When James Pembroke, The Oldie’s publisher, asked Dawn and me to lead an Oldie trip to central Spain, we leapt at the chance.
It would it be our 40th trip with The Oldie and coincide with our 40th wedding anniversary. It was also an opportunity to introduce fellow oldies to a part of central Spain that remains largely unknown and unvisited.
Extremadura generated an exceptional number of conquistadors the explorer soldiers of the Spanish and Portuguese empires. They were usually the younger sons of minor nobility with few prospects at home. The discovery of the New World offered opportunities for adventure, fame and fortune.
With these conquistadors, Extremadura briefly took its place on the world stage in the first half of the 16th century. Many local place names
