Well, I’m back in Extremadura nearly a month after leaving Ceclavín, and I’m on the precipice of the beginning of yet another adventure. A lot has happened since I was last in Extremadura. I finished my time working with my host family as an Au Pair and I moved into my new apartment in Sevilla! Things are looking up and I am so excited for my roommates Kim and Jennie to arrive at the end of the month. So, before the business of the year catches up with me, I knew this trip was going to be a “now or never” kind of situation. That being said, to kick things off, I started my journey in Cáceres, then traveling further north to Salamanca, and finally bussing to Santiago de Compostela to hike yet another 75 miles on the Camino — here’s the link to that part of my adventure: https://ryannvanderzwiep.wixsite.com/mysite/post/another-day-on-the-way .
But for now, my trip starts on a God-awful early morning bus.
September 11 ~ Cáceres
I have to say, the only upside of my 4am bus leaving Sevilla was the incredible sunrise which started off my morning on the road. A couple of power naps later, I arrived in Cáceres just before noon and checked into my hostel for the night. After dropping off my bags, I make my way first to the tourist office where I was given a large map of the town with a route of how to hit all the highlights on foot. My host family over the summer and my friend Ally from Ceclavín all raved about this wonderfully little city — and their praise did not disappoint.
Walking inside the old city walls you can really feel the history seeping from each and every stone. I began in the Plaza Mayor and then cut through the heart of the old city. Along with Arabic and Jewish influenced architecture, there were symbols cut into the walls and buildings around the town showing shields, virgins, suns, and knights. It was an iconographers dream! Wandering the cobble-stoned streets and through tight alleys, flowers and other blooming plants were bright , but welcome, surprises. While most of the buildings were made of large sandstone blocks, many doors were painted in vibrant colors which popped to the eyes of every passersby. Before returning to my hostel to rest while everything closed for the afternoon, I walked the old city walls back to the plaza where I ate my lunch and watched the hustle and bustle in the square.
As the heat of the afternoon lifted and things opened back up, I returned to a couple of places which sparked my interest earlier in the day during my exploration. My first stop was at the Casa Museo Arabe. Unlike other tourist attractions in the town — or in Spain for that matter —, the old home lets visitors experience authentic living conditions and customs of Arabic people living in Cáceres during the 12th century. It was a very intimate experience and a very unique way to immerse yourself in history. One of my favorite things I found during the tour was actually a quote from the 7th century by Abu-ad-Derda:
“Use your ears more than your mouth, as you were given two ears and one mouth so that you’d listen more than you talk.”
Not only did I find this quote to be quite telling on a good way to conduct how I want to behave in my life, but I also found it very important in terms of being an ethical traveler. I can’t stress how many impacts simply listening and learning from others have made on my life and how I hope to present to others. Food for thought.
After my tour of the house, I found myself at the church of the Cuesta de la Compañía. The former Iglesia de San Francisco Javier now held an interesting exhibit on religious iconography and also provided arguably the best view of the city by climbing either one of its towers.
Having completed my activities for the evening, I walked around some more inside the old town walls and then ended up stopping for dinner back at the plaza. On the way back to my hostel for the night, I found myself inside a very interesting old book store. One of their most intriguing collections was a shelf of real leather books...but in the style of Silence of the Lambs kind of leather. Very creepy, but such a unique find to wrap up my day in Cáceres.
The town of Cáceres was such a pretty find and yet another destination I never thought I would come to know. Extremadura continues to impress my by its vast history and mixed cultural influences. Traveling solo is rarely my preferred way of travel, but I would never let it keep my away from places like this. In the middle of “nowhere” I continue to find beauty and intrigue — something I hope to carry with me for a long time to come. This trip was very spur-of-the-moment and I continue to be convinced by my rule of never letting an opportunity to pass me by. Because, if I am being honest, you never really know what lies around the corner!
September 12 ~ Salamanca
Another early morning, and I was out the door and on my way to the bus station in Cáceres. Another bus and short nap later, I found myself in the historical university town of Salamanca! Not only is Salamanca a new opportunity to explore a new city in Spain, but it is also the first time I’ve been able to visit the region of Castile and León. I was excited to finally see the city which was so ever popular when I visited many of the study abroad booths back at the University of Oregon — that which was the oldest university in Spain having opened in 1218! So, with my plan to catch a night bus that evening to Santiago de Compostela, I left my backpack in one of the bus station’s lockers and started on foot to the center.
Before even reaching the main plaza, I was struck by the city’s beauty and youthful atmosphere. If things were different, I believe that I would have loved to attend school there! Before long, I found myself in the Plaza Mayor and ducked inside the tourist office. If the main stage in the plaza wasn’t a dead giveaway, the guide let me in on the fact that I had arrived in right in the midst of the Feria de Salamanca! There were tons of events planned throughout the day and night, so I planned my adventure around them.
The first event on the schedule was already conveniently located in the Plaza Mayor. There, I watched an hour long orchestral performance of famous movie scores — a fun way to begin yet another long day. Afterwards, I began my traditional solo walking tour of the city. Amongst the throngs of students and tourists, I visited the old university, both of the city’s cathedrals, a few monasteries, and the Casa de las Conchas. I had the idea to message Ally earlier in the day for more recommendations and she ended up giving so many more places and things to experience that I could ever find in a guide book. My first challenge was to find “la rana” hidden somewhere on the walls of the Casa de las Conchas. After about 40 minutes of staring at a wall growing more and more persistent and frustrated to find the damn thing, I broke and started asking around for a hint. Only then did I find out that the infamous frog was actually located on the university’s historic archway. In her own words, yes “es difícil de encontrar jejej”...maybe just a bit too difficult!
A little miffed by the confusion of the “rana”, but humored nevertheless, I continued my afternoon by doing more sightseeing and walking about the streets of Salamanca. Along the way, I happened to find a museum containing collections and records from the Spanish Civil War. Having studied Spanish Literature and Culture back at UO, I had read a lot about Franco’s regime and its lasting effects in Spain. The museum was a cool way to put all of my readings in perspective and remind myself about its dark past.
Next, I went to Casa Lis next door. I had seen many recommendations about this art collection online, and it did not disappoint. The building itself and stained glass interior were breathtaking! I had a great time viewing the collection — some like their large display of “dolls from around the world” were quite creepy, but so very entertaining. After thoroughly exploring the many rooms and exhibitions, I still had some time to kill before the next event on the schedule for the Feria. Taking advantage of the free time, I decided to treat myself to a glass of white wine and sat outside on the museum’s terrace which overlooked the greater city of Salamanca.
Thoroughly content with life at this point, when I finished my glass I left Casa Lis and walked past the historic Puente Romano along the river. Eventually, I arrived at the first event of the evening — a historical market! There were lots of samples along the route and I found an amazing drink similar to Mead — fermented honey water — called Hidromiel. It was such a cool and different drink that wasn’t quite a beer nor like cider. Once I finished walking through the market, I headed to the plaza in front of the Cathedral for their Festival Artes de la Calle. There I watched an acrobatic group perform in the shadow of the great Cathedral before heading out in search of another one of Ally’s tips. This time there was no ruse to her recommendation. Ally had told me that I must try hornazo. This typical dish of Salamanca was kind of like an empanada, but it was a baked flaky bread encasing a stick of chorizo. Oh man, was it good!
With a hornazo dinner in hand, I headed back to the Plaza Mayor for the evening’s concert lineup. First was a singer named Paco Candela who performed a more traditional style of Spanish music. The second act, who I found drew me into the crowd, was a group called Denmarco Flamenco. They were a really cool flamenco-rock band that had the crowd singing and dancing along with them. The whole square was packed! I stayed until midnight and then walked to the bus station in preparation for my 2am overnight bus to Santiago de Compostela. I wasn’t looking forward to the ride where I expected to get little to no rest, but the mixed excitement and anticipation for my camino the coming day was irresistible.
Salamanca was a beautiful city that I happened to catch on a very special day. Filled with tons of students and powerful architecture around every corner, I could have easily seen myself loving the culture and location if I had attended school here. I do have to say, after a few surprising concerts, public performances, and a historical market, my 2am bus to Santiago seemed to arrive a bit too early.
To continue reading about my adventure and second Camino de Santiago, click here: https://ryannvanderzwiep.wixsite.com/mysite/post/another-day-on-the-way .
Comments