Monday July 9, 2007
I suppose I am still recapturing the last few days… So let’s begin where we left off… the end of Alemeda… The whole situation had left me with unprecedented depression. It was like seeing a friend die without ever appreciating their presence…without ever saying goodbye. With my heart heavy, I decided to take a weekend trip away from Sevilla… to forget the ills of the city and discover a degree of peace. … When the program offered a free trip to the rural province of Extremadura, I took it…
Extremadura… how to describe such a place? It was very rural… thus the people were exceedingly friendly… The towns were perfectly preserved medieval villages and castles surrounded by sleepy eighteenth century constructions… There was no nightlife or partying in the streets… All was quiet tranquility, a soothing massage to the wound wrought by Alemeda’s demise.
Indeed, there truly isn’t much to say. I could spout out historical facts about the place…. point to conquistador houses, babble about Roman amphitheatres, and describe Moorish castles… However, I feel all that wasn’t really the importance of the place. It was walking through the narrow medieval streets in the evening twilight. It was taking long naps in the afternoon, and having delicious cookies from a local bakery. The sights on the trip were beautiful, but it wasn’t the sights that made the trip so great for me… It was that cool relief that the countryside brings. It was a mourning period, where thoughts were collected and sorrows pardoned. It was a trip to a sleepy province that took you in with open arms.
I’m still not over what has happened to my beloved Alemeda, but I feel as if I can now at least move on. I doubt with my limited time left I’ll discover a place I love as much in Sevilla, but at least I have my memories of place. So many people on the trip were just on the brink of discovering this hidden pocket and never were able. I can at least be thankful for that.
Enjoy the pictures in lieu of descriptions.
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