Trujillo

Ornate sandstone buildings, meandering cobbled lanes and cranes’ nests – Trujillo feels much like Caceres, but without the warmth. Perhaps this is due to the different tones in the brickwork, or the fact that its buildings feel a little less loved, but it feels a less hospitable place. With it being a Sunday afternoon, the town is completely deserted. After a few hours of wandering, we saw a handful of tourists, mainly clustered in the Pizarro museum, which is passably interesting. The Santa Maria la Mayor church is one of the main draws, a genuinely interesting church with a lot of the original paintwork still visible, showing just how colourful the interior used to be – certainly a lot less austere than our plain brick churches. The Castle here is huge, with lots of steps and turrets with secret escapes. No security and no tourists, which makes exploring this town built on the spoils of the Americas feel expeditionary.