Our pet and house sitter Joan arrived on Thursday 4th July to give her time to get to know Luca's routine and to find how everything works in the house. John arrived home from work at about 10pm, and we three sat outside on the back patio with a bottle of wine and chatted until it was time for bed.
The next morning, we got up early, put the bags in the car and said goodbye to Joan and Luca. We headed to Cafetería Leo in Antas for breakfast, a custom now, since we had cava in Leo's before going to the ayuntamiento for our wedding and then we had breakfast there to start our honeymoon.
Our first stop was Jaén, where we were staying for two nights. The hotel was nice and central, so we took the opportunity to visit the Baños Arabe, which was free, another bonus. Then, on towards Córdoba, where we were staying in the 5* Eurostars Palace. There were to be two highlights to the holiday, and this was one of them. John got such a good deal with this hotel, and our room was nothing short of luxurious.
The room was divided into two by a smoked glass sliding door, separating the sleeping area from the bathroom area, to allow privacy if required! Then the bathroom area was divided into three areas, the toilet and bidet in one room, the handwash basins in an area on their own and the most fantastic wet room. In the wet room there were two power showers and a jacuzzi bath, and of course white terry cotton bathrobes and slippers were provided.
As the hotel was central, we had the chance to easily visit the Mesquita-Catedral, which was quite interesting. Originally a Cathedral for the latter half of the 6th Century, it then became a mosque from 756 until the 13th Century, when under Ferdinand III the Great Mosque was converted into a cathedral. You can easily see the arches of the mosque style still standing and providing resting places for the ornate icons of the catholic church.
The next day we visited the zoo, which was a genuinely nice zoo, although many of the animals were inside in the shade, as one of the keepers said to me, to which replied, “Yes, we are the idiots, out in the sun “. Nonetheless, we did see lions and giraffes, an Iberian Lynx and quite a few birds, and it was still a worthwhile visit.
From Córdoba we went onto Carmona, where we had an interesting visit to the gin distillery of Puerto de Indias, which produces our favourite strawberry gin. We had a chance, after the tour, to try some of the gins. John's favourite was Orange Blossom and Peach, and I loved the Blackberry but, there were two special gins they prepare for the international market, which are not available in Spain, except in duty free areas. therefore, I had to buy one of them! And I shall have to bring it out only on special occasions too! It is called Diamond White Strawberry, and when I tasted it, it was really special.
We also had a chance to go on the ballon trip, that we had booked for our previous Christmas holiday in Seville, which had been cancelled on the day it was booked. Although it was a ‘fixed’ ballon we nonetheless had some splendid views of Seville and of the Isla Mágica theme park.
Our next hotel was Tugasa Sierra y Cal in Olvera, the Tugasa bit stands for TUrismo GAditano SA, the gaditano bit referring to people from the town or province of Cádiz. It was one of a selection of rural hotels supported by the Diputación de Cádiz. After a swim in the pool, we went up to the room and showered and changed for the evening. Whilst I was showering, John read about the hotel and told me that at weekends they had a barbecue by the pool. So, when we were ready, we went down and sat at a table and waited for the barbecue to be lit, which when it was, we were surprised it was a proper charcoal barbecue, and we dined very well that night.
After Olvera it was time for our second highlight of the holiday, three nights in our favourite hotel, Jerez Hotel & Spa. It is a favourite from the time we went on our honeymoon, and they upgraded us, from the cheapest room, probably overlooking the car park, to a ground floor top grade room with pool access directly from our own little terrace. We love the room and now we pay the extra and ensure that we are booked in. This year we had an added treat of breakfast included, a delicious array of everything you could want from healthy muesli and yoghurt to continental with meats and cheeses, English breakfast, croissants and even doughnuts.
We had tickets to visit the cathedral and the Alcázar, but unfortunately the cathedral was closed for renovation, but the Alcázar was very impressive. After three nights enjoying our lovely room and the pool of Jerez and Spa, we left to drive to Cómpeta, stopping at the Colomares Castle Monument on the way. This castle is very impressive and was built by one man with two helpers from 1987, taking seven years to complete. It is a monument to Christopher Columbus and his discovery of America.
Our last two days of the holiday were spent in Cómpeta, a town built on a hill, and we included another drink orientated visit, this time to a vineyard, the Bodega Almijara. They use only muscatel grapes, which are known to normally produce sweet dessert wines. However, by using different processes they have managed to produce two completely unusual wines for muscatel grapes, a rose and an almost dry white.
However, finally it was time to head towards home, after two fun filled weeks of relaxing, walking, swimming, eating and drinking.
So, we seem to have ‘done’ Andalusia and we went to Castilla La Mancha last year, we are wondering where will we head next year? We honestly do not know! However, we do have Christmas in Granada booked, so we have that to look forward to.
Are you heading anywhere exciting for your holidays this summer. Do let me know, I would be interested to hear of your plans.
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