Friday 18 de febrero
Early morning wake up at 7am to shower, desayuno and catch the bus for Viaje Bing -- our weekend excursion sponsored by the generous Bing family. Drove a couple hours to reach Extremadura, the semi-south-western Spanish autonomous community (contains 2 provinces: Cáceres and Badajoz). Extremadura, we're told, is the "least discovered" part of Spain. It's known for wildlife, places where kings retreated when they got tired, and for being the homeland of many Spanish explorers who would eventually become 'conquistadores' in the Americas. For example, Hernán Cortés (led expedition that conquered the Aztecs in Mexico), Francisco Pizarro (conquered the Incan Empire, established Lima, Peru), Hernando de Soto (led first European expedition deep into what's now the USA; first European to cross the MIssissippi River) and Vasco Nuñez de Balboa (first European to lead expedition that reached the Pacific Ocean from the New World) were all from Extremadura. The community shares a border with Portugal on the west, and is home to about 2.74% of the Spanish population today.
Our first stop was Cuacos de Yuste, in the northern part of Cáceres. We stopped outside of the monastery (order of Jeronomus -- friars (?) or monks which historically had very good relationships with the Spanish royalty). It's nestled in the mountains and we could see beautiful snow-covered mountaintops in the distance, but the weather was warm, sun was shining and all I could hear were birds singing. Very peaceful and a welcome respite from the city bustle. Suddenly immersed in the beauty of this region, I could understand why Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (aka King Carlos I de España from 1517 or 1519 until he abdicated to his son Felipe II) decided to spend the final (two) years of his life here. He was tired, suffering from gout and I think diabetes too, and needed somewhere peaceful and tranquil to rest and pray and be the best Catholic he could be. So he had this Casa-Palacio built adjacent to the monastery and lived here for those final days. We entered through his study -- this room and the adjacent dining room (where Carlos enjoyed 2 hour lunches and siestas) were filled with late morning sunlight. The furniture was Flemish and the walls were decorated with copies of famous portraits (for example, the post-mortem portrait of Isabel of Portugal, which we studied in Art class, that Carlos commissioned Titian to paint to memorialize her beauty). Isabel was Carlos's only wife, but he apparently had several amantes (lovers) after her death. Nevertheless, Isabel's death had a profound effect on Carlos and he remained in mourning (for both her and his mother -- Juana the Loca, who never got a chance to rule because her parents -- Isabel & Ferdinard -- passed the Spanish throne directly to Carlos) for the rest of his life, as evidenced by the black curtains all over the house.
Next we saw the dining room -- Carlos apparently loved to eat, ate lots of meat and drank lots of beer. He had a reclinable chair (like his son Felipe would have) to alleviate the pain of his gout. He also had a little transport chair/bed thing (lifted onto the shoulders of his carriers) in which he traveled for his final journeys. In his days, tapestries of course would have hung on the walls.
Being a devout Catholic, Carlos's bedroom was built right next to the church -- just like Felipe II built his bedroom in El Escorial. He wanted to be able to hear the Mass from his bed in case he was in too much pain to get out. His bed was relatively modest and lumpy too. From his room we climbed up the very narrow, low-ceiling passageway to the church. Frigid cold, all stone. Not very big though. There was a giant altar painting depicting the Judgement of Carlos I. I could recognize him by his signature beard; his wife Isabel was by his side and so was Felipe II, his son. They were all positioned to the right of the painting; up and to the left the artist had depicted god, the son and the holy spirit. How weird to have a picture of your death hanging in the church where you prayed everyday....
Also of note: Carlos wanted to be buried under the altar of this church, and described the exact manner in which he wanted his body to be kept. The body was kept under the altar for a few years (we went down to visit), but when Felipe II came to visit, he was very displeased and had his father's body moved to El Escorial instead.
It really is quite a modest place. We had a chance to peek at the courtyard, very beautiful, Roman style with lots of greenery. Apparently there is also a lower floor were Carlos spent the hot summer days. That lower floor now houses offices and occasionally (for example. last week) there are important politicians who visit and treaties or agreements signed here (Carlos V/I is often brought up whenever there are discussions about the EU because in a way, he ruled a prototype of the European Union back when it was the Holy Roman Empire).
Ate our bocadillos (sandwiches) outside under the trees on little stone stools and picnic tables. Then we were met by a guide in a bright blue jacket, crazy curly hair, hi-tech hiking clothes (brand: Quecha, I thought that was fitting given the whole conquistador tradition...) and a backpack full of dried apricots and first aid materials. He led us through the oak forests, pointing out all the different plants, acorns (bolletas), stones (eg. white quartz) and birds we saw. I think the hike was something like 5km, and we all walked 3/4 of it and rode the other 1/4 on horseback! There were ten horses so we rotated. I liked the walk -- especially since it was such a beautiful day and the ground was so soft with fallen, decomposing leaves -- but the horseback riding was really fun! I was reminded that many of the Spaniards who explored the Americas came from this region we were in -- Extremadura -- and probably learned how to ride horseback through these mountain trails too! I rode a beautiful chestnut-colored horse named "Miel" (honey) who walked at a nice brisk pace and liked to eat things along the way. Meca was in front of me and his horse was a bit slower, so Miel kept nudging the behind of Meca's horse--until that horse let off some gas in Miel's face, haha!
Our walk/ride ended at an old Roman bridge which led to a tiny little town called Garganta La Olla which had some 1500 residents. Very tiny, old and sleepy. I only saw old, weathered folk out and about. The "Plaza Mayor" was a tiny little square with a fountain with flowing water for humans and a pool of water for the horses. We talked a bit about the architecture -- clay bricks, mountain stone, wood -- many of the houses had appendages elevated up above the street on wooden stilts. There was a "Mueso de Inquisitión" which (luckily) was closed. Many of the buildings were 3 stories high. The first floor had big double doors so that the animals could enter (animals slept on the bottom floor; their body heat was used for climate-control). On the second floor the people slept, and on the third, they had their kitchens. Very cozy!
After stopping in a bar for bathrooms and drinks, we boarded the bus again and headed to our final stop for the day: our hotel, Parador de Jarandilla. But this wasn't an ordinary hotel -- it was a castle. And not just a castle but the castle where King/Emperor Charles I/V stayed for almost 2 years as he waited for his Casa-Palacio to be built in Yuste. It was a beautiful stone building, very well preserved, with towers, sweeping views of the village and countryside, and entrances slightly askew to delay possible enemies. I shared a room with Ashley and Leigh once again. After a brief tour of the castle, we went to the little market for snacks (food is incredibly cheap here) and then rest until dinner.
At 9pm we had our first "Bing dinner" of the quarter. We even received little menus explaining what we'd have to eat! Started off with an amuse bouche of goat cheese and quince, a little toast with sausage and sheep's cheese. I really liked the goat cheese -- very fresh. The sweet local wine was a delicious complement, as was the fresh walnut bread! Then a tomato soup with figs (unusual but tasty combination), and then a plate of stewed beef with red peppers and new potatoes. For dessert, something I'd never heard of but I'll definitely look for again: "Repápalos con Leche y Canela." Little balls of dough swimming in cinnamon milk -- kind of like soggy cereal haha! There was no way I was going to take coffee as it was already 10:45 and I fell asleep immediately.
Early morning wake up at 7am to shower, desayuno and catch the bus for Viaje Bing -- our weekend excursion sponsored by the generous Bing family. Drove a couple hours to reach Extremadura, the semi-south-western Spanish autonomous community (contains 2 provinces: Cáceres and Badajoz). Extremadura, we're told, is the "least discovered" part of Spain. It's known for wildlife, places where kings retreated when they got tired, and for being the homeland of many Spanish explorers who would eventually become 'conquistadores' in the Americas. For example, Hernán Cortés (led expedition that conquered the Aztecs in Mexico), Francisco Pizarro (conquered the Incan Empire, established Lima, Peru), Hernando de Soto (led first European expedition deep into what's now the USA; first European to cross the MIssissippi River) and Vasco Nuñez de Balboa (first European to lead expedition that reached the Pacific Ocean from the New World) were all from Extremadura. The community shares a border with Portugal on the west, and is home to about 2.74% of the Spanish population today.
Our first stop was Cuacos de Yuste, in the northern part of Cáceres. We stopped outside of the monastery (order of Jeronomus -- friars (?) or monks which historically had very good relationships with the Spanish royalty). It's nestled in the mountains and we could see beautiful snow-covered mountaintops in the distance, but the weather was warm, sun was shining and all I could hear were birds singing. Very peaceful and a welcome respite from the city bustle. Suddenly immersed in the beauty of this region, I could understand why Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (aka King Carlos I de España from 1517 or 1519 until he abdicated to his son Felipe II) decided to spend the final (two) years of his life here. He was tired, suffering from gout and I think diabetes too, and needed somewhere peaceful and tranquil to rest and pray and be the best Catholic he could be. So he had this Casa-Palacio built adjacent to the monastery and lived here for those final days. We entered through his study -- this room and the adjacent dining room (where Carlos enjoyed 2 hour lunches and siestas) were filled with late morning sunlight. The furniture was Flemish and the walls were decorated with copies of famous portraits (for example, the post-mortem portrait of Isabel of Portugal, which we studied in Art class, that Carlos commissioned Titian to paint to memorialize her beauty). Isabel was Carlos's only wife, but he apparently had several amantes (lovers) after her death. Nevertheless, Isabel's death had a profound effect on Carlos and he remained in mourning (for both her and his mother -- Juana the Loca, who never got a chance to rule because her parents -- Isabel & Ferdinard -- passed the Spanish throne directly to Carlos) for the rest of his life, as evidenced by the black curtains all over the house.
Next we saw the dining room -- Carlos apparently loved to eat, ate lots of meat and drank lots of beer. He had a reclinable chair (like his son Felipe would have) to alleviate the pain of his gout. He also had a little transport chair/bed thing (lifted onto the shoulders of his carriers) in which he traveled for his final journeys. In his days, tapestries of course would have hung on the walls.
Being a devout Catholic, Carlos's bedroom was built right next to the church -- just like Felipe II built his bedroom in El Escorial. He wanted to be able to hear the Mass from his bed in case he was in too much pain to get out. His bed was relatively modest and lumpy too. From his room we climbed up the very narrow, low-ceiling passageway to the church. Frigid cold, all stone. Not very big though. There was a giant altar painting depicting the Judgement of Carlos I. I could recognize him by his signature beard; his wife Isabel was by his side and so was Felipe II, his son. They were all positioned to the right of the painting; up and to the left the artist had depicted god, the son and the holy spirit. How weird to have a picture of your death hanging in the church where you prayed everyday....
Also of note: Carlos wanted to be buried under the altar of this church, and described the exact manner in which he wanted his body to be kept. The body was kept under the altar for a few years (we went down to visit), but when Felipe II came to visit, he was very displeased and had his father's body moved to El Escorial instead.
It really is quite a modest place. We had a chance to peek at the courtyard, very beautiful, Roman style with lots of greenery. Apparently there is also a lower floor were Carlos spent the hot summer days. That lower floor now houses offices and occasionally (for example. last week) there are important politicians who visit and treaties or agreements signed here (Carlos V/I is often brought up whenever there are discussions about the EU because in a way, he ruled a prototype of the European Union back when it was the Holy Roman Empire).
Ate our bocadillos (sandwiches) outside under the trees on little stone stools and picnic tables. Then we were met by a guide in a bright blue jacket, crazy curly hair, hi-tech hiking clothes (brand: Quecha, I thought that was fitting given the whole conquistador tradition...) and a backpack full of dried apricots and first aid materials. He led us through the oak forests, pointing out all the different plants, acorns (bolletas), stones (eg. white quartz) and birds we saw. I think the hike was something like 5km, and we all walked 3/4 of it and rode the other 1/4 on horseback! There were ten horses so we rotated. I liked the walk -- especially since it was such a beautiful day and the ground was so soft with fallen, decomposing leaves -- but the horseback riding was really fun! I was reminded that many of the Spaniards who explored the Americas came from this region we were in -- Extremadura -- and probably learned how to ride horseback through these mountain trails too! I rode a beautiful chestnut-colored horse named "Miel" (honey) who walked at a nice brisk pace and liked to eat things along the way. Meca was in front of me and his horse was a bit slower, so Miel kept nudging the behind of Meca's horse--until that horse let off some gas in Miel's face, haha!
Our walk/ride ended at an old Roman bridge which led to a tiny little town called Garganta La Olla which had some 1500 residents. Very tiny, old and sleepy. I only saw old, weathered folk out and about. The "Plaza Mayor" was a tiny little square with a fountain with flowing water for humans and a pool of water for the horses. We talked a bit about the architecture -- clay bricks, mountain stone, wood -- many of the houses had appendages elevated up above the street on wooden stilts. There was a "Mueso de Inquisitión" which (luckily) was closed. Many of the buildings were 3 stories high. The first floor had big double doors so that the animals could enter (animals slept on the bottom floor; their body heat was used for climate-control). On the second floor the people slept, and on the third, they had their kitchens. Very cozy!
After stopping in a bar for bathrooms and drinks, we boarded the bus again and headed to our final stop for the day: our hotel, Parador de Jarandilla. But this wasn't an ordinary hotel -- it was a castle. And not just a castle but the castle where King/Emperor Charles I/V stayed for almost 2 years as he waited for his Casa-Palacio to be built in Yuste. It was a beautiful stone building, very well preserved, with towers, sweeping views of the village and countryside, and entrances slightly askew to delay possible enemies. I shared a room with Ashley and Leigh once again. After a brief tour of the castle, we went to the little market for snacks (food is incredibly cheap here) and then rest until dinner.
At 9pm we had our first "Bing dinner" of the quarter. We even received little menus explaining what we'd have to eat! Started off with an amuse bouche of goat cheese and quince, a little toast with sausage and sheep's cheese. I really liked the goat cheese -- very fresh. The sweet local wine was a delicious complement, as was the fresh walnut bread! Then a tomato soup with figs (unusual but tasty combination), and then a plate of stewed beef with red peppers and new potatoes. For dessert, something I'd never heard of but I'll definitely look for again: "Repápalos con Leche y Canela." Little balls of dough swimming in cinnamon milk -- kind of like soggy cereal haha! There was no way I was going to take coffee as it was already 10:45 and I fell asleep immediately.
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