Caceres and Extremadura in 360º

I'm an avowed Couchsurfer. For those who aren't in the know, click and see. There are plenty of other similar sites, but for me, CSing is the most user-friendly.

By surfing, I have seen the insides of places like Moscow, Istanbul, Riga, and Aleppo that a tourist passing through simply wouldn't see ... or would have to stay months to even get a glimpse of.

But CSing isn't only about surfing, it's about hosting too. Maybe even more so because unless you've won the lottery, one can't be traveling all the time. It's a way to remind me that there are people out there, on the move, doing incredible things all the time. Much needed draughts of fresh air during the numbing monotony of your 9 to 5.

The other day we had the pleasure to host 2 such breezes blowing in from France and Switzerland. People who have either found happiness, or at least are on its track.

Not only have they been able to do this, but they create art as the go. Click over to these pictures to have a 360º look for yourself. (if your German's as rusty or non-existent as mine, just click on a pictures and wait for the program to load then use your mouse to move around)

...and while I'm at it, for some more conventional, but equally beautiful photos of the region, there are some lovely ones over here.

Caceres with an Irish Lilt

I do have to say that the Irish are some of my favourite people in the world. Whether it be in New Jersey, Baku, Vientiane or even Cork, they always seem to cheer things up.

It's been awhile since I've been to the greenest of places, but an Irish newspaper, The Irish World, has just published a new travel piece of mine that focuses on my adopted hometown of Caceres, Spain.

Maybe it's time for another visit?

I think the link above has gone bad. Here's the PDFs.