Cáceres

Gordon:  Last night we stayed in the latest jewel in the UNESCO chain that we are following up the Via de la Plata: Cáceres.  There are layers of history in Cáceres, starting with the oldest known cave paintings.  The paintings formed by blowing pigment over hands in the Maltravieso Cave have been dated to 65,000 years before the present, which is earlier than the arrival of Homo Sapiens in Europe.  This means that another species, probably Neanderthals, also produced art.  We tried to visit the cave and associated museum on our way into town, but they were inexplicably closed.

Cáceres was another important Roman town, though there are fewer ruins that in Mérida.  The Muslims arrived in the 8th century, leaving some walls, towers and other constructions.  The Reconquista reached Cáceres in the 13th century, and the overall impression of the historical core is that it is a medieval city.  It was wonderful to get lost in the historical district early this morning, with no one else on the streets, and a fine mist coming down: very medieval.

We have had to slow down a little because of difficulty in arranging lodging.  As a result, we had another short day today, which left us with time to prepare a nice dinner we shared with a pilgrim from Germany, Denys.  We also took a tour of a cheese museum, though we had trouble following the rapid Spanish of our guide.  We have booked most of our accommodation for the next week, so we know that we will be in Salamanca for Easter.  Lots of 30+ km days to look forward to between now and then.