Like so many before me, I was seduced by the history of this Roman Road where Roman millarios (their mile markers) still stand. It was built to move troops and supplies north through the untamed province of Extremadura and to bring south tin, silver, and other treasures from the north to the south of the Mediterrranean. At its height, this route was traveled by soldiers, traders, citizens, and by the Arab invaders while they were in Spain, as well as by re-conquering armies trying to drive them out, and by pilgrims on their way to Santiago. Mérida, by the way, is purported to be home to more Roman ruins than any other city outside of Italy.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures when I traveled this route in 2007. I started the route during Semana Santa in Seville and the festivities were overwhelming. I ended this adventure of over 200 miles in Salamanca. Rather than completing this route, I jumped over to Lisbon, Portugal and completed the Portuguese Camino in May 2014.
Kurt on the Via de la Plata.
Above are two of Kurt’s walking buddies, Gerhard Treiber and Ralf Backhaus.
The religous processions in Seville during Semana Santa started our adventure. They also took place in many of the smaller towns along the way.
One of Kurt’s first sightings ever of a cork tree. Here you can see that it had been harvested, something that’s repeated every seven years.
Another unusual site in the province of Extremadura is the number of black porkers. They’re the source of the tasty jamon iberico–it obtains its dark color from the acorns the pigs eat.
Above and below are samples of Roman ruins in Merida.
Above is an aqueduct coming in from the north. The picture was in the early hours of the morning as we were leaving Merida.
5 Comments
Hallo Kurt! Buen Camino Gerhard
Ich hab Dir eben ueber diese Pilgerfahrt im Weihnachtsbrief geschrieben. Wie bist Du daran gestossen?
K
Per Google! Gerhard
Hi Kurt ! What a lucky mam are you and you deserve it. If
you ever plan to re-do the Camino de la plata I am a candidate to
follow you from Sevilla to Santiago. Keep contact Jean
Hola Kurt,
alles Gute auf Deinem weiteren Weg nach Santiago!
Gerhard