This past weekend I visited Extremadura as our last API-sponsored excursion. As you can see in the map below, Extremadura is northwest of Andalucia and due north of Sevilla, which is located right below the "A" of Andalucia.
The region is very different from the south, as there are more mountains and farmland, and no real major cities to speak of. Therefore, the towns and pueblos we visited had a simpler and more relaxed feel to them. Frankly, it was refreshing. Looking around, I found that my romanticized conception of the tranquil Spanish countryside was rather accurate.
The first town we stayed in, Trujillo, featured a spectacular medieval fortress built between the 10th and 11th century. As soon as we dropped our bags at our hotel, we made our way uphill to the castle.
Myself and Pilar, my favorite of all my program directors (but that's between you and I *wink*).
Located at the highest point for miles around, the castle offered some spectacular views. Above, a gem of Trujillo. Note the church tower on the left. Our hotel was a ritzy joint converted from a 16th century building only a few years ago located 20 feet from the tower right in the main plaza.
It was beautiful to be able to look for miles in every direction. It was a serene change of pace from the city, and a Spain that I wish I had seen sooner.
Looking down, I couldn't help but think of Braveheart, and imagine a long row of Scots preparing for battle by lifting their kilts and shaking their bare asses at their enemies far off in the distance. For the sake of historical accuracy, a Scotsman would have no business fighting way down on the Iberian Peninsula, but the castle does predate William Wallace by a few centuries. The timing works, by the location doesn't.
After a pretty laid-back evening with my man Don Simon, a fine red wine from the carton valued at 95 euro cents, we had probably one of the most amazing buffet breakfasts I've had here and set out for our next destination.
This is Cañamero, a sleepy town north of Trujillo, and the starting point for our 16km (10 mile) hike to Guadalupe, where our next hotel was.
The scenic views were aplenty, here are just a few of the many pictures I took. Beyond the lake and the mountains in the picture above lay our eventually destination. It would take about five hours to get there.
Throughout the hike, the sun was beating down and I forgot my sunscreen, so like many others, I got burned pretty good. Because the sun was on our right side, I only was really burned on the right side of my face, neck, and the back of my leg. The disproportional redness was something to see.
If you look closely at this sign, you can almost make out a "p" and an "e." We took this to mean we were on course for
Guadalu-pe. Fortunately, we were correct.
Ah, a gentleman with rather pasty-white upper arms, squinting from the sunlight in his eyes, and awkwardly pointing toward Guadalupe in the distance. It was further away than it looked, probably mostly because I took a wrong the wrong road just before we made it into the town.
Guadalupe was a very quiet quaint town, and I thought the nice plants and shrubs on these balconies were picture-worthy.
In the distance you can see the towers of the Monasterio de Guadalupe (the monastery), which our hotel was part of. It was beautiful or perhaps as I might say
ballin' (a word that I use excessively instead of cool - for all you readers that may not be up on the latest trends in youth vernacular) to stay in such a grand Gothic-Mudejar structure.
A closer shot of the monastery.
The main courtyard of the hotel portion of the monastery which was really only separated by a few walls and a garden from the principle structure.
The view out of my room window. Though the rooms were small, I still felt like I was living a dream in a castle. To some extent I think I was.
The first town we stayed in, Trujillo, featured a spectacular medieval fortress built between the 10th and 11th century. As soon as we dropped our bags at our hotel, we made our way uphill to the castle.
Myself and Pilar, my favorite of all my program directors (but that's between you and I *wink*).
Located at the highest point for miles around, the castle offered some spectacular views. Above, a gem of Trujillo. Note the church tower on the left. Our hotel was a ritzy joint converted from a 16th century building only a few years ago located 20 feet from the tower right in the main plaza.
It was beautiful to be able to look for miles in every direction. It was a serene change of pace from the city, and a Spain that I wish I had seen sooner.
Looking down, I couldn't help but think of Braveheart, and imagine a long row of Scots preparing for battle by lifting their kilts and shaking their bare asses at their enemies far off in the distance. For the sake of historical accuracy, a Scotsman would have no business fighting way down on the Iberian Peninsula, but the castle does predate William Wallace by a few centuries. The timing works, by the location doesn't.
This is Cañamero, a sleepy town north of Trujillo, and the starting point for our 16km (10 mile) hike to Guadalupe, where our next hotel was.
The scenic views were aplenty, here are just a few of the many pictures I took. Beyond the lake and the mountains in the picture above lay our eventually destination. It would take about five hours to get there.
Throughout the hike, the sun was beating down and I forgot my sunscreen, so like many others, I got burned pretty good. Because the sun was on our right side, I only was really burned on the right side of my face, neck, and the back of my leg. The disproportional redness was something to see.
If you look closely at this sign, you can almost make out a "p" and an "e." We took this to mean we were on course for Guadalu-pe. Fortunately, we were correct.
Ah, a gentleman with rather pasty-white upper arms, squinting from the sunlight in his eyes, and awkwardly pointing toward Guadalupe in the distance. It was further away than it looked, probably mostly because I took a wrong the wrong road just before we made it into the town.
Guadalupe was a very quiet quaint town, and I thought the nice plants and shrubs on these balconies were picture-worthy.
In the distance you can see the towers of the Monasterio de Guadalupe (the monastery), which our hotel was part of. It was beautiful or perhaps as I might say ballin' (a word that I use excessively instead of cool - for all you readers that may not be up on the latest trends in youth vernacular) to stay in such a grand Gothic-Mudejar structure.
A closer shot of the monastery.
The main courtyard of the hotel portion of the monastery which was really only separated by a few walls and a garden from the principle structure.
The view out of my room window. Though the rooms were small, I still felt like I was living a dream in a castle. To some extent I think I was.
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