Stay, Stray, Play and Feast: Caceres at Night: A Walk Back in Time (Medieval Caceres Series 4)

Caceres at Night
A Walk Back in Time
Medieval Caceres Series 4

After a late lunch, which also served as an early dinner-
we returned to Apartamentos Turisticos Encanto to rest.

My wife and my young son decided to stay as the six- hour bus
travel from Lisbon exhausted them. Together with my teenage
daughter, we decided to explore the old town at nightfall as
it the best time to appreciate archaic splendor of Caceres.

Armed with a map provided by our apartment host,

…we began our exploration of the

old city at the Plaza Mayor.

Plaza Mayor, which serves as a portal to the

old town, is a magnificent huge public square.

Restaurants, bars, elegant arcades and souvenir shops

are set in excellently restored centuries old buildings.

From the Plaza Mayor, we accessed

the old town at the Arco de Estrella,

..the main entrance to the walled

enclosure to this medieval city.

Within its walls, we stood in awe,

…spellbound with the incredulous

sensation of stepping back in time.

A fabulous collection of medieval buildings,

… in an excellent state of conservation,

…that together with Prague in the Czech Republic and

Tallinn in Estonia, this place was declared by the Council of Europe

as the Third Monumental Complex of Europe in 1968,

…and earned the nickname as the

"Monumental City of Cáceres".

To avoid distraction, I set aside the map and decided
that we should just explore the city in the raw, and
enjoy getting lost in this hauntingly beautiful place,

…appreciate the sights and sounds of the lovely old town,

..and take pleasure of the strange

feeling of stepping back to the past.

We explored every street,

...every nook and cranny,

…alleyways,

…square,

…and alcoves reflecting the grandness

of a glorious by-gone era.

We walked on beautiful and narrow cobblestone alleys,

...and heard our footsteps echoing on the
brick lined walls of the ancient buildings.

It’s the beautiful sound of silence that makes
Caceres hauntingly stunning at night.

The old town is so beautiful, full of history, and it is a
wonder why Cáceres does not attract international
tourists and not as popular as other Spanish cities.

It is underrated and not recognized the way it should be.

We returned to our apartment after midnight, and my daughter
commented “It’s like we were in the Twilight Zone” referring to
the popular American macabre television series in the 60's
and the 70's often concluding with an unexpected grisly twist.

Indeed, Caceres at night made us return to the

past without having to use a time machine.

It is an experience I would never forget.

CamSur

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Caceres at Night: A Walk Back in Time (Medieval Caceres Series 4)

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