Saturday 19 de febrero
Woke up at 8, showered, lovely bfast in the hotel. Local figs, fruit, goat cheese, sheep cheese, fresh bread, yogurt, strawberry juice. Then we left our castle hotel for a "Dehesa" -- a particular kind of free range farm. The name of the farm was Monfragüe I think (named after the Monfragüe wildlife reserve, declared a national park in 2007) and they raise pigs and cows. This was the first stop on our "Ruta del Jamón." We took a trek through the oak trees, crossing little streams to have a look at the cerdos ibericos (Iberian pigs, used to make Jamón Iberico). They are very active little pigs -- cute, black and brown. The ones we saw were 4 months old, so they had 14 more months to live. (To make Jamón Iberico, the pigs are killed 18months.) There are a few distinctions to make. First, between these pigs (which have black hooves) and the standard white-footed pigs which are raised in most of Europe and the US. The cerdos blancos tend to be much bigger and don't get nearly as much exercise because they are usually kept in some sort of pen. The second distinction we learned was between Jamón Iberico and Jamón Serrano, which is also classically Spanish. While the species of pig is the same for Jamón Serrano and Jamón Iberico, the Iberico pigs roam free and feed on roots, grass and most importantly, acorns (bellotas). These acorns (from the roble y encima trees) are what give the meat it's unique flavor. Serrano ham pigs, on the other hand, are generally just fed pig feed. Apparently, the higher the percentage of the pig's diet is acorns, the more they can sell the meat for.
After gawking at the pigs for a while, we returned to the farmhouse to marvel at the old farm tools (a ladder made out of one tree branch, a training potty for the fields) and then had a "degustación" to taste the difference between Jamón Iberico, Jamón Serrano and "lomo" of the two different pigs. The Jamón Iberico was a darker red color and had a more defined distinction between the red muscle and the white strips of fat. The Serrano ham was much more pink. I definitely preferred the Iberico -- more nutty and salty in flavor while the Serrano was more meaty, if that makes sense. I'm not the best connoisseur of meat, but the Iberico was more like a dried prosciutto to me.
Next we took the bus to a factory where the pig carcasses are processed and cured to actually make the Jamón Iberico that is sold in stores and restaurants. Though the lomo (loin or back of the pig) is removed separately, each leg of the pig retains its hoof (and sometimes pieces of dark wiry hair too...). Obviously the front leg is smaller than the hind leg, but the average time it takes to cure a piece of meat is about 2.5 years. First, the meat is put in a giant room flooded with salt. The amount of time spent in the salt room depends on the weight -- 1 day for each kilo the leg weighs. Then we saw a giant room with all kinds of sausages, chorizos, salicios and something else that sounded like "chucilla" but was basically a mix of pig blood and pig fat. I think this might have been what Gustavo was insisting I try.
Then we saw another room with lots of meat hanging -- started to get accustomed to the smoky, meaty rancor of the factory. Then we descended to a room in which the floor was covered in a layer of grease and fat -- some from the Jamón, some from the olio and waxy stuff used to preserve them. The legs danged from the ceiling along with signs indicating the name of the farm from which they came. This is where the Jamón stays until it's ready for sale!
Next we took the bus to Mérida -- capital city of the community and one of the biggest, most important towns of the region. The "Archaelogical Ensemble of Mérida" was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The Romans established it in 25 BCE with the name "Emerita Augusta" (which meant "discharged soldiers of the army of Emperor Augustus"). It got it's name because the town was built for retired soldiers of the Roman army (Mérida come from the same roots as "Emiritus"). It was the capital of the Lusitania Province of the Roman Empire, and was one of the most important Roman cities. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Visigoths took over and the city was the capital of Hispania. The Arabs conquered it in 713, and the Christians regained it in 1230.
Since this was a planned city, the streets are straight and the blocks are rectangular -- regimented like an army -- so it's much easier to navigate than all those winding little city centers we've seen so far! When we arrived it was raining, so we ducked into the hotel (Palacio Mérida) and descended into the cave-like hall for lunch: potato purée soup with bits of Jamón Ibérico, white fish with zuchinni and a creamy strawberry cake for dessert. Finished around 4:30 and then had our "visita" through the city. First stop: Templo de Diana -- a giant Roman temple that immediately reminded me of adventures with Rachel in Greece. Since so many retired Romans lived here, they needed plenty of spaces for leisure, worship and demonstrations of the glory of the Roman empire. Here in Mérida is the 2nd longest Roman bridge in Europe (la puente). I think the longest is somewhere along the Danube river.
Next we entered the teatro and anfiteatro. The Theater was a semicircular construction that has been restored using the original stones. This is where not only theatrical and musical performances were held but also elections, debates and political events. It held some 6,000 spectators back in the day. There were several grand columns supporting the backing of the theater, and some statues. Not many of the arches were preserved of the actual stage area. However, the arches of the "vomitorios" were still is good shape, or at least well-reconstructed. This was my favorite tidbit of the visit -- seeing these tiny entry/exit passages (the vomitorios) through which the entire audience had to exit the theater within 5 minutes (the theater "vomited" through these orifices). There are plenty of other connotations seeing that most sports stadiums have adopted the same architectural structure, but this is the original meaning of the word.
Passed by a little basilica constructed of building debris, leftover materials (used to be painted and decorated but everything of value was stripped from the building over the past two mileniums by locals wanting cheap building supplies for their own homes in town). I liked the mosaic on the floor -- this was a common practice among the Romans, and there were many more "mosaicos" to come! Then stepped into the anfiteatro (oval-shaped) which was basically an arena. This is where the lion fights and other sporting events took place. It also held thousands of spectators. It's not in as great of shape as the theater (which actually holds plays and performances now) but the inside of the arena is basically a giant mud pit.
Next visited the museum. I really liked how the architect/designer of the museum was so conscientious of the place and function of this museum -- to display Roman art. It was constructed to resemble Roman buildings -- huge rounded arches made of millions of bricks (ladrillo = brick en Español). Reminded me of the giant aquaduct in Borde's Hill in England. First went outside to check out this old Roman road that once stretched from Mérida to Córdoba and also excavations of old houses, courtyards and patios. Stopped to admire heads and bodies of emperors (heads and bodies were made in separate workshops by separate craftsmen. Basically, the body could be recycled and used for several different rulers as long as their heads were changed appropriately). These statues, and the coins depicting the heads of the emperors, were very important in ensuring that the citizens knew the face of their ruler. In fact, it's politically essential to have this instant facial recognition if you have to be elected for each term! We also admired needles, buttons, ceramic house lamps, glass bottles (glass = vidrio), and my favorite, enormous mosaics! The mosaics were actually used as floor tiling, but they're so enormous it's impossible to admire them fully unless they're hanging on a wall that spans 4 stories! The tiles were tiny and generally one of four colors. We saw a hunting mosaic, depicting a Roman killing a boar in the center with his javelin and personifications of the 4 seasons on the side. Then lots and lots of geometric patterns (obviously easy for historians to reconstruct).
After the museum, had some free time in which Eliana and I explored the town at dusk, mostly just finding roundabouts (glorietas en español), shopping streets and more Roman ruins. Reunited at the hotel to hunt for dinner -- ended up at an Italian place with the primos (cousins) "Duglas and Juanaton" -- and then I went to bed early, so tired from the full day!
Woke up at 8, showered, lovely bfast in the hotel. Local figs, fruit, goat cheese, sheep cheese, fresh bread, yogurt, strawberry juice. Then we left our castle hotel for a "Dehesa" -- a particular kind of free range farm. The name of the farm was Monfragüe I think (named after the Monfragüe wildlife reserve, declared a national park in 2007) and they raise pigs and cows. This was the first stop on our "Ruta del Jamón." We took a trek through the oak trees, crossing little streams to have a look at the cerdos ibericos (Iberian pigs, used to make Jamón Iberico). They are very active little pigs -- cute, black and brown. The ones we saw were 4 months old, so they had 14 more months to live. (To make Jamón Iberico, the pigs are killed 18months.) There are a few distinctions to make. First, between these pigs (which have black hooves) and the standard white-footed pigs which are raised in most of Europe and the US. The cerdos blancos tend to be much bigger and don't get nearly as much exercise because they are usually kept in some sort of pen. The second distinction we learned was between Jamón Iberico and Jamón Serrano, which is also classically Spanish. While the species of pig is the same for Jamón Serrano and Jamón Iberico, the Iberico pigs roam free and feed on roots, grass and most importantly, acorns (bellotas). These acorns (from the roble y encima trees) are what give the meat it's unique flavor. Serrano ham pigs, on the other hand, are generally just fed pig feed. Apparently, the higher the percentage of the pig's diet is acorns, the more they can sell the meat for.
After gawking at the pigs for a while, we returned to the farmhouse to marvel at the old farm tools (a ladder made out of one tree branch, a training potty for the fields) and then had a "degustación" to taste the difference between Jamón Iberico, Jamón Serrano and "lomo" of the two different pigs. The Jamón Iberico was a darker red color and had a more defined distinction between the red muscle and the white strips of fat. The Serrano ham was much more pink. I definitely preferred the Iberico -- more nutty and salty in flavor while the Serrano was more meaty, if that makes sense. I'm not the best connoisseur of meat, but the Iberico was more like a dried prosciutto to me.
Next we took the bus to a factory where the pig carcasses are processed and cured to actually make the Jamón Iberico that is sold in stores and restaurants. Though the lomo (loin or back of the pig) is removed separately, each leg of the pig retains its hoof (and sometimes pieces of dark wiry hair too...). Obviously the front leg is smaller than the hind leg, but the average time it takes to cure a piece of meat is about 2.5 years. First, the meat is put in a giant room flooded with salt. The amount of time spent in the salt room depends on the weight -- 1 day for each kilo the leg weighs. Then we saw a giant room with all kinds of sausages, chorizos, salicios and something else that sounded like "chucilla" but was basically a mix of pig blood and pig fat. I think this might have been what Gustavo was insisting I try.
Then we saw another room with lots of meat hanging -- started to get accustomed to the smoky, meaty rancor of the factory. Then we descended to a room in which the floor was covered in a layer of grease and fat -- some from the Jamón, some from the olio and waxy stuff used to preserve them. The legs danged from the ceiling along with signs indicating the name of the farm from which they came. This is where the Jamón stays until it's ready for sale!
Next we took the bus to Mérida -- capital city of the community and one of the biggest, most important towns of the region. The "Archaelogical Ensemble of Mérida" was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The Romans established it in 25 BCE with the name "Emerita Augusta" (which meant "discharged soldiers of the army of Emperor Augustus"). It got it's name because the town was built for retired soldiers of the Roman army (Mérida come from the same roots as "Emiritus"). It was the capital of the Lusitania Province of the Roman Empire, and was one of the most important Roman cities. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the Visigoths took over and the city was the capital of Hispania. The Arabs conquered it in 713, and the Christians regained it in 1230.
Since this was a planned city, the streets are straight and the blocks are rectangular -- regimented like an army -- so it's much easier to navigate than all those winding little city centers we've seen so far! When we arrived it was raining, so we ducked into the hotel (Palacio Mérida) and descended into the cave-like hall for lunch: potato purée soup with bits of Jamón Ibérico, white fish with zuchinni and a creamy strawberry cake for dessert. Finished around 4:30 and then had our "visita" through the city. First stop: Templo de Diana -- a giant Roman temple that immediately reminded me of adventures with Rachel in Greece. Since so many retired Romans lived here, they needed plenty of spaces for leisure, worship and demonstrations of the glory of the Roman empire. Here in Mérida is the 2nd longest Roman bridge in Europe (la puente). I think the longest is somewhere along the Danube river.
Next we entered the teatro and anfiteatro. The Theater was a semicircular construction that has been restored using the original stones. This is where not only theatrical and musical performances were held but also elections, debates and political events. It held some 6,000 spectators back in the day. There were several grand columns supporting the backing of the theater, and some statues. Not many of the arches were preserved of the actual stage area. However, the arches of the "vomitorios" were still is good shape, or at least well-reconstructed. This was my favorite tidbit of the visit -- seeing these tiny entry/exit passages (the vomitorios) through which the entire audience had to exit the theater within 5 minutes (the theater "vomited" through these orifices). There are plenty of other connotations seeing that most sports stadiums have adopted the same architectural structure, but this is the original meaning of the word.
Passed by a little basilica constructed of building debris, leftover materials (used to be painted and decorated but everything of value was stripped from the building over the past two mileniums by locals wanting cheap building supplies for their own homes in town). I liked the mosaic on the floor -- this was a common practice among the Romans, and there were many more "mosaicos" to come! Then stepped into the anfiteatro (oval-shaped) which was basically an arena. This is where the lion fights and other sporting events took place. It also held thousands of spectators. It's not in as great of shape as the theater (which actually holds plays and performances now) but the inside of the arena is basically a giant mud pit.
Next visited the museum. I really liked how the architect/designer of the museum was so conscientious of the place and function of this museum -- to display Roman art. It was constructed to resemble Roman buildings -- huge rounded arches made of millions of bricks (ladrillo = brick en Español). Reminded me of the giant aquaduct in Borde's Hill in England. First went outside to check out this old Roman road that once stretched from Mérida to Córdoba and also excavations of old houses, courtyards and patios. Stopped to admire heads and bodies of emperors (heads and bodies were made in separate workshops by separate craftsmen. Basically, the body could be recycled and used for several different rulers as long as their heads were changed appropriately). These statues, and the coins depicting the heads of the emperors, were very important in ensuring that the citizens knew the face of their ruler. In fact, it's politically essential to have this instant facial recognition if you have to be elected for each term! We also admired needles, buttons, ceramic house lamps, glass bottles (glass = vidrio), and my favorite, enormous mosaics! The mosaics were actually used as floor tiling, but they're so enormous it's impossible to admire them fully unless they're hanging on a wall that spans 4 stories! The tiles were tiny and generally one of four colors. We saw a hunting mosaic, depicting a Roman killing a boar in the center with his javelin and personifications of the 4 seasons on the side. Then lots and lots of geometric patterns (obviously easy for historians to reconstruct).
After the museum, had some free time in which Eliana and I explored the town at dusk, mostly just finding roundabouts (glorietas en español), shopping streets and more Roman ruins. Reunited at the hotel to hunt for dinner -- ended up at an Italian place with the primos (cousins) "Duglas and Juanaton" -- and then I went to bed early, so tired from the full day!
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