Spain Road Trip: Extremadura in 3 days

From Salamanca, the landscape changes. As far as the eye can see, there are plantations of holm oaks. These are small oaks with holly-like leaves. You can clearly see that man has intervened and that they have not grown naturally, but the landscape remains charming. The reason why there are so many of them is that the province of Salamanca and Extremadura are famous for the production of “pata negra de bellota”. Bellotas are the acorns on which these black pigs, sometimes seen from the road, feed. As we descend, the temperatures rise. We take off our sweaters… It’s summer in the fall… Just before sunset, we arrive in Plasencia and easily find our place for the night. We feel good, we feel free. Finally we let go and enjoy the moment.

Day 1: Monfragüe National Park

The next morning the sun is out. We take advantage of the morning calm. We have breakfast to the sound of cowbells. All around us is a vast pasture where cows, goats and pigs live side by side. The herds take turns drinking and eating in a well-rehearsed routine. We laugh as we watch the mothers and their young. It promises to be a very enjoyable day!

But we had to leave because we’d decided to hike in the Monfragüe National Park. But it’s forbidden to park there overnight. So we’ll have to cross it during the day. The sun is out. It’s 24°C, just…