Extremadura

Since I slept through the last excursion our program went on to Segovia, I was especially excited for this one. It was a group trip to the community of Extremadura (the easiest and oversimplified way to explain Spain's toponymy is like so: there are 17 autonomous communities, which are like states; divided into 50 provinces, which are like counties; which are further divided into 8,014 municipalities, or cities) in western Spain. It was an overnight trip as well, and we would be visiting three different locations: Mérida, Cáceres, and Trujillo.

Even though I was excited just to get away for a weekend, I honestly wasn't that thrilled about the destination before we left. Extremadura really isn't known for anything too special, and the lifeless landscape on the drive there--which felt like a four hour roadtrip through the midwest--only added to my apathy. Luckily, I got to ride in the DISCOBUS, our term of endearment for the short bus for the twelve of us who didn't fit in to the other coach with everyone else, and we partied the whole way there. I learned some great Spanish car songs that I'll definitely be bringing back home with me.

Painting from 2,000 years ago... Loco. 

The first city we arrived in was Mérida, which is the capital of Extremadura, though you would have no idea by looking at it. It's a small city, but it has ruins that are still relatively intact from the Roman Empire. In America, the oldest man-made buildings and objects are only a couple of centuries old. I could hardly fathom that I was walking on paths that were actually used by people 2,000 years ago, or sitting in the room where they kept the lions/tigers/bears/etc. that were used to fight for public entertainment. I saw murals from the sides of the buildings, and it was overwhelming to imagine someone painting these images during the same time that Jesus was alive. It's so much easier to appreciate history when it is tactile and you can actually experience it.

Cáceres was an okay town. It's the second biggest city in Extremadura with a big student population, so we all went out to check out the nightlife. I was honestly too tired to really enjoy it and ended up leaving early, but I definitely appreciated that drinks are much cheaper there than in Madrid. The next day was just more tours of the city until we finally left for Trujillo.

Sleepy little town of Trujillo

We spent that shortest amount of time in Trujillo--only four hours total--and it was by far my favorite city. The population was minute, especially compared to Madrid. There, I live right downtown in the center of the city, where there are always people to see and places to go. Trujillo is a pueblo, and it fulfilled all of my expectations of a tiny European town: thin streets, cobblestone roads, church bells every hour. It was quaint and peaceful. I love my life in Madrid and living in a metropolitan area, but I had forgotten how relaxing the quiet countryside can be, or how nice it is to just be outside without being bothered by the constant hustle of city life.


I don't know if I could ever live in a place like Trujillo, but I could never live without it either.