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 Europe |
 "It used to be that we raised the pigs here and then shipped them off to have them cured; they then put their sticker on the product and became famous and rich for our pigs!" the bartender told me as he served a mouthwatering 'tapa' of Iberian Ham to accompany the local red wine. "Things are changing though," he continued as he cut more ham from the cured leg that had been hanging on the wall, "We've recently set up set up a dryer and now we raise and cure it all here." Even though Extermadura in western Spain on the border with Portugal is home to what could be the most delicious ham on earth, few beyond its borders have heard of this region. Strangely enough, because its citizens have not only been shipping off their resources so that others can profit, but for centuries have also been shipping off their own to distant lands and somehow becoming lost and forgotten in the process. |
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The most famous or infamous--depending on where you were raised--of these emigrants was an illegitimate son of a minor nobleman who set off from these parched lands back in 1504 en route to then undiscovered Mexico, a man named Hernan Cortes. Generations of Extremadurans have since followed in his footsteps, from fellow conquistador Francisco Pizarro to the hundreds of thousands of people whose descendants now make up large portions of the richer and more well-known Spanish regions of Catalonia and the Basque Country. Masses that have been forced to leave this land whose name translates to Extremely Hard, in search of their own golden Mexicos. |
| The underlying irony is that this oblivion has so-far saved this region from the intense development that blights huge swathes of the Spanish countryside. In a country with a population of 45 million that receives more than 60 million tourists a year, finding a place that could be described as off-the-beaten-path is challenging to say the least. However this lost corner of Spain could be the last refuge of the Spain that Hemingway once rhapsodized about, the Spain you had dreamed about before the concrete coasts destroyed your vision of Spanish castles. |
 As the bartender mentioned, things are changing in this arid, rural area. A gleaming four-lane highway now runs southwest through the cork trees from Madrid, bringing tourists to the region of Extremadura in just over three hours. A journey that used to feel like a trip to the end of the world if not a trip back in time, can now be done in a weekend. A promised high-speed rail link is also in the works, or at least it was before the crisis bit and bit hard in Spain. It will be a link that will put the region within an hour and a half of the nation's capital and even make day trips a possibility. |
The World Heritage City of Caceres: Two of the jewels in the local tourist crown are thanks in large part to two of those emigrants that left in search of fame and fortune. The UNESCO world heritage cities of Caceres and Trujillo can boast of being two of the best preserved Medieval cities in the world, and at only 48 kms (30 miles) from each other, they are a great place to start when exploring the region.  The city of Caceres is located in an area that has been inhabited for millennia. Digs in caves on the outskirts of the city have revealed that people have been living in the area for at least 3500 years. Much later it was used a base by the Romans and was then was further developed by the Arabic Almohad empire as it expanded out from Cordoba. Tenth century towers that were built by the same engineers who designed Fes in Morocco still stand guard around the old city. Luxurious sixteenth century palaces that were built with gold bounty brought back from mines in the Americas line the narrow winding streets, making the city seem like a film set rather than a place where people actually live. The less well known grandees of the area have left these old centers basically intact. The millions of sword shops that fence with each other in Toledo and the paella restaurants that clog the coast seem as distant as Cortes' conquest while you walk these streets. Depending on the time of year that you visit, it is easy to feel that you really are discovering a place for the first time.Caceres Celebrates: As Caceres is vying to be Spain's representative for the European Capital of Culture in 2016, the normally active festival calendar is even more jam packed. The festivities start over Easter when the city becomes a maze of religious processions that clank and sway through the city streets throughout the week.
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| The World Class City of Mérida:A step back a little further in time shows us that the area didn't just come into flower with the conquest of Mexico and Peru, but was also of interest to the Romans, this time for silver rather than gold. The third gem in Extremdura's tourist crown is the UNESCO city of Mérida, Roman capital of Lusitania 2000 years ago. Here a now beautifully ruined aqueduct once brought vital water sources to a city that had a bigger population back when the emperor Trajanus was calling the shots. Plays and concerts still grace the Roman theatre's stage throughout the summer, and a wonderful museum shows the thousands of sculptures and mosaics that have been found in the area. |
| If three world class UNESCO sites weren't enough, the relative obscurity of the area has also resulted in another plus, surrounding the cities with some of the most pristine natural spaces left in Europe. Underdevelopment has left the countryside relatively intact, including a national park that is one of the last remaining remnants of Mediterranean forest left in the entire basin. |
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Humans haven't been the only ones to take advantage of this land. Every year, millions of birds en route from their Nordic realms stop over here on their way to nearby, almost tangible Africa. Some of the best birdwatching in Europe can be done just a half hour's drive from Caceres in Montfrague National park and the surrounding areas. The cities themselves are perfect for urban birding, with huge stork nests outnumbering spires and gargoyles. |
| Back in the bar enjoying the gatronomic bliss of the cured ham that melts in your mouth, surrounded by menus that are only in Spanish, I had a warm feeling. While it may have been the potent local wine served by the proud bartender, it could also have been the satisfaction of finding a place that still feels its own, a place where there just might still be a few Spanish castles. |
Photo Credits: Troy Nahumko, Photo of Cortes contributed |
About the Author: Troy Nahumko is a proponent of Deep Travel who reluctantly TEFL's from his Almohad base in Spain when he's not traveling. Visit his blog, NoNotFar (http://nonotfar.blogspot.com) |
