Mérida y Salamanca

During my Thanksgiving break, I took two excursions outside of my lovely Badajoz.  My first stop was Mérida (an hour by bus), the capital of Extremadura.  This ancient city was one of the most important cities during the Roman Empire.  In Spain, it's famous for having the most preserved Roman monuments in the country. My friends and I had spare time before our delicious Thanksgiving meal, so we decided to roam around the Roman ruins. We were surprised that we were allowed to actually walk on top of them.

 



Kate and I



I wasn't sure how to pose amongst the ruins so why not grab an ancient rock?

The amphitheatre

 



The longest ancient Roman bridge in the world

On Black Friday Teresa and I took off for Salamanca.  A beautiful city known for its university that dates back to the year 1218.  Even though Salamanca is known for its night life, being a university town and all, we spent most of our time sightseeing. The script on all of the buildings gave off a Harry Potter vibe (see below). 



 

 

Our view after climbing up one of the buildings

 

Teresa and I outside of the church

 

One of the traditions of the university students is to spot a tiny frog on the outside of the building.  It is said that if you see the frog (la rana) then you will pass your exams.  We stood outside staring at this wall for a good 10 minutes and couldn't find this frog, thanks to google we got ourselves a clue.

 

La rana = the frog

 



This is the most detailed building ever, how are you suppose to find a frog?!



 


All of the tourists trying to find the frog

 


Ah ha! Here it is, on top of a skull



One of the most beautiful things about Salamanca is the town square (la plaza).  "Plazas" are one of my favorite things about Spain.  They are lined with cafes, full of people, beautifully constructed and of course, great places to take photos :)

 

So pretty

 




Overall, I would recommend a trip to both Mérida and Salamanca. Mérida is a great piece of history without an overwhelming amount of tourists and Salamanca is easy to tour.  All of the impressive buildings and monuments are within close distances and won't leave you disappointed.