Our neighbors here in Madrid, Aquilino and Rose Mary Duarte, are from Badajos, and have been begging us to visit there. During the temple close-down Aquilino went to visit his older sister, a sparkling 76 year old who had not let a recent operation for breast cancer slow her down a bit! We were there at the same time, and they invited us for lunch on Sunday afternoon. She was delightful. I can't believe I neglected to take a picture of her.
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| Aquilino Duarte in front of the Cathedral |
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| Aquilino and Greg walk past Roman ruins without a glance... |
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| ...but Duarte loved showing us some of the older streets. |
The town hall is on the plaza near the cathedral. Many marriages in Spain are performed civilly rather than in a church or cathedral.
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A family headed to a wedding in the town hall, the girls wearing the latest fashion--
a dressy top paired with short shorts, along with nylons and tall heels. Not exactly "Strength of Youth" styles. |
Like so many Spanish cities with a long history, Badajoz has its "alcazaba", or Moorish fortress, built during the 9th to 12th centuries. Of the original buildings here, only the wall remains.
Called the "Plaza Alta", or upper plaza, this open square of Moorish design abuts the alcazaba, or ancient Moorish fortress. For several centuries it was the town's main square, and has recently been restored.
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| Arched porticoes restored to their Moorish splendor |
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Government office windows reflect the opposite side of the upper plaza,
with the alcazaba rising behind. |
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Walls of the Alcazaba at dusk.
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We were able to walk around nearly the entire wall of the alcazaba, getting wonderful views of the city.
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| Sidewalk cafe in shadows of alcazar. |
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| Monti and Greg above the Plaza Alta. |
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| Badajoz Roman bridge at dusk. |
Badajoz is a wonderful mixture of old and new, but the best part of our visit was seeing Brother Duarte in his element, and meeting his delightful sister.
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