The common denominator today was rock, just in different forms and ages. In the morning we went to look at rock art, the world’s oldest cave paintings at over 67,000 years old. It took a bit of finding because the street it was in was a continuation of the street it was supposed to be in. It was found a little easier in the late twentieth century by workers mining for stone.
The cave which we saw by 3D only was quite amazing and we witnessed some painting of hands and beasts. We also saw a video of these fascinating caves, so the two combined gave us a taste of the real thing. The reason we were using glasses and videos was because it has recently been reopened after many years of restoration and it is difficult to get a booking, due to eager waiting lists.
A long walk to the bus station and it was off to look at rocks on top of the ground, in fact huge beautiful boulders dominating a stork sanctuary. I promise this will be the last you hear of storks, but I just had to take a look. Firstly, storks are in the village, some of the roofs have collapsed with the weight. Poles have been erected on an artificial lake and all are occupied. And then there are the storks on huge boulders covering many acres.
The home to the paintings are the caves that have been restored and there is a strict timetable of viewing so there is little chance of damage and they can then remain the oldest paintings ever to survive. Homes have mostly been provided to the stork, so the only concern about keeping them there is their diminishing food supply. A dump where they used to eat is finished but another will be provided and they can visit cultivated fields all year round.
Yet another home we found for the stork was in a twisted tree with a dozen or more having built their homes on it, and since it is Spring the whole family was there. This tree, mainly because it was low and vulnerable, was protected by a three metre fence, and far enough away for only the obsessive to notice.
Thanks Narayan great to hear fromyou, hope your cave renovations go as well as these,
Hello dear Will and Coralie
Thank you for the ongoing blog, and this is, yet again, my executive summary as you put it! You talked on 15th May about the need for enthusiasm, patience, motivation and conviction, in relation to your condition. You have these attributes in spades, dearest friend, and I should also mention your dear mate in all of this, Coralie, who has demonstrated amazing qualities in supporting you every step of the way.
I didn’t realise you would be staying in Cadiz so long – Wikipedia is very positive about its attractions; I found out that it is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network!
Merida, as you pointed out, is hoe to the most extensive ruins in all of Spain, and i was very interested in your description of the amphitheatre that you experienced there – it sounded amazing. You mentioned siestas – i had read that perhaps in the bigger cities, they are less common because of the needs of business.
Caceres sounded amazing too, with its 28 palaces and arches dating back to the 3rd century etc. as well as the world’s oldest cave paintings.
What experiences you guys are having, as our main experiences these last three weeks have been around the renovation of our ensuite bathroom. The old bathroom was quite historical – around 28 years old, which doesn’t quite compare with Caceres and the other places!
Not sure when you’re returning to down under. We presume it’s within the next couple of weeks and look forward to seeing you when we are in Sydney the latter half of June.
Much love to you both.
Narayan and Janine