South West Experience
SELU
is the only tour operator in Britain to offer as its sole destination the
Spanish region of Extremadura in the south west of Spain.
We offer small-group holidays featuring nine days in Extremadura.
Accommodation is in the Government run Parador chain of hotels, which, we
believe, offer a level of comfort and service second to none. This is
particularly true of the newly refurbished Parador of Plasencia, generally
reckoned to be one of the best hotels in Spain. South West Experience
focuses very strongly on attention to the needs of clients, and it is this
signature personal touch, which we believe cannot be matched by bigger, more
faceless organisations. Years of research on the ground have enabled us to
offer a programme of activities designed with the aim of enabling people to
get to know the least well-known of Spain's seventeen autonomous
communities. Many people have not even heard of the place which we propose
as our sole destination and may wonder what it has to offer. At 42,000
square kilometres, Extremadura is bigger than either Holland or Belgium, and
can boast a range of possibilities for the visitor, which many countries
could not hope to match. It is our intention to offer a broad cross section
of these activities, so that whilst each day has a different theme, all the
events combine to give a taste of Extremadura.
The region is made up of just two provinces, (although they are the two
largest in the whole of Spain) Cáceres in the north and Badajoz in the
south. There is a distinct difference in atmosphere between the two, and it
is for this reason that we will be spending five days in the north and four
days in the south. The province of Cáceres is lush and fertile, some of the
valleys in the north having an almost Alpine appearance with an abundance of
fruit trees and fast flowing streams of crystal clear water. Badajoz in the
south has a more austere beauty full of ochre landscapes of gently rolling
hills, olive groves and arid steppe country.
The magnificent Parador in Plasencia in the north of the region will be our
base for the first five nights of our stay. A former convent dating back to
the fifteenth century, and one of Spain's newest Paradores, this incredible
edifice is bathed in Renaissance ambience, whilst at the same time enjoying
all the usual modern conveniences one would expect from a four star hotel.
From Plasencia we will explore the north of the region. Our itinerary will
take us to one of Spain's most important and beautiful natural parks, which
is home to a great many species of mammal and bird, rare in other parts of
Spain, but abundant here. Deer and wild boar abound and the park is home to
the shy and secretive genet. It is also one of the last bastions of the
endangered Iberian lynx. Birds range from the gregarious and noisy
azure-winged magpie to the gaudy plumaged bee-eater through to the
magnificent black vulture. Even non-birdwatchers cannot help but be
captivated by this spectacular wilderness.
Art is an ever-present feature of every day life in Spain, and it is true to
say that the Spanish have a greater degree of access to great works of art
than the average Briton. Our programme of events should give clients ample
opportunity to see great works of art, but we will not be restricting
ourselves to the art of the middle ages. In fact one of the museums on our
itinerary is one of the most distinctive modern art galleries in the world
and its setting can only be described as breathtaking!
History buffs will know that Spain once had an empire that was the envy of
all the old colonial powers, stretching from Peru to the Philippines. Upon
abdicating his control over this territory, the emperor Carlos V decided to
spend his twilight years in a place whose beauty would be beneficial to his
meditation, as he sought to prepare himself for his reward. Those who have
spent time in the area are not at all surprised that, with all of Spain to
choose from, Carlos V chose to end his days in Extremadura. Our itinerary
includes a chance to follow in the footsteps of the emperor and to see for
ourselves the extraordinary beauty of this corner of his empire.
The city of Plasencia itself is a rich mix of the Roman, the Moorish and the
Gothic. It is Extremadura's fourth city. The word "city" is used in a local,
rather than an international context, given that no city in Extremadura has
a population of more than a hundred and fifty thousand and the population of
Plasencia is around the forty thousand mark. Nevertheless it would take
quite a few days to fully explore this most fascinating of places.
Any holiday experience is invariably enriched by the sampling and enjoying
of the local delicacies and fortunately for our clients, good food and drink
are never far away in Extremadura. The local people take an enormous amount
of pride in offering the best of local ingredients to any visitors. The
region's wine, whilst not being as prestigious as some of Spain's better
known varieties, has enjoyed massive investment in recent years, and has
been awarded denominación de origen status and is more than a match for many
wines from Rioja and the Ribera del Duero. The full-bodied reds deserve
special mention.
The region's cuisine, which is based upon the use of the freshest of
seasonal ingredients, is a source of tremendous pride within Extremadura.
Simple stews, especially the lamb stew caldereta de cordero, and top quality
cuts of meat, simply cooked, form the mainstay of the region's dishes. These
are supplemented by some of the best charcuterie and cheeses in the world.
Perhaps the most famous item on the menu is the local ham, made from the
hind legs of the semi-wild Iberian pigs. These privileged porcines spend the
last three months of their lives fattening up on acorns, and it is these,
which lend the meat a sublime sweetness. Once you have tasted real jamón
ibérico, Parma ham will seem like a pale substitute for the real thing.
Other products typical of the region include; honey, paprika in both sweet
and hot varieties, excellent olive oil and fiery spirits distilled from
cherries and plums. At this point it should be pointed out that
vegetarianism is quite rare in Extremadura, and therefore, very few
establishments (including the hotels) make any concessions to its
practitioners.
http://www.southwestexperience.co.uk/