We spent some days in Burgos, optimistically waiting for the weather to improve. Wishful thinking, they call it. Unfortunately, heaven wasn't that much on our side. When it didn't rain cats and dogs, it was awfully windy and, therefore, quite unpleasant to go around.

One morning the skies seemed to clear out, so we decided to take a walk down the river Arlanzón which is a pretty popular promenade among Burgaleses (aka citizens of Burgos). The riverbank is very suitable for picnics and for dog walkers. However, we didn't get to enjoy our walk for long; soon after we came home running, completely wet. Displeased with the situation, we packed our things, got into the car and set off south to Extremadura.

Extremadura is the 5th largest Spanish community and twice as big as Slovenia. It's located in the south-west of the country, bordering Castilla y León to the north, Castilla la Mancha to the east, Andalucía to the south and Portugal to the west.
Our destination was Piedras Albas, a village in the province of Cáceres (northern Extremadura), the hometown of Juanpi's mother. As soon as we arrived, I knew I was going to love the place. With its 147 inhabitants (according to the 2006 census), surrouned by pastures and olive trees plantations Piedras Albas makes a nice place for those who like the country life. Waking up with the birds' singing and with flocks of sheep passing by the house every morning, one can not start the day but with a smile on the face.

Even if it rained on the day of our arrival, it wasn't cold outside. Comparing to Burgos, this place had a milder climate – fortunately for me. When one of the local shepherds came by our house the next morning, he was all smiles because of one whole day of rain. They don't get to see much water around here, especially in summertime.
I was thrilled with the diverse vegetation I've seen around, which was more than a good reason to go around and take some photos.

The skies cleared up and we used a good day for a trip to the valley of Jerte, where some of the best Spanish cherries come from. We came right on time – it was high season and therefore an abundance of cherries. Jerte is the name of the valley, river and town.
This cherry land is located about 140 kilometres north-east from Piedras Albas. The road N-110 takes you to Valle del Jerte via Plasencia, one of the major towns of Extremadura (4th biggest according to the population). The road from Plasencia to Jerte offers the view of thousands of cherry trees, growing on the slopes close to the road. One would just pull over and start picking the inviting ripe fruit.

We passed through the towns Navaconcejo, Cabezuela del Valle and Jerte.

Everywhere you could find locals selling cherries and at the end we bought 3 boxes. They were so juicy and sweet, it was too difficult to wait until we got home to finally eat them.

After a good lunch at a local restaurant, we headed for Plasencia, which we'd  passed by in the morning. The town was founded in the 12th century on the riverbank as a city-fortress along the Silver route (Ruta de la plata). They call it the cradle of Extremadura.

Once back in Piedras Albas, I sat down at the terrace, with a bowl of cherries, listening to the birds and enjoying the sunset. Hey, that's what I call holidays…