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Tim Lynette WilkinsTim Lynette Wilkins
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Tim Lynette Wilkins

Tim Lynette Wilkins

traveled in 11 countries Read more
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    • Tim Lynette WilkinsTravelerExtremadura
      Mosaic
      Statue of Ceres, goddess of agriculture, 1st c ADPlaster relief of tree with birds and serpent. 1st c ADPlaster relief of Bacchus. 1st c ADTheater maskMuralMosaicMosaicIvory hair pinGlass jug 1st c AD

      A day of museums

      May 17, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

      This morning we spent in the museum of Roman art. Its a very modern building and is huge, on four floors, and while it was being built they found a roman villa and cemetery underneath. The museum is very easy to get around but for a new museum the information on the exhibits is strangely lacking, often telling you very little, even to the dates.

      On to a much smaller museum of visigoth merida. So small i don't know why they didn't just put it all in one room of the other museum.      Read more

    • Tim Lynette WilkinsTravelerExtremadura
      Theater
      AmphitheaterAmphitheater entrancesAmphitheater bricked roofTheaterStatue of Minervs (?)StatuesTheater bath houseTheater gardens

      Spectacular sights!

      May 16, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

      The roman theater in Merida was listed in the "12 best sights of spain" (of which we have now been to ten !) And today we went first to the amphitheater, and then to the theater , which are next door to each other . They were founded by Agrippa in the 8 BC, and are both spectacular and really well preserved.Read more

    • Tim Lynette WilkinsTravelerExtremadura
      Roman Bridge
      Moorish cisternRoman/Visigoth/Moorish wallsCasa del Mitreo wall paintingRoman Wall paintingGeometric mosaic floorMosaic floor with central cherubMagnificent mosaicTemple of Diana

      A taste of each era

      May 15, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Merida has been occupied since pre-Roman times and today we thought we would have a gentle introduction to the remains. We started out with a visit near the hotel to the Alcazaba which was a Fort built in the 9c ad by the Moors who ruled hereabouts at the time. However it was built on top of the Roman Fort at the end of the Roman Bridge crossing the river Guadiana. So we got two cultures in one place with the Moors reusing lots of Roman masonry. Oh and the Visigoths added to the defensive walls so a third! The highlights were walks along the walls with good views of the Roman Bridge and another Moorish cistern.

      We then walked around some Roman remains they discovered when building new office blocks. They went ahead with the building just raising them on pillars so it was pretty difficult to make out anything significant.
      After a coffee and snack we went to the Casa del Mitreo - a large 1c ad villa just outside the city walls which has lovely mosaics - mostly geometric- and great extant wall painting. It's only about waist high so no fabulous murals like Pompeii, but clear colours and designs. It must have been wonderful in its day.
      After lunch in the bull ring cafe we walked back via a temple to Diana which some chap in the 15c incorporated into his palace.
      When the sun is out it is lovely but there are plenty of clouds and then it gets chilly. Still an hour on the hotel roof terrace this afternoon was very pleasant.

      Whereas Caceras was quite green and pleasant, and the old town well-looked after, Merida seemed mostly a modern but down-at-heel and threadbare city, so far not much to be pleased with, other than the incredible histor.y and our hotel which is in a beautiful old palace!      Read more

    • Tim Lynette WilkinsTravelerExtremadura
      Plaza mayor at evening
      Old town9th c - 11th c cisternMoorish house roof 12cCathedralFig tree

      Caceres

      May 14, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

      Lovely hotel, slept well, and a gentle start to the day. Caseres has a really nice feel to it and the sights in the old town centre are in easy walking distance. Just as well as it was distinctly chilly this morning!
      As it was cold, we started in the museum, which is small but has plenty worth seeing, from prehistory to roman and Muslim eras, including some Latin inscriptions dating from the 8th to 10th centuries B.C. - I didn't know Latin could go back that far in Spain!

      Next a moorish period house dating to 14th century, and the cathedral with great views from the Bell tower looking out on the plains of Extremadura. The cathedral itself is quite plain for a Spanish church and very elegant. And finally to the small but lovely gardens of a Palace with a fig tree that is hundreds of year old.

      Somewhere in there we had lunch in the main square. We had a small dinner inthe square last night and the food was OK, but expensive with small portions, which we put down to it being the main tourist centre, but lunch today, in a different restaurant, was half the price for a full three course menu of the day , and good food too!

      Local bus drive for an hour this evening to arrive in Merida.      Read more

    • Tim Lynette WilkinsTravelerExtremadura
      Madrid train station

      Long day!

      May 13, 2024 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 22 °C

      Up at 4.30 to get a taxi to the airport, then fly to Madrid, taxi to the train station in time to have lunch. And train to Caceres, in theory !

      But they are building a new High speed line between Madrid and Lisbon and so we had to get off in Plasencia and take a bus replacement. At least the buses were there waiting and comfortable and air conditioned, not like the ones they put on the northern line which are never there and leave you cold and waiting in the rain. Then a final taxi from the train station in Caceres to the hotel.

      Although the new train is supposed to be from Madrid to Lisbon, it will only go as far as the border at Badajoz as the Portuguese decided they couldn't afford it so their section isn't being built. The cities along the route, like Badajoz, Caceres, Talavera, will all be very familiar to anyone who reads the Sharpe novels of Bernard Cornwell, as they describe the campaigns of Wellington's battles against the French that went along the Tagus valley towards Madrid.      Read more

    • Tim Lynette WilkinsTravelerJerez 2024
      Drinks time in the evening sun

      Andalucia Day

      February 28, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

      Andalucia (spelled with a "s" in english and "c" in spanish) is Spain's largest autonomous province. Created as such on February 28th 1980, it marks the date with a public holiday, so all the schools, public buildings and shops are closed although a few of the pavement bars and cafes are open.

      It's still the middle of the Flamenco festival so the streets are crowded with people; spanish tourists of course but also plenty of British, German, French and Japanese ones as well. There are always lots of Japanese here for the flamenco. With the streets mostly empty of traffic, the churches take the opportunity to practice carrying their floats.

      The prawns we bought in the market yesterday are big deep red ones called "carabineros", supposedly because they are the colour of Spanish customs police uniforms!

      Packing tomorrow to go home, we've been coming now since 2015, with just a few years out - one when finlay was born and only came here for a week with him and Natalie, one when we went to almeria instead, and one in the pandemic when we couldn't travel. That first time we came for three months from New year to Easter, just coming home for a week in the middle. So being here so long , it really felt like a second home!      Read more

    • Tim Lynette WilkinsTravelerJerez 2024

      Getting ready to come home

      February 27, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

      We are cutting our trip short - not going on from here to Merida as planned but returning straight home this Friday. Lynette's cousin has died and the funeral is next week.

      So today we went to the Market for the last time and bought some large red prawns to cook for dinner tomorrow. We have booked to go to two of our favourite restaurants and started thinking about packing - even booked a Waitrose delivery for Saturday!

      Natalie and Emily have a favourite jewellery shop here - just fashion pieces not valuable. But it's closing down so we had to take photos of the racks so Natalie and Emily could place their orders! Luckily we have managed to get most of them - and at half price.

      I'm very conflicted about going home. I am really looking forward our house, and wendover, and of course to seeing all the family again, but also walking around the streets today in the sunshine reminds how much I love living here too!

      Once again the time seems to have gone quickly and we are already saying 'we must do that when we come back next year'.      Read more

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