Pictures of Cáceres

Happy Christmas Eve! We're taking things pretty easy around here today. Some are currently hiking up a mountain (on a road) this afternoon. I don't trust my stomach enough to go (had a bad time last night and things haven't quite settled down yet). When they get back, we will be meeting Emily's host family and having dinner with them. It is very nice and sunny out today. For this post, I've picked out photos sights around Cáceres, mostly the old city and I'll give a short description for each. Yesterday we went to Mérida but that warrants its own separate photo post.

The three sisters, opposite of Arco de la Estrella.

A wooden door leading to ... bricks? Sarah's hand through the slit can touch the barrier beyond. Why the need to preserve the door after walling in whatever it used to lead to is a mystery indeed.

 

The Alworth family just outside of the old city walls near the Jewish Quarters.

Colin for sale at the market! This colin is a type of fish, not slabs of my Colin.

River of umbrellas in one of the two passage ways along the long line of regular weekly market stalls. Got great deals on leggings (1 euro each), pashmina (2 euros each), zip-up fleece top (7 euros), and a brimmed hat (6 or 7 euros).

Do not fear, fellow Americans: these are costumes of individual religious orders in Cáceres which are worn during a parade. The different groups each carry a large float usually with a figure of Christ or Mary and plants on them as they trudge slowly through the streets. The hoods are to show humility.

This is Papa trying out a weighted example of the wooden supports for the floats.

The ceiling of an underground cistern, where water has collected for many years. Cisterns were a large part of the water supply as far back in Cáceres's history as is known.

Stairs leading from street- to water-level inside the cistern (not navigable anymore, at least for the average tourist).

Colin and Papa walking down the street, having one of their many conversations.