Day 9 Torremejia to Merida

A short day today because Merida has a lot to see. Merida was an important Roman city and seems to have decided from an early point not to knock down the old stuff in the name of modernisation. The people who decided that, for example, parts of historic Oxford City Centre would be improved by demolition followed by erecting a nice grey concrete and glass cube, never made it to Extremadura.

The name is actually Latin in origin - formed in 25BC as a veterans colony, hence Emerita Augusta. And to cross the river into the city, pilgrims walk over the Puente Romano, the longest Roman bridge in the world and in daily use. These boys could build.

Lunch was at the Cafe Barbarossa in Plaza de Espana and then on to drop the rucksack at a nice apartment. Clean and modern but like much of the accommodation quite dark as the key architectural concern is clearly to lessen the strength of the brutal summer sun. And then things to see: a temple to Diana. An amazing museum, certainly the best I have ever seen dedicated to Roman artifacts. An amphitheatre.

Oh and dinner next to a Trajan-era 45ft high arch casually spanning the road. Restaurant unsurprisingly called A de Arco and excellent tapas.

In England, this stone would have long ago been reused. All credit to the inhabitants of Merida who preserved all of this for us to enjoy.