It’s a day off in Merida. I always feel a little bit awkward about having days off because sometimes your body tells you that you need to take a rest, particularly your feet. Very often you want to just keep moving, but I think it is sensible to have a day off now and again, and Merida is a perfect place to have a day off in this series of videos. If you have never stayed in a parador, I’ll give you a look around the parador. The breakfast is amazing. I have to say though, I’ve stayed in a couple of paradors on this camino so far and I don’t think I’ll stay in it anymore. They’re a bit of an extravagance, quite expensive and really, at the end of the day, all you’re paying is a lot of money for a nice bed. And to be honest, I’ve had better sleeps in some of the Casa Rurals.

There are some amazing things to see in Merida. I was able to get around some of the Roman ruins and probably, the icing on the cake, was being able to see some of these Semana Santa parades. We were able to go down by the bridge, which was all lit up, and then see some of the parades through Merida near the Plaza Mayor. It was great to be able to catch up with some Aussie friends who are also walking the Camino.