Jan 13th, 2011 at 1:30PM:
Spain is known for its rich history, fine art, and excellent cuisine. By staying at a government-owned Parador, you can get all three right in your hotel.
Just look at this shot by Michael Stallbaum . This castle in Zafra, Extremadura, dates to 1437 and was once home to a duke. It's the sort of place where you'd expect to pay a few euros, get your ticket stamped, and line up for the guided ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
exploringextremadura posts
Paradores: the historic luxury hotels of Spain
Jan 13th, 2011 at 1:30PM:
Spain is known for its rich history, fine art, and excellent cuisine. By staying at a government-owned Parador, you can get all three right in your hotel.
Just look at this shot by Michael Stallbaum . This castle in Zafra, Extremadura, dates to 1437 and was once home to a duke. It's the sort of place where you'd expect to pay a few euros, get your ticket stamped, and line up for the guided ...Top five castles of Extremadura, Spain
Jan 10th, 2011 at 9:00AM:
Spain is one of the best countries in the world to see castles. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Iberian peninsula was split between various Christian states and the Moors, Muslim invaders from North Africa. These factions fought and traded with each other in a constantly changing network of political alliances. Leaders protected their domains with castles and walled cities. One of the hot ...The food and wine of Extremadura, Spain
Jan 4th, 2011 at 12:30PM: One of the best things about traveling around Spain is trying out the various regional cuisines. Here in Extremadura, in the southwestern part of the country, the people are known for the quality of their cuisine.
First off, there are these shapely pig legs pictured on the right. Cured and ready to be cut into thin slices, this is called jamón, and is a personal favorite of mine. In a ...The Visigoths: Spain's forgotten conquerors
Dec 31st, 2010 at 2:30PM: When most people think of the fall of the Roman Empire, they think of hordes of howling barbarians swarming over the frontier and laying waste to civilization. That's only partially true. In reality, many tribes were invited, and even those that weren't came with their families not just to conquer, but to settle. This is why historians prefer the term "Migration Period". And although these tribes ...More Roman heritage from Mérida, Spain
Dec 30th, 2010 at 9:30AM: In the Extremaduran city of Mérida, it feels like at any moment you're going to turn a corner and meet an ancient Roman. Sometimes that almost happens.
This fellow was at the Museo Nacional de Arte Romano, a world-class museum featuring Roman statues, mosaics, and other artifacts. Built by the famous architect Rafael Moneo Vallés, it looks like an old Roman basilica, with lofty ...Exploring ancient Rome in Mérida, Spain
Dec 28th, 2010 at 2:30PM:
It's Christmas. What do you get an avid traveler who used to be an archaeologist?
For my wife the answer is obvious--a trip to a Roman city!
So here we are in Mérida, capital of the province of Extremadura in Spain, not far from the Portuguese border. In Roman times it was called Emerita Augusta and was capital of the province of Lusitania. This province took up most of the western ...
