In the Shadow of the Roman Empire: Exploring Merida

 “Time can stretch back a long way in some places, and much is lost, forgotten.”
Guy Gavriel Kay

Break on the Via de la Plata

Today we paused for a rest day in Mérida, a city that is perhaps more worthy of exploration than any other along the Via de la Plata. It was a break we badly needed. Since leaving Cádiz on the Via Augusta, some 21 days ago, we have only stopped in Seville, and with the long distances between stages, the steadily rising heat, and too many nights of broken sleep, both body and spirit were feeling worn thin. With a trail as long as the Via de la Plata, we know that caring for our health is not a luxury but a necessity. The only catch, of course, is that when travelling with someone who holds multiple degrees in history and delights in museums, a “rest day” in a place like Mérida is not really restful at all.

Today we allowed ourselves the rare luxury of sleeping in until 8:30 AM, which felt glorious after so many early mornings on the trail. Normally, the day begins before dawn, with the hurried shuffle of backpacks, the rustle of sleeping bags, and the quiet determination of setting out into the dim light, often without even a proper breakfast. By contrast, this morning was unhurried and gentle. After showering, we went downstairs, where several familiar pilgrims lingered over their coffee and toast. We joined them, and for nearly an hour the dining room hummed with easy conversation and laughter, a welcome shift from the usual silence of the road. Later, we returned to our room, where the rest of the morning unfolded slowly as we wrote in our journals and edited a few days’ worth of photos. It was a reminder that the pilgrimage is not only about the walking, but also about the pauses that let us absorb the journey.

Exploring Ancient Rome in Merida

There is no denying that if you wish to immerse yourself in the legacy of the Roman Empire, Mérida is the place to come. Once the capital of Lusitania and now the capital of Extremadura, the city stands as a remarkable testament to Imperial Rome.

It is always astonishing to see how well these structures have endured over two millennia: the great bridge that still carries traffic across the river, the theatre that continues to host productions, and the museums that draw visitors eager to step into the past. Even the road we follow on the Via de la Plata has its roots in Roman times, once stretching from Mérida north to Gijón on the Bay of Biscay. To walk here is to feel history woven seamlessly into the present.

Museo Nacional de Arte Romano

It was not until 10 AM that we set off to explore the National Museum of Roman Art, or Museo Nacional de Arte Romano, in Mérida. The museum itself is a striking structure of brick, purpose-built to house the extraordinary collection of antiquities unearthed in and around the city.

On the main floor, we found ourselves surrounded by immense tiled mosaics mounted on the walls, as well as base and cap stones from once-mighty columns, statues rescued from the Roman Theatre, and elaborate carvings from the Portico del Foro and other public buildings that once defined Mérida as a provincial capital.

   

Climbing to the second level, alcoves displayed pottery and everyday objects, while displays showcased the currency of the Roman world, including gleaming gold imperial coins.

What struck us most were the surprising details in the mosaics and carvings - the sheer variety of images, from birds, fish, boars, and elephants to dragons, winged horses, Celtic knots, and bold geometric shapes.

Many of the mosaics, with their intricate designs and vivid colours, reminded us of patchwork quilts.

   

The collection was not only impressive but also unexpectedly engaging, leaving us with the sense that Roman life and imagination were far more vivid and creative than we had anticipated.

Afternoon in Merida

After our time in the museum, we wandered the rain-swept streets of Merida and generally meandered without direction.   As such, the rest of the day was given over to something far less momentous but equally necessary: rest. It was an afternoon of simple errands, quiet planning, and a touch of indulgence. Nothing of historical importance was accomplished, but sometimes contentment is found in these pauses between discoveries.

     

By early afternoon, we stopped at a DIA to stock up on snacks for the trail and returned to our room to spread out maps, guidebooks, and notes, sketching out the next twenty stages of the Via de la Plata and pencilling in a visit to the Roman Baths for tomorrow.

Later, at around three o’clock, we set out with binoculars in hand, hoping to go bird watching, but heavy rain soon pushed us into the shelter of the Plaza España, where we passed the time enjoying several rounds of beers while watching the downpour. When the rain lifted, we searched for food, only to discover that the city had largely shut down by four in the afternoon.

In the end, our evening consisted of a pragmatic run to Carrefour Express, where we paid far too much for a bottle of local Via de la Plata wine, added a bag of chips and some soup to the haul, and retreated back to our room. There, with our modest picnic, we settled in to watch Martin Sheen's The Way (2010), which is a small tradition that we enjoy each time we walk on the Way of St. James. 

Reflections on Pilgrimage 

After seeing so many fellow pilgrims and new friends forced to leave the Camino due to injuries, we were delighted to run into Pat, an elegant English woman we had last seen several days ago. By chance, we found her near the Temple of Diana, and she shared that only two days earlier she had stumbled and badly bruised her face, knees, and arms. Yet there she was, still pressing onward with quiet determination. Encounters like this are a powerful reminder that we are all just one stumble, one blister, or one difficult moment away from either carrying forward or being forced to step off the trail.

As a finer point, according to the GPS Garmin, on our “day off,” the trail we nonetheless walked some 24 km around Merida today – a fine example of how a day off is rarely a restful day

Tomorrow we will ease back into the rhythm of the trail with a short stage of just 11.5 km, finishing at the Roman Baths before truly setting off again. Of course, this also means change. Some pilgrims we have walked alongside since Seville, but who chose not to rest in Mérida, are now ahead of us. By the end of tomorrow, they will likely be two stages ahead of us. Perhaps we will not see them again.

At the same time, those we parted with a few days ago, when we pushed through two stages in one day, may once more cross our path. Only time can tell who we will meet again on the road.

Mérida itself is a turning point for many. After seven to ten stages of walking, those with only a short holiday often take their leave here, closing their Camino with the grandeur of Rome at their backs. Yet at the same time, new companions join us, for this is where the Camino Mozárabe from Granada merges with the Via de la Plata. As always on pilgrimage, the faces around us shift, some pilgrims departing, others arriving, reminding us that the Camino is a living, changing community, shaped each day by who chooses to walk on.

And so we learn to accept the ebb and flow of friendship on the trail, cherishing the moments shared, while knowing that part of the Camino’s beauty lies in its impermanence.

See you on the Way!