Stories Left in Stone: Trails and Traces in Caceres, Spain

by Troy Nahumko

Overview

Stories Left in Stone explores the lives, histories, and artistic legacies of Cáceres and Extremadura. Author Troy Nahumko has lived in the old town of Cáceres, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for over a decade. His journey starts at the Cave of Maltravieso, where prehistoric art stirs a profound curiosity about the city's rich tapestry of past and present. Amid the dazzle of cobbled medieval streets, 12th century Moorish walls, fortified palaces, and 60,000-year-old handprints, Nahumko asks how locals characterize their city and leave their own marks. Through personal narrative and interviews with locals, expats, and experts, he shares sociological, archaeological, and historical insights. Nahumko's storytelling paints a vivid and empathetic portrait of the people and heritage of this lesser-known province of Spain, as he surveys its history, cuisine, and stunning natural beauty.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781772127744
Publisher:	University of Alberta Press
Publication date:	10/01/2024
Series:	Wayfarer
Pages:	328
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Troy Nahumko is a Canadian-born travel writer living in Cáceres, Spain, whose work has been published in newspapers and media around the world.

Table of Contents

• Table of Contents
• Chapter 1 Guiding Hands
• Chapter 2: Churros for Breakfast
• Chapter 3: A Trip to La Vera
• Chapter 4: Neighbourization
• Chapter 5: The Crack Between Portugal and Spain
• Chapter 6: Taking Chances
• Chapter 7: Leaps of Faith
• Chapter 8: Leave the Lights On
• Chapter 9: Barren Squares
• Chapter 10: Idol Worship
• Chapter 11: Benevolent Spirits
• Chapter 12: In the Sierra of the Cat
• Chapter 13: A Return to Roots
• Chapter 14: Mountain Alchemy
• Chapter 15: Alternate Narratives
• Chapter 16: Stone Cartoons
• Chapter 17: Making Connections

Editorial Reviews

"Troy Nahumko offers a fresh perspective on Cáceres, unveiling its hidden gems and cultural nuances with the intimacy of a local guide. Combining meticulous research with engaging storytelling, the book is perfect for armchair travelers and anyone curious about Spanish culture and history." Lori A. May, author of The Write Crowd

"In this captivating travelogue, Nahumko illuminates the region's history, culture, and contemporary issues. His skepticism and wit add a refreshing authenticity, making this book a must-read for anyone intrigued by Cáceres or eager to venture beyond beaten paths." Javier Torre, University of Denver

"A fresh and engaging outsider perspective on life in Spain." Kirkus Reviews, September 2024

Author Troy Nahumko "analyses how locals characterise their city and leave their own marks.... He shares sociological, archaeological and historical insights, speaking with locals from all walks of life and intertwining their stories with his own." SUR in English, November 22, 2024

From the Publisher

2024-08-16
A Canadian teacher fashions a travelogue about his adopted hometown in Extremadura, Spain, hub of diverse civilizations.

Returning to live in his wife’s hometown in Spain, raising his children, and teaching English as a profession, author Nahumko, from Edmonton, offers a deep exploration of the southwestern county of Cáceres, deep in Extremadura, an agricultural center bordering Portugal. The town itself is notable for the Paleolithic rock art found in its Maltravieso cave, some painted by Neanderthals more than 60,000 years ago. Although the author begins with a rarely permitted dive into the cave, he does not return to this fascinating paleoanthropological story until later, rather concentrating on his own story involving always being considered the outsider, confronting the Fascist past, and taking side trips to Moorish, Roman, and early Christian ruins. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1986), Cáceres is Europe’s third-largest intact medieval city and rarely changes. Nahumko also writes about his search for a house and why most Spaniards live in apartment houses—which seems to have its roots in the mass exodus of people from the countryside to the cities in search of work after the Spanish Civil War. As a teacher he is keenly interested in the profession and how the lives of Spanish civil servants “depend entirely on how high they score on the list of available jobs.” He seeks out tour guides, shop owners, and politicians and finds that the town is less conservative than it used to be. The city is a rare find, yet many involved in its preservation despair at what already has been lost to careless development.

A fresh and engaging outsider perspective on life in Spain.

Kirkus Reviews