Mike and Wendy's holiday blog: Mar 25: Andalusia: 7

Friday 7 March

Jerez de la Frontera

Left Seville after a lovely stay though with more rain than anticipated.

Had time for a short walk and breakfast - went to a little back street bar for the usual toast with olive oil and tomato. It seemed to be full of all the local characters - quite funny listening to one woman ask another how she should cook this - this being a packet soup mix. Add the water she said scathingly.. 🙄

More fun and games when I went to the loo - so tiny I had to turn sideways to pull my knickers up - and if I'd left the door unbolted I could have reached out for my drink on the bar.. 🤣

Night view of the cathedral from our window.

Met by Mari at the accommodation - lovely, spacious flat. All seemed well but we then discovered that the kitchen had just 4 mugs, 4 glasses and a couple of plastic spoons - nothing else AT ALL in any of the cupboards. There wasn't even a tea towel!

We saw Mari on our way out (I suspect she lives in another flat in the complex - probably overlooking us somehow as the window blinds don't seem to work either 🙄🤣) and she said well surely you won't need them for a two day stay.

Not even a kettle or a pan to boil water (there is a hob) so cups of tea need to be made using cups of water and the microwave!

No problem for us as we always travel with a small picnic set (for impromptu stops and picnics - obvs have to be prepared 😁) but just very ODD!!

A walk round Jerez in the sunshine - a small church we spotted en route to the cathedral.

Cathedral.

The Alcazar was closed.

Beautiful smell from the orange trees. First time we've smelt it as the trees were all harvested in Cordoba and Seville.

Iglesia de San Miguel.

Walk to Plaza Mamelon.

En route to the Plaza.

Cloisters of what was Santo Domingo convent.

A recital with Spanish singers was on in one of the rooms.

Evening meal - patatas con alioli, gambas pil pil, arroz pato, solomillo with mustard sauce - plus wine and beer.

All delicious. Total cost - just £20! Plus a complimentary shot of sherry to finish.

Then a short walk back in the rain which had started whilst we were eating.

Saturday 8 March

Jerez de la Frontera

The rain continued today. Found a leak from the lounge window - when I paddled into it.. 🙄 It had rained hard and in this direction overnight.

We've had heavy rain for several days on and off and lots of it - there have been red alerts, floods and evacuations in Andalusia over the last few days.

The cathedral looked a bit gloomy in the rain.

.. and a lot of the oranges had blown off the trees. The lady at the desk said that they will be harvested next week - and that they are very late this year as they've usually in flower by now.

A wet wander around the Alcazár - but it did mean that we had the place to ourselves until a coach load of tourists arrived 😁

A visit to buy biscuits at the Santa Clara monastery.

They are a closed order of nuns so you talk into the opening which is partitioned off into four quarters, you say what you want and place your money on the shelf.

Then the nun on the other side (who you can't see) pushes the wooden turntable round and takes your money and she puts your order on the shelf and swings it round to you so that you can take it.

A few seconds later the shelf swings round again with your change. Then you can say your thank yous and goodbye.

Good choice with the Semana Santa roscos and some lemon biscuits.

We sat outside next to a patio heater for lunch decided to finish off our meal with a sherry flight taster - 5 different sherries from very dry to very sweet.

Mike asked if they had any Manzanilla and the waitress came out with two glasses saying 'with compliments' - how nice was that?

Much easier than going on a bodega tour!

We decided to go for a further walk round as a watery sun had emerged but we hadn't gone far before the rain returned - very heavy this time.

So off we went back to the apartment.

We had enough bits and pieces to make a picnic so we didn't have to go back out to find food and we had a lovely little meal eating off our picnic plates and using our own plastic cutlery, chopping tomatoes with Mike's pen knife.

Then it was back to the microwave to make a coffee 🙄

Looking forward to writing a review for this place.. 👍😁

Sunday 9 March

Cadiz

Mari arrived to pick up the keys and I pointed out the big puddle of water on the floor which had come in through the window.

As we drove away the rain reached biblical proportions and we thought that we were doomed for the day.

We arrived in Cadiz and took shelter in a bar to get out of the rain and have breakfast.

.. and the sun came out. So we set off for a walk.. and it rained. This was the pattern of the whole day.

Blue skies one way..

.. dark and dismal the other.

No idea what this was there for - possibly something to do with the carnival which finished today.

So windy it blew a light fitting onto the floor.

The light changed every few minutes.

The rain came lashing down once again and was soaking the backs of our jeans so we popped into a bar to dry off. We ended up with a tapas meal - it was lovely.

The cats have their own little colonies and are well looked after - there are several along the sea shore.

Carnival lights.

Then it was time to get into the flat. All done electronically and very confusing.

I had downloaded the security app, I'd had various WhatsApp messages from the rental company with what to do and when and emails with some overlapping information. Plus booking.com sticking their oar in with bits of address info etc.

Trying to get into the main door was bad enough - press 2, press the 🔔 then the blue button. I had to message them - haven't got a blue button I told them. It's on your phone they said. WHERE?? On the link in your app they said. So why show it on the bloody door intercom then?!

So stressful.

We eventually limped through the process with the man opening the flat door remotely for us.

There, he said, you're in. Yes, I replied, but what happens when we want to go OUT!

Mike and I spent the next half hour standing on opposite sides of doors trying to get in and out. We were eventually able to open and close two doors 🙄

The man then sent another WhatsApp.. here are some nice places you might enjoy for a meal.. at that point we didn't dare leave the flat or building in case we couldn't get back in. I was half prepared to be sleeping in the car.

We managed to get outside and battle through the wind and rain to the supermarket to buy supper.

When we got back I'd had another WhatsApp.. don't, whatever you do, unplug the wifi as nothing will work.. and he helpfully sent a little picture of the box.. 🙄

A lock box and key would have been much simpler.

We have a garage space for the car but the car is parked literally outside and we can see it from our window. We are not about to start battling with a garage door at this stage in the proceedings!

I dare say that we will laugh about this at some stage. Not yet 🤬

Meanwhile back at home.. the boys were enjoying their first barbeque of the year - in their t shirts!

Monday 10 March

Cadiz

When we got up Mike looked out and the blue car we thought was ours was no longer there - instead there was a white one!

So he went out to check. Ours was still there but further along the road - we'd been watching the wrong car.. 🤣🤣🤣

Another day of sunshine and showers.

Cathedral.

Bought some sweets for the boys from this shop where the man was making batches.

Another rain shower - very heavy we had to take shelter.. ☔🤣

Then it was back to the sunshine so we walked to the market.

The decorations from the carnival were still up in the streets.

Caught in the rain again as we walked through a lovely little park.

Beautiful rainbow.

The wind was really gusty and quite hard to walk against.

We stopped in the cathedral square for a drink outside - keeping an eye on the weather.

We could see the clouds appearing in front of us.

Behind us was bright sunshine.

Then a few spots of rain - then a downpour and everyone scuttled inside.. 🤣☔

Quick look in another church on the way back.

.. and we arrived back just before the next downpour!.. 👍

Tuesday 11 March

Cadiz

Another blustery day with rain and sun forecasts. The carnival decorations were finally coming down.

More random churches throughout the day.

Oratorio de la Santa Cueva with several panels by Goya.

Hospital de mujeres. Hospital built for women in the 17c. Closed in 1963 when it was no longer viable - it has an El Greco in the chapel.

Oratorio de San Felipe Neri - with a painting by Murillo on the alter piece.

Black rice paella with cuttlefish and alioli for lunch. Delicious!

Just managed to eat it before we had to dash indoors to shelter from the latest shower.

Then a walk back to our accommodation and a rest.

We'd only had two showers all day so that was a definite improvement but it definitely became more blowy as the day went on.

Short walk in the evening along the sea front in the other direction. Lovely sandy beaches but no bars on the front so we came back for meal of smoked salmon, bread, ham tomatoes - all very nice with no further walking involved.. 👍

Wednesday 12 March

Cadiz

Just finished with Storm Jana and we're straight into Storm Konrad 🙄😁☔

.. so we went out prepared for bad weather.. and promptly had to rethink our layers as it was too warm!!

No sunshine but quite humid and warm.

We set off to look for breakfast in the old town then walked along part of the walls by the Santa Catalina castle.

Then we walked along the causeway out to the Castillo de San Sebastian.

The rain held off long enough for us to get back onto the mainland so we looked for the nearest bar.

Quite by accident we found one serving fried baby squid and fried cuttlefish - Mike's favourites!

Happy Mike! 😁😋

Checked in on the cats on the way back. All good.

Another two mile wander for me later on to have a look round Corte Inglés. Had Mike's credit card but didn't buy anything - only coffee in the supermarket 😁

Thursday 13 March

Gibraltar

We left Cadiz in blazing sunshine and 17⁰ heat - typical! But it was sure to change within the hour lol.

Did a bit of coast hopping and stopped at Barbate with the idea that we'd have a little mooch around.

We didn't linger - it was far too windy. Shame as it looked quite pretty.

The sat nav (well sat navs - we have our Dora and we have the one in the car - Mike uses Dora and I set the Spanish one to see if there is any difference 😁) took us through the Parque Natural de Alcornocales. Very green - and very bendy with no road markings. Not a great journey for Mike driving or for me as passenger looking too closely at the steep drop offs on the road.

Rock of Gibraltar in the distance.

But we were fine and arrived at our new accommodation just as the heavens opened - for a change 😁

Short walk to find food.

Balcony outside our window - we've only looked at it as it's far too windy to be out there.

Friday 14 March

Gibraltar

Breakfast in the sunshine - should be raining according to the forecast but I'm sure it will be later.. 🤣

Set off to walk to the border - pleasant walk and we eventually found it - not very well sign posted for foot passengers!

Queued up for passport control and eventually got our passports stamped - we were in!

First thing we saw..

.. the cable car was closed. What a shame.. 😁

We set off forwards the centre - and it started to rain. We walked.. and we walked.. and we walked..

Eventually we found the centre and we had a wander. We weren't looking to do anything particularly touristy so we stopped for a pub lunch in The Angry Friar.

Mike had steak and kidney pie and I had a ploughmans. It was very strange to see so much 'Britishness' and for prices to be in £ sterling.

I had a wander round Marks and Spencer - just because 😁 - and bought a couple of tshirts (which I'd seen at home anyway 🤣)

Too British for us lol. We started to make our way back to the border - by a much more direct route!!

Very funny to see the green man - and the barriers were up so we were free to cross.. the airport runway!

A quick trip to the supermarket and we were home. Exhausted - over 9 miles walked - probably a couple that we didn't need to!

We admired the views from our balcony - the wind was quite gusty again.

Saturday 15 March

Gibraltar

We couldn't find a tour online for the Rock (seemed like Mon - Fri only) so we had resigned ourselves to another long walk. But when we got through customs we found people offering short tours. YES we said.

Off we went with just 8 of us in a mini bus. Our driver was a third gen Gibraltarian who spoke English with a very Spanish accent and told us about llanito - the Andalusian mixture of Spanish and English which a lot of the locals speak.

First stop the Pillars of Hercules which mark the start of the Straits of Gibraltar.

The story of Hercules..

Next stop St Michael's Cave - one of over 150 caves on the Rock.

Skywalk. Glass floor. No thank you.. 😳

Queue to the top - and this was in March!

Macaques and views. Our driver was able to identify a female monkey they called La Rubia (the blondie) who was able to open a car door.

All drivers treat the monkeys with respect and don't touch them.

They let the monkeys come to them.

The views were fabulous - especially with the blue skies and sunshine which have been in short supply!

It was quite amazing to see the runway from this angle - it is so SHORT - and with sea at either end!

Only the very experienced pilots can land on it - I think they have to have at least 150 (or 250?) flying hours before they are allowed.

The pedestrian walk way across the middle.

The Great Siege Tunnels.

An interesting little trip with a very informative driver. It would have been very hard to see everything on our own without a lot of walking - and a lot of UP. No cars are allowed into the nature reserve at the top - only the tour taxis which are quite small. The hairpin bends mean that even these small vehicles have to take two goes to turn the sharper corners!

We were dropped off in the town and we took a short walk into the marina area.