All in One Day

We had one last day in Cáceres to visit the sites that were closed on Sunday and Monday so on Tuesday, we made the most of it. Our first stop was the Cáceres Museo. It is partially closed for renovations but free. The small museum was sparse on objects but everything is nicely displayed…sometimes less is more. We saw a small collection of prehistoric artifacts, gold jewelry, bronze armor and locally made ceramics. The second floor displayed  some wonderful contemporary art.

We liked this cheerful piece, titled A La Fiesta del Pueblo created in 1916 by Spanish artist Eugenio Hermosillo Martinez.

And this one titled Turner y La National Gallery by Equipo Cronica. It seems as if we are looking down the hallway when in fact, it’s the painting.

This pigeon was looking in while we were looking out! Adding that pigeons are a big nuisance here – a city with many outdoor dining options and too many pigeons looking for leftovers.

One of the main attractions here is an underground cistern which was unfortunately closed for renovations.

The 15th-century Gothic Cathedral of Santa Maria was our next stop. It has a prominent place in the city and is beautifully lit at night.

The bell tower is one of the prominent features. We walked to the top for a view of the city.

Inside, Gothic style archways and a beautifully carved wooden alterpiece are especially impressive. The well-done audio guide highlighted the important  features of the cathedral.

One of our favorite sights was the Cáceres Arabian House Museum. A local resident bought the building in the 1960’s and made it his residence. During a construction project he discovered the remains of an Arab dwelling erected on an ancient Roman site which dated back to the 12th century. His dream was to make it a house museum – which took him fifteen years to complete. He did extensive research to discover more of Caceres’ ancient past. Now, his children have taken over his endeavor and continue to open the museum to any curious travelers who pass by.

Our last full day in Caceras was interesting and adventure-filled but it was time to move on.

This morning we picked up our rental car and drove 2.5 hours to Evora, Portugal. It’s been many years since we visited Portugal and Evora is a new destination for us!  We are looking forward to more adventures!