One of the main goals of my recent visit to Spain was to see the Roman ruins at Mérida. The Romans had a substantial settlement here, large enough to support an amphitheater and a theater side by side. There was also a handsome temple for the goddess Diana, among others. Naturally they needed a bridge to cross the river and sundry other structures such as an acqueduct to support their living requirements and commerce. The following video shows some of the things I saw.
Impressive, aren’t they? I was very impressed to say the least. Plus, there is a museum with hundreds of artifacts on display to give you a thorough understanding of the context in which these structures existed.
The town itself offers a menagerie of restaurants and shops, everything from trinkets to quality gifts. I would recommend a full day here, morning to late afternoon.
Roman Ruins, Mérida
I’m Sleeping!
One thing that many people neglect while traveling is a fair amount of rest. Of course you’re excited to be on a journey, inspired by all the new things you see, and don’t want to miss anything. But if you’re run down, it won’t be long before your travel experience deteriorates. Make time in your schedule for the occasional nap or even half an hour with your feet up and a glass of ice-cold Coca-Cola. While in Níjar, Spain, I spotted this cat, who had the right idea.
He found a place to tuck himself in and get some much-needed rest. That’s the idea. Afterward, I’m sure he was ready to prowl the rest of the day and night, doing those essential things that cats do.
Good rest can be hard to come by, especially in age of modern air travel. But don’t ruin a good trip by neglecting it. When you’re refreshed, you’ll enjoy yourself that much more.
Home Cooking, Spain
As long as we’re talking about Biar and mentioning Casa Rural Mas Fontanelles, let’s stay in this locale for the topic of home cooking. You see, we arrived at this place on a Monday, the normal day off for the staff. Similarly, we were the only ones staying at the Casa. Therefore, the owner made us supper in much the fashion he might have for his own family. Naturally, we started with a nice bottle of wine.
This particular wine was light and tasty. It went well with the entire meal. The appetizer consisted of asparagus and sun dried tomatoes sauteed in olive oil and garlic. Simple, delicious.
Those tomatoes really had tremendous flavor, not overly sweet either. The main course was roast chicken with (I think) a bit of sauté action at the end. Again, big flavor from what could have been a run of the mill entré.
Note the cherry tomatoes and artichokes on the side of the plate. Plenty of hearty vegetables for healthy eating. Dessert was simple, fresh fruit served as it comes from the source.
Note the level of wine in the bottle. That might have been the second one. Who can remember? No matter. I enjoyed this simple meal, especially the interaction with the owner as he shuttled back and forth from the nearby kitchen to our table. The only thing that could have made it better would have been his company at the table.
Biar, Spain
Several posts back, I mentioned the Casa Rural Mas Fontanelles. It is located a few kilometers from the town of Biar. While overnighting at Mas Fontanelles, I decided to take in the town of Biar itself. Here’s a view from one side.
Those terraces make good use of the land, farming wherever possible. The castle at the top, like the one in Chinchilla, was under renovation so I missed out on that. But I did get some good exercise hiking through the town. Here’s a view down one of the streets I climbed up.
Yeah, spend a couple of hours meandering up and down the likes of that and you’ll work up a nice appetite and handsome calves, too. The town itself has a nice church worth a look and a few restaurants, one of which I utilized to satisfy the rumbling of my stomach.
These are the types of places I enjoy most. There’s enough to see and do without being overwhelmed. Furthermore, the people are more approachable, which makes for more opportunities to learn culture first hand. Enjoy the journey.
The Bent Page 
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