Extremes

Spain is made up of a series of autonomous communities. While they are all united under the flag of Spain, each region is rich in its own culture. Foods, drinks, clothes, dance- all aspects of culture are unique in these different provinces. One of Spain’s most underrated provinces is Extremadura. Literally meaning “extreme hardness”, this land seems to be lost in the collective mind of Spain. Nestled between Portugal and Madrid, Extremadura boasts beautiful land and rich food. Extremadura wasn’t on my “must-see” list, but I was pleasantly surprised with my visit.

The first stop on this weekend trip was Merida, the location of some amazingly intact Roman ruins. There is a complete amphitheater and sporting ring, as well as an impressive museum showing a myriad of artifacts.

We journeyed on from Merida to Trujillo, where we spent the nice in a castle. The small town just happened to have a medieval fair taking place, so we passed the night eating kebabs, drinking cider, and practicing our archery skills.

On Saturday, we packed up our things and filled our water bottles for a 16 km hike through the mountains to Guadalupe. The route we took is the route that Isabella used to cross to Portugal. In Guadalupe, which may be the smallest village in Spain, there is a monastery, where we spent our second night. La Hospederia de Monasterio was also the place that Isabel and Ferdinand and Carlos V stayed on the journey to marry Isabel of Portugal. There monastery was quiet and peaceful, and they served us a wonderful dinner. It is said that Napoleon took many of the recipes from Extremadura’s monasteries known for their culinary excellence back to France with him, which is why many of France’s dishes typify those of Extremadura.

Exploring and discovering are two verbs that characterize my life here in Spain. And while it is always fun, it is even more exciting to explore and discover places you might never hear about nor visit if it wasn’t for the abundant adventure of living in Spain.

http://picasaweb.google.com/sgauche, Espana, Part 9