India, March 25 -- Vast pastures where the famous Iberian sheep feast on fallen acorns, small villages with homes of adobe and stone, olive groves, cork oaks and natural gorges. Extremadura, in Spain, is a little-known region close to Portugal. I am in Romangordo, a small village of around 300 people near the town of Caceres and very c ose to Monfrague National Park. This region is still very underrated and largely untouched by mass tourism. Romangordo was an Arab settlement in the 10th century, and because of its strategic importance, it was a place of dispute between the Arabs and the Christians. It was conquered and reconquered, built and rebuilt over the centuries, with layers of history settling down in its stones. Today, the village is famous for something completely different. Romangordo has become famous for its trompe-l'oeil mural paintings (something that deceives the eyes and creates an illusion) so realistic that you'll swear that the windows are real, the doors are half-open, and the people portrayed are alive. The murals are so beautifully integrated into each building and the facade that they seem to be a part of it. Our local guide explains that the project began in 2016, when the village decided to spruce up old facades and breathe life into them. The walls and facades became canvases to portray the stories of everyday life and traditional livelihoods. Local and regional artists, among them Jesus Mateos Brea, Jonatan Carranza Sojo, and David Bravo, came together with students from Madrid's Fine Arts school, to transform Romangordo into an open-air gallery. Today, you can walk aimlessly and discover the murals by serendipity or pick up a map at the Tourist office and follow the guided trail called the Route of the Trompe l'oeil. Every corner of the town takes on a life of its own, thanks to the vivid art painted on walls, shutters and facades. Nostalgia takes centre stage. A family scene from the 60s occupies a huge facade portraying them sitting around a table and listening to the radio as they eat. Opposite the town pharmacy, I see an entire side of a house depicting a traditional shop from the past when people took time over their purchases and chatted with shopkeepers. One street pays tribute to the town's parish priest, Angel, with walls reflecting his thoughts and legacy. I meet a couple standing outside their home, who tell me they've lived here for more than thirty years and cherish the deep sense of peace and tranquillity the village offers. Many young people have left the village, and traditional crafts are dying. There is still a small village pub where the villagers meet over a drink. To understand how people once lived, I visit the Ecomuseum Casa del tio Cascoles, where rooms have been re-created from the past. Stepping inside feels like stepping back in time, with low ceilings and an old-fashioned kitchen with copper pots on the walls, with grain being stored in the upper part of the house. It is an intimate ending to a walk through a village that has turned its memories into art. The author is travel and lifestyle editor based in Chennai...