Mérida is a city in the region of Extremadura. It is
3 hrs. North of Sevilla,
4 hrs. Southwest of Madrid,
4 hrs. South of Salamanca, and
3 hrs. East of Lisbon, Portugal.
I think I see some exciting day/weekend trips in my future :-P
Here are a few reasons why I am excited about my city:
- Since I already mentioned this, I'll start with central location. It is at the intersection of a North/South & an East/West highway, and public bus transportation is incredibly affordable in Spain/Europe. Additionally, it is along a train route.
- Population is about 60,000. This should give me plenty of things to do & places to go, while still being very walkable. While I know it's not the biggest of cities, several participants in my program are placed in tiny pueblos of 10,000 people or less, and Mérida is one of the largest cities in my region of Extremadura.
- I love walking, and I'll be able to walk to school each day! I'm also glad I won't have to rely on rides from another teacher or public transportation on a daily basis.
- Río Guadiana- Cities on water are so pretty!
- Southern-ish Spain = warmer temperatures. While it won't be as warm as Sevilla, the low in Mérida rarely drops to freezing, and it also should not get as cold as Madrid or Salamanca.
- Southern-ish Spain = less rain. I actually enjoy rain, but not all the time and not when my main means of transportation will be by foot. In Northern Spain it can rain nearly everyday during their rainy season.
- Very low cost of living. (i.e. rent should be about 100-150 per month for a shared apartment)
- My Spanish skills should improve greatly :)
- Mérida was an important Roman city back in the day, so there is a lot of neat architecture and ruins throughout the city.
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| Puente Romano sobre el Río Guadiana |
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| Mérida's Plaza de España ...there seems to be one in every city! |
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| Plaza de Toros |
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| Roman Amphitheater |
Check back soon for info about my teaching assignments! I am very pleased with those too :)
