Mérida

April 17, 2022

One of our concerns today was getting out hands on some food because almost every grocery store has been closed for the Easter Weekend. So when we reached Almendralejo, about ten kilometers from Aceuchal, we Googled any stores that might be open. Fortunately we found a small Dia that was open and I was able to buy some food, a couple of beers and a very poor substitute for Easter Eggs.

Leigh wanted and Easter Egg for the Little Wire Bicycle but they seem to be unavailable in Extremadura, although I suspect they would be easy to find in the little British enclaves scattered across parts of Andalucia.

The countryside is covered in vineyards yet there has been little sign of any wineries up until now. Today we saw the first signs for bodegas and wine co-operatives.

After leaving Almendralejo we mostly followed the N-630 to Mérida. It was straight, flat and boring but was easy, stress-free riding. We occasionally detoured onto the path used by pilgrims walking the Via de la Plata, sometimes with surprising results. On one of these we passed close by a vehicle parked in the road, with a man looking after a dog on one side and, on the other, a woman vigorously masturbating. Leigh said I should have taken a photo for my journal but I was too busy trying not to fall off my bicycle from laughter. The thing that upset me most was that she didn't call out the standard pilgrim greeting of "Buen Camino".

We made sure we entered Mérida via the Roman bridge that crosses Rio Guadiana. It claims to be the longest Roman bridge still standing and our photos only capture part of it.

As we got to the bridge we spied a bike packer on a unicycle. So we stopped and had a long conversation. He was on his way to Santiago on the Via de la Plata as well.

The northern half of the bridge. The southern half is largely over dry land so I suspect the course of the river may have changed a bit over the last two thousand years,

We have an apartment about two kilometers west of the old city for the next three nights and we plan to visit as many of the remains of Roman Mérida as possible.

Today's ride: 42 km (26 miles)
Total: 744 km (462 miles)

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