Caceres: A side trip from my side trip

November 22, 2017

I took the train from Merida to Caceres, about an hour train ride north. Caceres dates to Roman times, but the old city that exists today is medieval. It has 14th and 15th century castles and churches. And hills that withstand the passing of time!

I didn't do too well with my sightseeing plan. The tourist office was not where it showed on my map. I went into the fancy hotel nearby, and they said it used to be there, but wasn't any longer. I found my way to the Plaza Mayor, where the office is now, getting lost several times on what should have been a 5 minute walk. In the office, they weren't especially helpful. So I just wandered around the old city and took a few photos. I didn't go into any of the churches, so I guess I missed a lot of the reason to visit Caceres. I did go to the old Jewish quarter. The synagogue had been converted to the Hermitage of San Antonio in 1470, as noted in a plaque, but I didn't see anything Jewish left behind in the neighborhood. Certainly not any good Jewish food like I had hoped to find.

The Caceres Museum was close by, so I went there. It is a nice museum, and has relics that span the eras, but doesn't give the history of the town that I had hoped for. So the town was interesting, but I didn't have the day I had hoped for. If I were to go back, I would opt for a guided tour. Not that anyone tried to sell me one this time. I think they are more accustomed to Spanish tourists.

The old cistern under the museum, no flash photography allowed. It was cool, both literally and figuratively. I thought it was the best thing about the museum.

In the modern Spanish art section of the museum, "Maternity" by Alberto Sanchez, 1956-58.

In the modern city, there was a photography exhibit on the street. Nice black and white photos from nature all around the world. The exhibit is called Genesis. I'm not sure whether Sebastiao Salgado was the photographer or assembled the exhibit.

I took the afternoon train back to Merida, where I settled into my new, smaller room at the hotel. I bought some things at the supermarket for dinner in my room. I haven't adjusted to the Spanish dinner-starts-at-9 routine. It's hard to find a meal between 4 and 9 pm, and my do it yourself approach works okay, although would be better with a kitchen.

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