What a beautiful city Cáceres is! The first impressions when we arrived were already good and it only got better. The small alleys, beautiful squares and old buildings of the old town with 2000 years of history. A Roman city wall, towers from Arab times, a medieval castle and churches from the 15th century when this part of Spain became Christian again. Something from every part of Spanish history has been preserved here. It's a city to which buses of tourists flock, yet the oldest part is authentic and certainly not overrun. There are still plenty of unique spots where tourists don't come easily. For instance, we walked through a medieval alley where human bones are embedded in the wall, and a bit outside the centre in a cave under flats in a suburb, Neanderthal rock paintings can be admired. But most people stay around the Plaza Mayor and the shopping streets. Because besides the beautiful old buildings, the city also has many restaurants and the centre is mostly home to boutique shops. It was a sunny summer day and the terraces were full, which did make the city extra cosy. And in the evening, we unexpectedly stumbled upon another festivity in the middle of town.
We were on our way to get a bite to eat and noticed that Plaza Mayor was very busy. A strip from a side street towards City Hall had been left vacant and was littered with branches of rosemary. The delicious smell did add to our appetite, but of course we were too curious to leave. It turned out to be 'La Virgin de la Montaña Cáceres', or the feast of the Virgin of the Mountains returning to Cáceres. Briefly explained, it was a procession of people, young and old, men and women in traditional dress, from blue and white dresses to colourful costumes, walking in procession to the town hall, with a big statue of the Virgin at the end and brass band music. It reminded us a lot of Samana Santa celebrations, as we saw them in Seville, but a lot more cheerful. It's also a real celebration of spring and it's the start of a festive period in Cáceres. It's so special that every city has its own traditions, which are celebrated elaborately.
We enjoyed the city. But this morning we set off again, in search of what else the Spanish inland has in store for us. At just over 10 kilometers, this stage will be a very short one.
This way we can divide the upcoming stages better and are able to camp again after today. It will be 34 degrees today, so we don't mind this modest distance at all. We slept in till a whopping 8 o'clock this morning and did some shopping for the coming days. Eventually, it's 11 o'clock when we walk out of town past a huge arena and a sea of roses. At the edge of the city, the yellow arrows indicating the route send us in the opposite direction of the official route, which goes a long way along the road. Since we'll have some time to spare today, we decide to take our chances and follow the arrows. This means we have to ascend and descend quite a bit more, but we hike through a beautiful stretch of hilly landscape. We meet a hiker who has walked the Via de la Plata before and he gives us some tips for the rest of the hike. Over the oak-clad hills, we have stunning views of the countryside below us. It's one big plain until the next sierras, kilometers away. Once down again, we walk across this plain and it's as barren as the last few kilometers towards Cáceres. Fortunately, there is a bit of veil cloud today, so it doesn't feel as hot as the past few days. It's a large dry plain with yellow grass. There are some cows and sheep grazing, and we finally see the cuckoo, after so many stages followed by this beautiful bird! A crested cuckoo perches on the barbed wire next to us. Last year in the Ardennes we were followed by the sound, as well as this year since our start in Portugal, but this is the first time we see it. We don't recognise it immediately. It's a very distinctive bird though and looks like a cross between a falcon, a magpie and a pheasant with dots. We managed to shoot it, on photo then, and had to Google what it was. So cool to have finally seen it!
From the grassland, we pass under the motorway and follow a wide road on a dirt track to the village. When we enter the village, we get a message from the accomodation owner that our condo is ready. Great timing! It's an old house with thick walls. From the outside, it's impossible to imagine the charming rooms hidden behind the facade. Superbly refurbished, beautifully furnished condo's with the old low doors and windows really give the feeling of a cosy doll's house. And because of the thick walls, it's wonderfully cool as well. Perfect for escaping this afternoon's heat. And to put the previous stages on the website, as we are already at stage 50 - a nice round number. We wonder for a moment "where were we at stage 50 last year?". We were then at the end of the Jura, just before Lake Geneva. We had walked 1245 kilometers in 50 stages, now 1212 kilometers, both in exactly 85 days. And, especially at the beginning, with far too heavy backpacks, the wrong shoes, hardly any experience and little trained legs. We didn't do badly at all! But what two completely different treks these are. What a different landscape and what a different culture. And all this, for us at least, is experienced most intensly on foot! On to the next 50...
