The Wandering Scot
An occasional travel journal
Badajoz
The Spanish fortress city of Badajoz was taken by the British in 1812 after a bloody siege, as featured in Sharpe's Company.
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| Plaza Alta
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| "Scare-Dogs Tower"
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| "Scare-Dogs Tower"
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| Archaeological Museum
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| Alcazaba
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| Monument to 1811-12 Siege of Badajoz
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| City Hall
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| CNT (Anarchists) Political Posters
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Merida
Merida, as Emerita Augusta, was the prosperous capital of the Roman province of Lusitania.
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| "Arch of Trajan"
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| Charming "Temple of Diana"
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| Roman Amphitheatre (8 BC)
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| Amphitheatre entry tunnel
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| Roman Theatre (15 BC)
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| Roman Theatre
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| Roman Bridge (25 BC, much rebuilt)
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| Roman Bridge
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| Roman Circus (boring)
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| Roman aqueduct (from train)
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| Roman Aqueduct
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Merida: Museo Nacional de Arte Romano
Merida's Roman Art Museum includes some very striking pieces.
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| A very grand modern museum building.
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| From portico of Merida Forum, 1st c AD
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| Augustus as Supreme Pontiff, 1st c AD
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| Tiberius (?), 1st c AD
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| Genius of the Colony, 1st-2nd c AD
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| 1st c AD statue
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| Portrait of a man, 1st c AD
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| Portrait of a man, 1st c AD
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| "Genius of the Senate" (?), 2nd c AD
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| Mural from Roman Amphitheater
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| 4th c AD Roman mosaic
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| Curious Roman dice
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Madrid
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| Royal Palace
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| Royal Palace
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| Catedral de la Almudena
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| Plaça Mayor
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| Plaça Mayor
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| Plaça Puerta del Sol
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| Spanish Parliament (Cortes)
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Dali: "The Enigma of Hitler" (1939)
Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
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National Archaeological Museum
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| Bronze Bull, 5th-3rd c BC
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Roman mine pump
Used to spray cold water onto heated rocks
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| Bronze head of a Magistrate, 1st c AD
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Inverted sundial, 1st c AD
Light shining through hole indicates time below
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| Gladiator fights - with referees!
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| Bronze water tap, 1st-2nd c AD
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Avila
A striking walled city, with its very own Fortress-Cathedral.
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| Avila from Los Cuatro Postes
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Plan of the mighty Fortress-Cathedral
Note the apse projecting through the City Walls.
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| Main tower of Fortress-Cathedral
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| Gothic nave.
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| Side chapel, with Rose Window
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| Spectacular Romanesque vaulted ceiling
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| The projecting apse/tower.
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| Protruding Tower/Apse of Fortress-Cathedral
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Convent of Santa Teresa
Build over the spot where the saint was born.
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| Convent of Santa Teresa
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| 6 miles East of Avila
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Barcelona
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| Plaça de Catalunya
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| Plaça de Catalunya
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| La Rambla
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Roof of Poliorama Cinema
Where Orwell was stationed in 1938
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| Iconic Dragon at former umbrella shop
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| Plaça de George Orwell
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| Plaça de George Orwell
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| Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya
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| Columns from Temple of Augustus, 1st c
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| Redbrick Arc de Triomf
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| Columbus Column
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| Columbus
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| There was a Pokemon Go special event on Sept 16th, so I caught a Kagaskhan on the way to Park Güell!
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Barcelona Cathedral
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| Barcelona Cathedral
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Sagrada Familia
La Sagrada Familia is a tricky building to assess. I found the exterior far too crowded and the towers grotesquely ugly.
But the interior is stunningly impressive: soaring and spacious and exotic!
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| Passion Facade approach
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| Passion facade
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| Nativity Facade
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| Nativity Facade (designed by Gaudi himself)
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| Vast soaring interior
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| Looking up...
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| View from Passion Facade tower
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Casa Batlló
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| Casa Batlló
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| Bone Windows
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| Rooftop Dragon
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| Light Well
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| Dragon's tail
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Casa Milà aka La Pedrera
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| La Pedrera
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| Exotic chimney stacks
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Park Güell
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| Park Güell
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| Iconic Salmander/Dragon
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| The obligatory selfie.
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| Totodil meets the Dragon
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| Hall of Columns
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Andorra
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| Andorra la Vella
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| Dali "La noblesse du temps"
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| The town is a busy Duty Free trading center
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| New Parliament building
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| Casa de la Vall (the old parliament building)
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| Casa de la Vall
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| Sant Esteve church
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| Sant Esteve church
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Portugal
