13 April: City visit to Cáceres
Today I take a rest day in Cáceres and have time to visit the old city centre.
I first strolled over to the Plaza Mayor with its many terraces and bars under vaulted galleries and the Torre de Bujaco and Arco de Estrella. The latter gives access to the historic city centre. The side walls of the Arco de Estrella do not have 90-degree angles. They slope so that carriages could turn onto the narrow street that runs right next to the city wall and leads to the important Castillo de Arquijuela.
Immediately behind the Arco are the 'Concatedral' de Santa Maria and the bishop's palace. The con cathedral, which shares its status with the Cathedral of Coria located in the same diocese, has a 13th-century mudejar foundation and was built in the 15th-16th centuries in Gothic style with a Renaissance tower. On one of the corners is a statue of San Pedro de Alcántara, whose toes are apparently stroked a lot. San Pedro is the patron saint of the Coria-Cáceres diocese.
I then walked past the desecrated San Francisco Javier church which now has a museum function, past several palaces and the museum with its very well-preserved Arab water cellar. The museum has a small collection of contemporary art that I really enjoyed, with big names like Picasso, Miró, Tapies, Saura ... but I photographed only one abstract painting that I particularly liked, by the artist unknown to me Fernando Zóbel (1924-84).
I concluded my city walk with a visit to the tiny and intimate 'Arab house' museum.
That was enough wandering around for one morning: time for lunch and siesta.
In the evening, I could choose between a visit to an art foundation for modern art or a play at Teatro Capitol that started at 7pm. I chose the latter: Cherry's funeral, a satiro philosophical play by Nicolás Paz Alcalde.
16 September: Opening the door at Diamondway Buddhist Centre in Tallinn The centre's meditation sessions are open
