Trish and I decided to stay on in Gibraltar and use the
time to see more of Andalucia.
We hired a car and traveled along the SW coast of Spain past Tarifa
and on to Cadiz.
A historic city with a long maritime history. Columbus, the
Armada, etc, etc.
From there we went on to Jerez, the centre
of Spain’s sherry industry and stayed
over a couple of nights.
This is a famous landmark in the centre of town and a great
spot for seeing and being seen where sherry and tapas in all its forms is the speciality
of the house.
It is a really nice small city with a very long history,
predating Roman times through the Moorish period and the reconquistadors of
Isabella and Ferdinand.
The Alcazar is the oldest part of time and was really
developed in Moorish times as a fortress and palace.
Like cities, towns and villages throughout this part of
Spain it comes alive at night as families come out into the cooler evenings to
eat drink and meet friends and family.
Trish and I suspect that there were a series of power cuts 10
to 12 months ago as we have never seen so many young babies in one place.
Throughout Andalucia there are dozens of whitewashed walled
towns and villages, many perched high on hills or ridges and all with the
influences of the various periods of rule. From Jerez we went on
to Arcos a typical example and wandered through the narrow streets and
alleyways.
Arcos sits high on a narrow ridge above a river and rolling
farmland.
Its defensive strengths are best seen from a distance.
Our time here has now come to an end and we are preparing
the boat for the next leg down the Atlantic coast of Morocco and on to
the Canaries.
