Merida

Wow !! an early morning gift! A beautiful way to start my day. The orange and red glow of the sunrise, iluminating in vivrant colours the Aqueduct, 1 km past Merida.

It was not planned or anticipated. This morning I left my Merida bed, the earliest of any of my walking days. Taking me to the Aqueduct at the beautiful sunrise. The aqueduct is 800 m long, 25 m high, 37 arches...and to think that it was built by the romans in the first century BC amazing !!! Trully beautiful. 

My afternoon in Merida yesterday was perfect and relaxing. Merida was founded by the Romans and named "Ermita Agusta" together with Tarragona in Cataluña were very important cities in the Roman Empire.

The entrance to Merida is through the roman bridge which I thoughtvit was 600 m long, but now I read that it is 790 m long and the longest roman bridge in existance.

The Alcazaba, is a fortification built by the Muslims, later when they conquered this part of Spain.

The Roman theater dating from 15 BC is incredibly well preserved. Nearby the amphiteather, where I can imagine the gladiators combating and entretaining the public. I read that this amphiteather could hold 16,000 expectators. The Roman circus, which was used for the horse and carriages raising and could hold, I read, 30,000 spectators. Wow !!! And the Roman museum with stone figures, mosaics and the remains of the Roman home life.

Truly an afternoon filled with history, as I walk the narrow streets of this beautiful small city filled with stories of time.

The 20 km. walk from Merida to Aljucen, very nice, rolling fields with grasses, grazing sheep, horses, cows.

I passed the large reservoir that fed the aqueduct in the Roman times and continues to be a water source in this very dry region of Spain. I have been walking from Merida with two nice piligrims from Germany and Ireland, they continue walking as we arrived at 12 noon and their bodies and strength can walk another 20 km. I am happy to stay in this quiet peaceful village of painted white houses with deep blue accents.

Slowly, one a at time, four other woman, one from Germany, Holland, France and USA arrive. Each one of us walking the Camino alone and will share the evening meal in this very nice familly home. Aljucen is very small, has a chuch, grocery store, pharmacy and a café in the center of town.