Back end of Spain: highly recommended!

After our fantastic climb of El Pelado, we are heading towards Portugal, which is only a few hours away.

Spending six weeks in Guisando has been a luxury, we are so lucky. It is now time to move on and continue our travels to El Algarve, Portugal.

We are taking the route through Extremadura. This county has been known as the black, deep end of Spain. It has unfairly gained this reputation for being a deprived and backwards region. For years, this part of Spain has been at the bottom of the list for holiday makers. This is precisely what makes it so beautiful. The lack of tourists has kept this area unspoilt and untouched.

Extremadura has a lot to offer, from walking routes, to traditional gastronomy and quiet villages where the time seems to stand still. If you want to know the real Spain, we recommend you come here.

On our way down to Portugal, we are planning to stop in three towns: Plasencia, Merida y Badajoz.

The Valle del Jerte is a really beautiful valley which we first visited together on our second trip to Spain. It is the other side of the mountains from Guisando, a good three hours away, so we have only returned maybe three times. What makes this valley so special is the cherry trees. They cover every available patch of land. And where there are cherry trees, at a certain time of year, you will get cherry blossom. Spring is amazing in the Valle del Jerte, but so is the road. You make your way up to a mountain pass, Puerto Tornavacas, a fairly straight not too steep road. But as you hit the other side of the pass is snakes down really steeply, with numerous switchbacks. You go slow down these roads, you don’t need to go fast, the landscape doesn’t want you to miss it.

It was a bit of a shock to see the latest road widening program here, with each corner being ironed out to enable you to take it at speed. Now I am sure there is good reason to spend all that money here, I am sure surveys have been taken, impact assessments written and studies undertaken. All the accidents that must of occurred along these stretches, as inebriated young Spanish men lost there male pride, unceremoniously wrapping themselves around cherry trees. Or maybe it is to enable farmers, up against the clock, getting their cherries to market sixteen minutes earlier than they used to. I am sure many will benefit, but maybe this is the last time we will really drive this road and experience the beauty of the trees! GDR

We are enjoying driving along endless, straight roads and impressive barren and parched landscapes of Extremdura.

Because of its arid and dry soil, this area is highly productive in olive and cork trees. In fact, most of the cork used for the wine bottles in La Rioja, Ribera del Duero and other main wine regions in Spain comes from this area.

The famous ‘jamon iberico’ (high quality serrano ham) also comes from this region. Black pigs are left to their own devices to feed themselves from acorns, the fruit produced by the cork trees.

These are very different from the English oak tree, much smaller. GDR

As we are driving south, the weather becomes warmer and sunnier. Gary reckons I won’t be willing to leave this part of Europe until spring, when it gets warmer further north. He may be right!

We arrive at Plasencia at around 11.00 am. We don’t know much about this town. Let’s see what it has to offer.

We park Dora close to the centre of the town, we won’t be around Plasencia more than an hour. When I go to get my parking ticket from the machine, I notice that it is not working, I can’t pay. I shall take a photo of the machine to prove it was out of order in case we get penalised. I don’t trust the Spanish police. They take any opportunity and excuse to charge the public and pump up the funds for the dry public accounts.

We walk towards the centre. Surprisingly, it has a historic quarter, well maintained.

Quick stop in the main square. Many people are sitting around the numerous bars, with sunglasses, laying backwards in their chairs, getting roasty-toasty in the sun. No hurry, no worries, anything urgent can wait.

We join them.

The town buildings offer two very different architectural styles: romans and mudejar (islamic).

I am getting impressed with this cute, little town.

The obigatory hotel Parador, it seems empty. They are in a bit of trouble. They need more American tourists here! GDR

And the storks are back. I love storks, clack, clack clack of the long bills, such a beautiful sound. GDR

Orange trees are planted all over the town. We soon learn that these trees are a common feature in this region. Orange trees are particularly beautiful. We like the contrast between the green deep olive colour of their leaves and the vivid colour of their fruit. They are perfect to make the grey and gloomy winter a bit brighter. No gloom here though, just bright blue skies.

Plasencia is a walled town. Shame we cannot walk along it, a very enjoyable walk though.

And heading further south we se these amazing bridges being constructed over the Rio Tajo. Look how the cranes are perched on top of the arches they are constructing, while the towers grow, new wires are extended down to support the arch and the crane. Amazing engineering. What is strange about these roads is that there is another motorway just a few kilometres away, so I am not sure what this one is about.GDR.

We are now heading towards Merida. In the distance we spot ‘el toro de osborne’. A profile of a black bull used by the Osborne wineries which are famous for their sherry. It has now become an emblematic icon of the Spanish motorways.

I am looking forward to our second stop, Merida. I have heard so much about this town. It is famous for its classic theatre festival and its roman remains. As a theatre lover, I used to follow their festival programme every summer, I would have loved to attend. Never made it though, too expensive and too far from Talavera, my hometown at the time.

We have got here and been able to park easily. We start to walk. Not impressed so far. We have not found anything special about it. Suddenly we come across the signs to the roman ruins. We follow them.

We eventually get to the theatre and the amphitheatre, where the festival takes place. It costs €13 to enter. As it is already five o’clock in the evening we decide that it is not really worth paying the money considering they close in half an hour. So we walk back to Dora. I am afraid, we have not taken any photos as nothing has really caught our attention in this town.

We drive back through and take a photo from Dora. Not that successful!

We continue to drive to Badajoz. I am not particularly convinced about this town. My gut feeling is that it will not have a great deal to offer. As it is only half an hour from Portugal, it could be the utilitarian border town, half way between Spain and Portugal, lacking personality and character.

We get here in the morning, do a bit of shopping, feed Dora with cheap diesel and gas and head off to do some sightseeing in the afternoon.

Well, another walled town. This time, walkable on the top. So we go up, to enjoy great views of the town.

Although the capital of the country of Extremadura, Badajoz looks pretty rural around the historic area.

Nice garden packed with citrus fruity trees.

It is quite nice, similar style of that of Plasencia. A bit more Islamic and less roman.

One of the main square, really reflects the memories when muslims invaded Spain back in the XIII century. Quite cheerful and colourful.

One of the streets which ends in the main square seems to be covered with squares of fabric to protected from the sun. The patterns look beautiful. Very creative.

We come across the tourist office and pop in. “We are here for an hour” we tell the staff member. “What can we see around Badajoz?”. He hesitates. “Well, with such an amount of time and at four o’clock in the afternoon…” he struggles. We know we make things really difficult for them.

He suggests we mustn’t leave Badajoz without seeing the wall and the park adjacent to it. We have already been there. This is where we parked Dora. Now what? He gives us directions towards the cathedral and the Catholics kings square. Ok, let’s go.

We reach first the main square, very disappointing. A main road goes through it. The cathedral looks more like a small church. We continue south to see the Catholics kings square, the second recommendation from the guide.

On the way down, Gary gets caught by a modern building, a library.

We finally get to the Catholic kings square. We take a quick photo of the gate and get back to Dora. One hour sightseeing is good enough for us, even when we are enjoying the town.

That is about it of our last day driving along Spain. We are now looking forward to the next country, Portugal, from which we are only half an hour again.

Bye-bye Spain, see you in a month’s time.

SM