Mérida

Morning and we are woken by the sound of lawnmowers – actually a small flock of sheep which are employed to keep the sites grass short.

Into Mérida and the first challenge (it will not be the last) of the day to find somewhere to park. The one car park that does not have a height restriction does not allow motorhomes so we head out of town and park up opposite a BMW dealer on the edge of town and fairly close to the Circo Romano the only surviving (just) hippodrome in Spain. Still used for events it must have been very impressive in its day. The tourist information office is closed (moved) and so we have a second challenge to overcome and so the Plaza de Espania and take coffee. A couple of hours seeking out the Roman gates to the city, the excavated Muslim quarter (now under an office block built on pillars), the acquaduct, the bridge and the Alcazaba a Muslim fort built overlooking the river which was built on the Visigoth fort which was built on the Roman fort ( a pattern is beginning to emerge) before being converted for use as a convent which is now the local council offices.

After a wander down Calle de John Lennon we take lunch and then repair to the local Dia supermarket for essential supplies and the third challenge of the day. At the checkout the single checkout girl keys our groceries and the queue grows. We present our credit card and passport in payment and it is rejected and the queue grows! We present a second credit card and it is rejected and the queue grows!! We present my debit card and this is also rejected and the queue grows!!! Frustration all round and so we say keep your groceries and proceed to leave the shop.

Once outside we see the queue disperse, commonsense prevails and we decide to use our cash to pay for what we can – wine and beer are removed from the trolley (sob, sob) and we keep the bill down to 50 euros we have in cash. As the total reaches 49 euros we realise that we have one more card, a cash passport loaded with euros and offer this – the checkout girl is reluctant to try it – it is you not the card she says – but we insist and eureka it is accepted. We are all surprised and elated as the wine and beer go back in the trolley!

Mission accomplished we load the shopping into the van and head back into town to enjoy afternoon sun and the Teatro Romano (15BC and 6,000 capacity) and the adjacent Anfiteatro (8BC and a capacity of 4,000) which have re-opened after lunch. Quite stunning especially the Teatro which has a well preserved backdrop and gardens. It is not difficult to imagine the gladiatorial contests and dramas that were played out here.

Enough excitement for one day? Not quite – we decide to draw some cash before we head off and fail because the pin is not accepted – a moments panic before we remember that Margaret has changed the pin on her card (she does not trust John with her money). Panic over and the correct pin and card combination is established to deliver cash.

Time for a rest and we decide to take a leisurely 40 minute drive to Zafra for the night. A beautiful evening on quiet roads heading South across plains of wall to wall vines. The satnav delivers us to the car park of the local showground where we can stay for free take on water and get rid of our waste. Margaret does liken it to being camped on a roundabout, which it is, as we are adjacent to the intersection of a couple of major roads but as we write this at 9pm the traffic is calming down and we expect to spend a quiet night tucked up in our tin can with the promise of a breakfast in Zafra in the morning.