To say Extremadura is a beautiful place for a weekend getaway might be one of the biggest understatements I could come up with. Prior to this trip, I had no idea what Extremadura even was, but I can say it is one of the most beautiful and unique places I have ever seen.
Our program led us on this weekend excursion to Extremadura, a province north of Andalucia (the province Sevilla is in). We visited two cities in two and a half days and they were the epitome of small country towns, which was a polar opposite from last weekend in Barcelona.
We met our group early Friday morning and took off for Mérida, our first destination in Extremadura. Our group leader, Kepa, (practically our dad) led us on a tour of the “Teatro y Anfiteatro romanos” constructed in the second and third centuries! We got to sit where the Spanish Kings and Queens would once watch performances.
Castle in Trujillo
Las cigüeñas
Saturday morning we woke up bright and early ready for our big day of hiking. By big day I mean 10 miles of hiking! It’s something I have never done before, but it was absolutely amazing. I have always wanted to go hiking and have never really had the chance, but this five-hour adventure through the mountains could not have been better. We packed lunches and headed out into the wilderness in order to get to our next destination for the weekend, Guadalupe.
The paths were hardly paths, which was the best part. We followed Kepa at a brisk pace who has been doing this for years, and worked up a nice sweat. The views of the water reservoirs, the cliffs and bosques (forests) were unbelievable.
Amazing buffet breakfast before the hike, best part about the hotels
Beginning of the hike
30 dedicated hikers
After a long day of 45-degree angles and single-file lines, we finally made it to our CASTLE of a hotel. What a great reward. It was technically a Monastery built in the 14th century that Queen Isabela and Ferdinand used to stay at back in the day, so we felt like royalty.
Sunday morning we got a tour of the Monastery (for those who don't know, it's where Monks live). We got to see gowns and crowns worn by La Virgen Guadalupe. One of the Monks that lives there took us into a sacred room where I got to kiss La Virgen Guadalupe while he gave me a blessing. It was the perfect ending to a perfect weekend.
The Monastery in Guadalupe
Extremadura is definitely going in the books for top weekends so far. From the ancient Roman theaters, to the 15 Km hike, to the night in a 14th century Monastery, I don't think the weekend could have gone better. The peace and tranquility that Extremadura has is a whole different world compared to everything else I've seen in Spain. It was nice to get away from the city life and venture into the quiet, mountainous countryside of Spain.
I remember at one point while we toured the castle at sunset, I looked down and saw a man herding his sheep into a tiny rustic shack for feeding time. It was one of those indescribable moments when you realize not everyone in the world revolves themselves around technology, and things like an elderly man herding sheep do actually exist in some places of the world. And as if me standing on a castle wasn't enough, seeing this was yet another wonderful reminder that I was in Europe.
The weeks are starting to fly now that I have been so busy. We already have midterms this week, and much more weekend getaways ahead. Needless to say, life is good. I guess I should try and study now, considering that's what I'm here for...right?
¡Ciao!
No comments:
Post a Comment