We woke up to a heavy frost, minus 4 degrees and bright sunshine in Salamanca. As we only had a two hour drive of 125 miles, we set off without breakfast with a view to having brunch when we arrived in Caceres (pronounced Cath-area). As we progressed south we noticed the temps increase degree by degree, so that by the time we arrived we were glad to get our thermals off.
At Camping Caceres we have our own shower and toilet ‘house’ on our pitch which is unique for campsites which usually have a communal block. After brunch al fresco in the sunshine listening to the birds singing, we hopped on the bus and headed for the old town. The buses are punctual, clean and cheap, just £1 each way, and during siesta time they are empty.
Cáceres is a city in western Spain’s Extremadura region with a population of 96k (similar to Bath). The medieval walled city, the Ciudad Monumental, is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Founded by the Romans, it retains evidence of subsequent occupation by many different cultures, a mix of Gothic and Renaissance architecture, with cobbled medieval streets, fortified houses and palaces, encircled by 12th-century Moorish walls, including a watch tower, Torre del Bujaco.
The origins of Cáceres were in prehistoric times, as evidenced by the paintings in the Cueva de Maltravieso. The cave contains hundreds of paintings including the world’s oldest known cave painting which is a red hand stencil older than 67,000 years. This is 20,000 years before the known arrival of Homo Sapiens to Europe and therefore is believed to have been made by Neanderthals. Unfortunately the cave was closed on Mondays when we tried to visit.
