A move to the coast and the town of El Puerto de Santa Maria. Part port, part resort it largely caters for the Spanish as a lot of these towns tend to in Western Spain. We were aiming to spend a week here but as the weather is now very warm, 30c, and the location is great - train to Jerez, ferry to Cadiz, a good few sherry bodegas on our doorstep and Semana Santa coming up we will probably stay till after Easter.
The site is large with a bar/restaurant open and a very big swimming pool (closed of course!)
We are in the bay of Cadiz with views across to the city and the aforementioned ferries crossing between the two - as shown below.
There is also a nice church and a defunct bullring with a bronze reminder outside.
We had always aimed to return to Jerez and it was different to arrive by train at the oldest station in Spain which was wonderfully tiled.
A good covered market in town specialising in fish has to be seen before 1pm. One thing we missed last time was the free guided walking tour. Strangely, as there were thousands of tourists, we were the only takers. Javier was very informative and told us a few things we didn't know. Jerez is the Spanish form of the Moorish 'Cere' which itself derived from the Roman goddess of wheat Ceres, also from which we get the name sherry. Lesson over. Statues of Ceres appear all over town and on cathedral walls. Pictured below is one of the narrow streets leading up to the church of St Michael which is both Gothic and Byzantine. The crowning glory is the altarpiece showing St Michael driving the evil into hell and St Peter receiving the good guys into heaven.
You will also have noticed one of the huge floats ready to be released during Semana Santa of which more next week. The cathedral below only got a bishop in 1980 after 400 years of petitioning popes.
We had an enjoyable day in Jerez but one moan is opening hours. The tourist office recommends Tio Pepe to visit (which we did last year) and all the other bodegas complain. But it is really quite simple. Tio Pepe has tours in about 6 languages mornings and afternoons and some evenings 7 days a week. There is not one other bodega in town which opens in the afternoon. So it was lunch of tapas, excellent pork cheek and stuffed artichokes amongst others, a walk around town - this sign was on the main Cadiz to Seville highway until pedestrianisation in the 90's - before returning to the main square - what do you call a military dictator with a pigeon on his head?
Ans. Alfonso X111. The last benign despot before Franco with Victory and Ceres to the front and rear.
Thanks to Jude and Andy for their comments and glad you enjoyed your river cruise. Indeed France seems to get more expensive each year whereas Spain, certainly this year, seems a bit cheaper. Decent 4 course menu del Dias for around 20 Euros a head including wine and such delicacies for me at least of Mollejas de Cordero. I'll save the translation to spare those of a more delicate nature.
Finally, tourist tip number 1 (of one). There is a new chain of cervecerias called 100 Montaditos. They are trying to be the Wetherspoons of Spain. They offer very cheap beer (sadly only the Cruzcampo range) for 1.50 euros per half litre and lots of snacks and Montaditos for about 1 euro each with various special offers on most days of the week. The bars attract a very mixed clientele (like Wetherspoons) but are a welcome cheap addition to the Spanish experience and are popping up all over Spain. Worth checking out if you are visiting this year.
More next week which is the truly massive Semana Santa.
Adios
J&P
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