very latest news from Caceres

Day 56 Thursday 26 April

Drizzly with low cloud so our planned trip up the mountains was abandoned and we had a wander around town again. The unbelievable lavishness of the Catholic Churches and the almost Disneyesque treatment of the shrines never ceases to amaze me. The miraculous statue of the virgin here has a cape with 200,000 pearls sewn into it

Weather cleared in the afternoon and we had a walk from the Tourist Info. Office to follow. Top of the map turned out to be west although it wasn’t marked as such and the walk partly circled the town with great views of the monastery dominating the town. We’ve realised that very specific questions have to be asked to get information from the Tourist offices. If you ask for leaflets on walks, you’re given a map covering the whole region with routes as far as 30 miles away. You have to actually ask for walks around or near the town for relly local stuff. Extramadura also has some really expensive looking but free booklets but they seem to be either absent or tucked away in Andalucia.

Dinner out this evening and I have to say surprised to see bullfighting on the TV but it must have been Match of the Day highlights because bullfights are afternoon events. I mentioned that everywhere seems to have a bullring but whether they’re all used or not I don’t know.


Day 57 Friday 26 April

Heading west past Trujillo to the old city of Caceres, both full of lavish palaces and houses built with the wealth brought back by the conquistadors and then left to moulder when the money dried up. Only really still here because there wasn’t the money to replace them and both due to be visited by us. Caceres is now a World Heritage Site (or something like that) and still has the entire defensive city wall standing.

On the way we detoured to look at more very flat treeless country for Steppe birds and came across a birder with telescope who called us over to look at Little Bustard and Stone Curlew, both in view from his scope at the same time. He seemed surprised that we were living in the van but then him and his wife seemed to just be staying in Paradors (the Spanish state owned hotel chain - and not all ancient buildings as Tv and magazines would lead you to belive). They were getting the over 60’s price reduction and the odd free night through Parador loyalty points. We however, booked into our campsite.
It is unlike anything we’ve ever seen because every one of the 130 pitches has it’s own facilities. We have our own shower, hand basin, lavatory and water filling point plus electrical hookup for 17 Euros (about £13) a night, less than a number of single courses in a Parador Restaurant.