It’s been a helluva ride in more ways than one this year. No sooner had I wheeled my bike off the ferry than I was unceremoniously bumped back into full time employment as a spreadsheet jockey. The contract will last, perhaps, until November, but on the grounds that you can’t really turn down a short term job if it is offered (it will help pay for the bike trip)…..
So with it goes the stress of learning a new role, even a temporary one, and I have hardly had time to bask in my own glory, warmed by wonderful memories. However, I do find myself having odd flashbacks. I’ll be jockeying away merrily when suddenly my mind will be filled with a memory or an image from the ride. Mrs.Monkey warned me that the experience would be “full on stimulation”, and perhaps she is proving to be right.
And so my preamble leads me to the first of my post-ride updates which would have demanded more bandwidth (and time) than I could have managed on the ride itself.
People have lived around Caceres since pre-historic times. Once the Romans had left thus began a long decline until the Arabs took over in the 8th century. The Arabs rebuilt the city and there is much evidence of this golden period still to be found today. The Christians took it back in the 13th century, such was the too-ing and fro-ing of inter-religious warfare even then, allowing the establishment of a prominent Jewish quarter until they themselves were expelled in the 15th century. But Cáceres flourished once more and became the capital of the province, marking a period of growth which was halted by the Spanish Civil War.
The old town, within old walls dating back centuries, is an absolute joy to wander, and Caceres was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. If you get the opportunity, wander it yourselves and dream of past glories, Arab and Christian……. in the meantime, take a stroll with me through the early morning streets of Caceres.
(The images were all taken with my iPad and have only been auto sharpened in Photoshop. Other sharpeners are available.)
singlemaltmonkey 
❤ world heritage sites 🙂