Day 8 - Torremejía to Mérida – 16km

My albergue in Torremejía felt very different from the previous one since I hadn’t met anyone there before, except a Dutch guy called Robert, who I met in Fuente de Cantos two days ago. Most people seemed to be speaking Spanish or French, but they were all very friendly to me.  

Breakfast was provided by the host, and I guessed there might be a bit of a scrum to get coffee and toast. So, I was up early, finished and out before the dining room was filled with chatter and the smoke from burnt toast. I said my cheery goodbyes: 'au revoir' and 'buen Camino'!  
The official route today led me back to the N-630. Along the way, I spotted three Common Cranes flying near the road. When they’re airborne, they really do look like prehistoric flying dinosaurs! Then, I glanced to my right and saw a row of streetlights—nearly every one had a Common Crane or two perched on top! The power pylons also had defenses at their peaks to deter nesting.  
About halfway through, my route veered off the N-630, taking me onto a rougher track to the right. It was great to be away from the road, even though it wasn’t long before my shoes were caked in mud, and my socks were wet.  

After a couple of hours, I approached the historic city of Mérida, walking beside the river before crossing into the city via a Roman bridge. I lost count of how many arches it had, but it really is an amazing structure.  
I spent the rest of the morning wandering around the city, exploring the Roman ruins and visiting the Museum of Roman Art. The museum had some huge mosaic tiled floors which were hung on the walls. It was amazing how they had done it. I particularly like the one with a guy in his chariot.
Everything was incredibly fascinating, though I only managed to see a fraction of the sights the city has to offer.  
After checking into my hotel and sorting myself out for the day, I went out for lunch. The restaurant was very Spanish, and I had no idea what I was ordering! In the end, I was served a lovely chicken soup, some beef with a few chips, and a delicious chocolate cake for dessert.  

The afternoon was spent back at the hotel, taking a much-needed rest.

Comments

  1. Anonymous27 March 2025 at 21:47

    Showing my total ignorance of history, I hadn't expected that you would be seeing so much Roman scenery ... and cranes as well. KMK

    ReplyDelete
  2. MartinV28 March 2025 at 11:46

    Yes Mérida is a lovely city with a surprising amount of Roman arcitecture still surviving

    ReplyDelete

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