city and surrounding countryside followed by a visit to Palacio de Diputacion which is now a museum full of beautiful artwork and Renaissance architecture.  Next up was Palacio de las Ciguenas (Palace of Storks), today the Cáceres Military Headquarters with a small weapons museum inside.  This is one of the few palaces that has its tower intact - Queen Isabel ordered that all towers be removed but this one received royal pardon.  Paco then took us to nearby Plaza de San Mateo and site of a beautiful church and convent.  Paco had plans to escape to the countryside and so, after a beer, we said 'hasta siempre'.  We won't forget our friends in Cáceres - gracias a todo y abrazos fuertes! Y
¡venga Atlético!

Here's some photos of the city, taken over a couple of days:

The Plaza Mayor (main square)

The famous Arco de Estrella, just off Plaza Mayor

The Arco de Estrella (Star Arch) is the main entrance into the old city which leads you to Plaza de Santa Maria and the Cathedral which has a fabulous cedar altarpiece and a much loved Black Jesus. 

The Cathedral's beautiful altarpiece

The Black Jesus, Cathedral, Cáceres

Then onto nearby Plaza de San Jorge where there is a statue of Saint George and the Dragon.

Saint George slaying the dragon!

Here, too, is the Iglesia de San Francisco Javier, my favourite saint.  It is also home to a small permanent belen (nativity scene) exhibition.

The beautiful altar, Iglesia de San Francisco Javier

A short walk from here is Plaza de San Mateo and its fine church.

Iglesia de San Mateo

Later, we had some tapas at the not so good Meson Ibérico - we thought we should vary our eateries - but it wasn't up to scratch.  We were, though, in poll position to see a procession to mark the first Sunday of Lent but being a lapsed Catholic, I was the last to know!  A group of men carry the trono (throne) and to ease the load of the weight they adopt a strange gait, rocking gently from side to side at a slightly diagonal angle - in silence - other than the shuffle of their feet.  In this procession, the men are carrying Jesus to the various churches.  It is really humbling to see the such devotion - not the first time we've seen this in Spain.  I'm really looking forward to experiencing my first Semana Santa in Spain shortly!

Sunday 9 March
Today we decided to see a few things we didn't have time for yesterday.  

Mick atop Torre de Bujaco with Palacio Toledo behind

Fliss atop Torre de Bujaco with Cáceres below and Vega (in distance)

And that brings us to our final evening in Cáceres so where better to eat than in Meson San Juan?  There are other eateries in town but not a huge selection so for location, menu, quality and value it doesn't come much better than this.  We couldn't resist a surtido - a mixed platter of Ibérico meats - happy days!

We really enjoyed our weekend here and would recommend it for fans of medieval architecture, gastronomy, wildlife, warm people and a taste of Spain that will challenge your stereotypes.  And so, until our next visit, we raise a glass to our friends, Paco, Marie Carmen and Don Rafael!

The big-hearted Rafael, dueño at Meson San Juan, Cáceres

Next stop is Salamanca, the University city that is Spain's equivalent to Oxford and home to fabulous architecture so, hasta muy pronto!

Córdoba

Wednesday 5 March
Whilst in Seville we thought we'd take the opportunity to visit Córdoba as we missed the chance in Madrid (you may recall we were going to stay there for a while to explore the capital and surrounding areas but we cut that short for the allure of sunny Valencia).  In fact, its worked out better as it is easier and cheaper to visit Córdoba from Seville so without further ado ....

We were up early for the 9am bus (a shock to our system as we've been snoozing until 8.30/9am ever since we arrived in Malaga!) for a 2-hour bus journey.  Once again we were amazed by the rolling green fields en route - we both have this stereotype image of a parched Andalucia but, then, I guess we're still just about in Spain's winter months.


The main drawcards for us here are the Puente Romano (Roman bridge), the Islamic Water Wheel and the Mezquita.

The 12thC Islamic Water Wheel and Puente Romano

Mezquita & Cathedral
Founded in 785 this huge mosque is almost unique.  There aren't too many places in the world where you can attend Mass inside a Mosque.  The obvious remnants of the Mosque are the main entrance, Puerta del Perdón (Door of Pardon) and the Plaza de los Naranjos (Orange Square).  What meets your eye upon entering the Mezquita is a forest of pillars and arches - part of the original 8thC mosque.  In the centre is the Christian Cathedral along with some beautiful processional treasures.  It really is the most beautiful place of worship we've visited on many levels as we hope you'll see from this post.

The outside of the Mezquita (arches) and Cathedral (domes)

Once you pass into the Mezquita through the Puerta del Perdón directly opposite - across the Plaza de los Naranjos - you can see the Cathedral domes.  Here's a piccie of the Cathedral with the Islamic arch on the right-hand side which is the main entrance to the Cathedral and former Mosque.

The Cathedral from Plaza de Naranjos

Here's the bell tower (93m) which was built over the original minaret.

Torre del Alminar

And now down to business.  The interior of the Mezquita is a masterclass in superlatives.  I really can't say more than that so I'll let the pictures do the talking!

Vast! these beautiful and unique white and terracotta arches are supported by 856 pillars which were salvaged from Visigoth and Roman ruins.

Monumental! where Christianity meets Islam.

The symbolic Capilla de Villaviciosa

Dazzling! the Mosque's centrepiece - the mihrab (prayer area) facing Mecca, complete with 1600kg of gold mosaic cubes(!) crafted by Byzantiuum sculptors.

The beautiful mihrab

The mihrab's ceiling

Main altar with terracotta/white arches to the right of photo

Corpus Christi processional piece

After the spiritual sustenance of the Mezquita it was time for physical nourishment and we lunched in the quaint Taberna Luque, owned and run by the proud and professional Antonio and Maria.  This tiny establishment is a celebration of Córdoba's gastronomy.  The menu, like the restaurant, is compact but takes pride in serving well-sourced, quality and perfectly cooked dishes.  We were also treated to complementary tapas: plump olives, Cañas de Lomo Ibérica Bellota with grade A olive oil (divine!); almonds and a glass of Pedro Ximenez - top grade dessert sherry - sublime!  (like drinking dates with hints of coffee - the perfect complement to dessert). 

The big-hearted Taberna Luque

After lunch we wandered around the juderia - Córdoba's old Jewish quarter down to the famous Plaza del Potro (Colt Square).

Plaza del Potro

We also visited the Alcázar - where Columbus first met with the famous Catholic Royals, Isabel and Ferdinand.  Here's a photo of yet another stunning fortification built on Arabic and Roman remains. 

The Alcázar

And that about wraps up our day in Córdoba.  We hear that it is among entrants for 2016 European Capital of Culture - the Mezquita alone should help it win outright!  Add to this flamenco, gastronomy and a strong, if not controversial history of bull fighting, we think it deserves the accolade - ¡venga Córdoba!

Sunkissed Seville

Monday 3 March - Estepona to Seville
Hola de Sevilla - the warm and bright capital of Andalucia.  We took the bus from a chilly and seriously windy Estepona and climbed the mountain road to Ronda and down again to Seville.  The scenery was magnificent on both sides of the mountains - Seville has some amazing green countryside. 

Like all cities Seville is buzzy and cosmopolitan and, of course, very stylish in that Andalucian way.  Narrow streets, amazing architecture, orange trees, plazas galore and beautiful shops.  Legend says it was founded 3000 years ago by Hercules.  Flamenco is said to have been partially born in the Triana district on the other side of the Rio Guadalquivir.  We love the river - it adds a sense of space in a densely populated city and its cool Atlantic breeze must be a bonus in the summer when temperatures regularly reach 45 degrees.  You may recall we were recently at the river's estuary where it meets the Atlantic in Sanlucar de Barrameda.

We visited Seville a few years ago for New Year celebrations and where we 'did the 12 grapes' for the first time.  We ate in an Argentinian riverside restaurant which also provided live Argentinian tango while we ate, winding their way gently around the tables - unforgettable.  Its nice to revisit some familiar places but also to discover new pockets of Seville.  This time we chose to stay  in the Barrio Santa Cruz - the former Jewish quarter where we found a lovely apartment c/o the brilliant Airbandb website.

Tuesday 4 March - Seville
The Cathedral was closed on our last visit so this was top of our 'to do' list.  Although we've visited a few cathedrals on this trip (not forgetting some fabulous French cathedrals), Seville's Cathedral lays claim to having the largest surface area in the world so we had to take a look.  Like many others it is built on the site of a former mosque and minaret (constructed in 1184).  The Moors were overthrown in 1248 and the mosque was used as a church until the cathedral was consecrated in 1402.  By this time, the structure was decaying and so an elaborate plan was hatched to knock it down and replace it with the present colossal structure - measuring 126m long and 83m wide.  It is so vast that it is difficult to photograph.  The piccie below captures most of it albeit from a distance.  Giralda - the 11thC minaret - is reached by climbing a series of brick ramps - is now topped with a Gothic belfry which reaches a heady 104m.  Atop the belfry is Giraldillo - a 16thC bronze weather vane - and is one of Seville's beloved symbols of faith.  It is also home to Christopher Columbus's tomb, although there is some doubt as to exactly where his remains are as he's been moved several times! 

Cathedral from Torre del Oro (Gold Tower)

Columbus's tomb

Metropol Parasol.  Yes, modern conceptual architecture has arrived in Seville - its de rigeur you know!  The Metropol Parasol (known to sevillanos as Las Setas - because the supporting structures are mushroom-like) was built on a former car park and claims to be the world's largest wooden building.  For archaeology fans Roman ruins were uncovered during construction.  We tried to get onto the skywalk for some great city vistas but it was closed.  We're not sure what we think of it - a giant waffle or a mushroom ring?  One thing's for sure though - it would offer some much needed shade in the summer.

The Metropol Parasol under the vivid Andalucian sky

 Wednesday 5 March - Córdoba (see separate post)



Thursday 6 March
Triana is a world on its own - rivers often create a big divide.  Traditionally it was the poor Roma area and a font of flamenco but, today, it is valued for its cultural delights and its culinary speciality - fried fish!  It is also home to the municipal market and some nice shops and cafes.

Triana district from Puente de Triana

Torre del Oro.  The 13thC Gold Tower is so-named as it once had golden roof tiles.  More recently it was used to store conquistadors' gold booty from the Americas.  Today it is home to a small naval museum which was too tempting for Skipper to miss!  It also offers great vistas from the viewing platform.

Torre del Oro

Plazas.  Spain loves a plaza!  There are so many here its hard to choose one but here's one of the most popular and colourful:

Iglesia del Salvador in a plaza of the same name

Food
We had a list of fab places in which to sample tapas and various gastronomic delights (e.g. Vineria San Telmo, Eslava, La Brunilda) but, alas, as much as we love Spanish food, we were in need of more simple fayre - i.e. less rich, not served on bread or with tomatoes - very difficult in Andalucia!  Also, meals and tapas are rarely served with any, let alone a decent portion of fresh veg, so whilst here we topped up on delicious salads for which we felt better.  We did, though, manage to squeeze in some tapas at the brilliant Bar Alfalfa, just around the corner from us.

Bar Alfalfa

And we couldn't resist the beautiful cakes on offer at La Campana:

The ever-busy La Campana

And here's one La Campana's windows dressed with Semana Santa (Holy Week, Easter) in mind - there are several street vendors selling herbs and spices, to include incense and burners - a lovely aroma:

An image of Easter in Spain: the hooded pentinents

And another image for Semana Santa(?)

Answers on a postcard, please!

Flamenco
We were spoiled in Jerez and Cádiz so didn't feel the need to see more but Seville has a thriving flamenco scene -  here's a taster of Seville's many flamenco shops ...

Cerise flamenco "trajes" - to die for!

And so that wraps up our short break in Seville.  We're glad we came back and will return again - it really is a cracking city that always seems to be bathed in sun - even on our previous trip for New Year (although it was cold at night!)  Today we've been basking in 25 degrees - the kind of warmth that makes your bones smile.  We'll miss that when we're back in the UK!   Next stop is Cáceres - capital city of northern Extremadura - the westernmost region of Spain so, until the next post, over & out!

Estepona Revisited

Friday 28 February
Hello to you all from sunny Estepona.  Sorry if we've been a bit quiet on the blogosphere of late.  We left Cádiz recently and have been in Estepona for a week or so for some Costa del Sol warmth and sunlight, catching up with friends and preparing for the final part of our journey through Spain.   To be fair, we've been quite lazy by our standards - for sure we've been out walking most days on one of our route marches, making time for our daily coffee and less frequent tapas and meals out, but in terms of getting involved with events here we've been pretty lax.  We even managed to miss Carnaval - not that we intended to - we simply didn't hear a thing albeit the marina is at the other end of town.  A shame as we'd like to have seen a bit of that.

The fabulous Taberna el Puerto

While we've been here there's been some sad news: Paco de Lucia, the great Flamenco guitarist from nearby Algeciras has died, age 66.  He was world famous and renowned for modernising flamenco and bringing this art form to the wider world.  He won the Prince of Asturias Award in 2004 for Arts.  Algeciras has declared a 2-day mourning period for him.  Check out:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26351251

Andalucia Day
And 28 February is Andalucia Day - a national holiday for the folk of Andalucia to mark the date of becoming an autonomous state.  The Andalucians were out in force today enjoying a sunny paseo and many bars and restaurants were packed with locals taking advantage of a work-free day.  We went out for dinner at our fave restaurant de la Mar and the nearby marina was absolutely heaving.  Great to see!

Jerez - European City of  Wine 2014
And, last weekend, Jerez quite rightly won this coveted award as it was recognised by judges that the jerezanos (Jerez folk) enjoy sherry (fortified wine) as part of daily life - it is part of their culture and we saw evidence of that during our recent stay there.  So well done Jerez - salud!


On the long & winding road ... 
And so, the inevitability of the back end of our gap year for the middle aged(!) approaches and with only 3 weeks left in Spain (depressing, eh?) a fair bit of my time has been spent researching and booking hotels and apartments for the push homewards. So, the final part of our trip is:

Seville - 4 nights (to include a trip to Cordoba)
Cáceres - 3 nights (to include a trip to nearby Trujillo)
Salamanca - 3 nights
Madrid - 4 nights - (to include trips to Cuenca, Segovia and Toledo)
San Sebastian - 2 nights - for beaches and tapas!  Then over the border to ... 
Biarritz - 2 nights - where we pick up our car and drive through France to Dunkirk via Mick's cousin Claire.

If all goes well we should be back in Dunkirk by late March where, after a few days preparing the boat for the crossing, and weather permitting, we'll sail for the UK.


But its not all over: I've got the opportunity to experience Semana Santa (Holy Week, or Easter) in Malaga with Cathy, the lovely American we met in September at the Rioja Wine Festival.  Sadly, her friend Janet, won't be with her so it'll be me and Cathy (God help Malaga!) for a few days which, as you may recall, is one of our favourite places in Spain so I'm really looking forward to that and, even more so, to spending it with another hispanophile.  If you thought I was obsessed, Cathy's passion for all things Hispanic knocks me into a cocked hat! 

And its not only party time for me: Mick is going away on a boys' weekend to - wait for it - Ibiza!  Can you imagine being a fly on the wall ... not a pretty sight!

So, that's our news.  I'll update you from Seville and other places en route home so, until next time, please slow time down so I can stay here longer!