Mérida

SUNDAY

Arriving in Mérida is uncomplicated  following a ruta ciclista most of the way from Cáceres.

Aljucén is one of few small towns on the road. The church built by the Order of the Knights of Santiago in part to commemorate the expulsion of the Arabs from Spain. The Reconquista. 

Roman Emerita Augusta now Mérida was historically a major Roman town, even considered the Rome of Spain, built on the Via de la Plata ie the name given to the Roman road from gold/silver mines in Asturias in the North of Spain to Cadiz the major port in the south. The name remains and is the route of one of the caminos to Santiago. In fact the longest camino route in Spain stretching over 1,000kms. Consequently fewer peregrinos. One of those, an Italian called Francesco, I've remained in touch with years after crossing paths with him on the Via de la Plata in Benavente nearer Santiago. His journey inspired me to travel more of this camino I've now joined.

An unexpected reservoir of water created by a Roman dam fed water to the city and the monumental Los Milagros aqueduct has survived in part.

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