Day Trip to Gibraltar

First glimpse of the Rock seen from the Spanish side

This week Pepe drove us, Angela, Ryan, and me to Gibraltar, also known as the Rock! The British Colony at the southern end of Spain. 

Working telephone booth

It is a strange mix of Spain and England, for example they use British pounds for currency but accept Euros, they drive on the same side of the road as the rest of Europe, shops are a mix of high end things like diamonds and tourist tat. 

One of the many English gardens

There is a large Jewish community there visible because men and boys were the kippah or yarmulke. Getting across the working airfield and border check, that is the only access, going in was fine, coming out took an hour which is considered about average. It was 2.5 hours each way driving so we were out 12.5 hours. 

The artist is the link, Ryan had read about his work.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Eine

Lunch at a rather swanky place called The Lounge at the marina was fish and chips with mushy peas that were great and enjoyed. 

War cemetery

Gibraltar is a tax haven place so we bought cigarettes and booze for about 90% of what we would pay in Spain.  It was weird about the language difference, everyone there knew both English and Spanish and it didn’t seem to matter which we spoke, we were understood. Ryan asked me if the town looked like something typical from England but as with the language it is half and half in my opinion. 

The Tour: there is a cable car that goes to the top of the Rock but it was closed due to wind, when we reached the top it was really windy, which must happen quite often. We took a taxi tour service that stopped at a war memorial, then caves that were a hospital and are now used as a large concert function space then on to a couple of different view points. 

The former hospital now used as a function space and lit spectacularly or gaudily depending on opinion.

Of course, the Barbary apes are the stars of the trip, there are 250 of them there in 6 family clans, well regulated and looked after. 

Peanut packet, they get lots of peanuts in the shell which help keep them under minimal control.

Poor Ryan got ape bombed!

Video of one eating off the fellow's back.

Now for some views, they were breathtaking and may include another ape or two.

The working runway we crossed from Spain to Gibraltar and a plane took off while we watched from this vantage point.

That land behind the rock is Africa.

Bruce and I visited Gibraltar in about 2005, on our first trip to Europe together. The major differences were, we drove to the top, and I remember the apes seemed wilder and there was a bigger population of them. 

It was a great trip and again it astounds me (la-di-da) that in parts of Europe you can drive to another country and back in a day.

Cheers, Bev and Lexi Cat who was miffed with me coming back after dark.

Palacio de La Dueñas

Pure opulence!

Last week we walked to Palacio de la Dueñas the former residence of Duchess of Alba, renown for her love of all traditional Sevillano culture such as flamenco, Semana Santa, April Fair, bullfighting and horses. You can see her passion for these pastimes in her palace and gardens. It is said that you can walk from one end of Spain to the other and never step foot off one of her properties. She was the most titled noble in the world, more than Queen Elizabeth II.

Cleanest stables I've ever seen, not a speck of straw.

 

One of many entries to the garden, look at the carving around the arch.

After she passed away, her family opened the home as a tourist destination in 2016. Entry fee was €10 which is higher than most museums because this one is not run by the city. Both Angela and I have wanted to see it and today we did. The gardens are in full bud, perhaps we should have waited a week to see them in flower never mind it/they were beautiful! 

https://www.andalucia.com/history/people/duchessofalba.htm

www.lasduenas.es

Posters of Semana Santa and April Fair

One of many statues in the garden.

Live "statues" in the garden

It is said she would dance flamenco at any occasion.

Detail on a door, not your ordinary door, it is a palace...

Extensive gardens with water features, each had a name, this was the Lemon Garden (I think).

Around the garden and in the house there were large beautiful pots, the green thing above is a huge cacti. 

Afterward we had lunch at the restaurant Catalina which was great. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been there and it didn’t disappoint. Waitress was from Argentina and had a good sense of humour.

Next post will be about our day trip to Gibraltar.

Cheers, Bev

Santiponce, Part 1 of 2, The Monastery

Our visit this week was to Santiponce which is about a 10 minute drive from Sevilla centre, we took a cab this time, Pepe and his car were not available. We took an Uber back, I’d never been in an Uber before, this was a nicer, cleaner car that made you feel like a friend was driving, no visible signage or meter. 

https://www.andalucia.com/province/sevilla/santiponce/home

We were dropped off at the Montasterio de San Isidoro del Campo - a very, very large former monastery. The chapels were huge and had gold laden alters. The ceilings were beautifully and delicately painted with patterns and images. Everything was big and ornate, beautiful and with no cost to enter I wondered how it was financed. They are also restoring further wings of it, Ryan and Angela said we saw only about half the entire building, driving past it later it certainly looked to be very much more property than what we saw inside.

Now for the pictures from Ryan and Angela, my camera is not producing the same quality, of course that could be just me...

It is difficult to portray in pictures or describe the size of this Monastery and the grandeur of it!

Part 2 next to Itálica 

Santiponce, Part 2 Itálica and lunch

We walked to Itálica from the monastery along tree lined streets with similar but different outdoor decor than Sevilla. Itálica is free to enter for Sevilla residents and EU citizens even if we had paid it was €1.50. My previous visit with Bruce and Ivan http://bevbrucelexi.blogspot.com/2014/03/road-trip-with-our-guide-ivan.html 

We noticed, having visited before, there are more areas not available to look or walk through. Wondered if the site is degenerating by time and the authorities are doing what they can to preserve it.

Tunnels like this run the circumference of the arena

Lunch was at Ventorrillo Canario, one of Ryan and Angela’s favourite places to eat. The grilled food was fabulous accompanied by a special, spicy red pepper sauce. The wait staff were professional and entertaining. The patio was extremely large and restaurant inside had a traditional upmarket decor. 

Another good day out of the city.

Cheers, Bev 

Day trip to Arcos de la Frontera

The orange blossoms are out! In Sevilla also and the scent is wonderful! Ryan even caught the bee and fly enjoying the blossoms.

Our day trip to Arcos de la Frontera, Cadiz province was great! 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcos_de_la_Frontera  

It is a hill side town with steep streets we all agreed that people here had to have good leg muscles! It’s one of the pueblos blancos, white villages you can read more about here. https://www.planetware.com/spain/top-rated-pueblos-blancos-white-villages-of-andalusia-e-zzz-11.htm 

We had a terrible coffee at the Parador but the view from the terrace was fantastic and the Parador's interior was beautiful.The waitress said that part of the terrace had fallen down the cliff years ago, you can see the layers of earth here.

Picasso! 

Walking through town we noticed indentations either side of the windows. 

See the gap between the gate on the window, that's where the "stolen" kisses would happen, romance in the air.

Ryan asked a lady walking by what they were for and why there? She turned into an impromptu tour guide walking fast to other locations in the town, apparently she does this often, sort of an unofficial ambassador! About the indents, long ago young ladies were strictly chaperoned, this was how the potential loves could talk and kiss through the window. We walked over the town and marvelled at the ancient statues and just about everything really, pictures will explain better. 

This ancient church is now privately owned and not accessible to tourists. The parking lot was at the top of the village and we were very lucky to get a spot in it.

Private residence complete with lemon tree and chickens you can't see.

Garden outside the cultural centre

Hand painted items at an artisan shop, Ryan got told off for taking pictures.

Lunch was at the outside patio of a family run restaurant called Bar La Cárcel and portions were very generous. 

Interior of the restaurant

The proprietor explained that he would not serve the mushroom tapa I had ordered because the quality of mushrooms he had was not good enough, wow, how often does that happen? He was a jolly fellow, confident in his food and restaurant which was clean with a mix of modern and traditional decor. 

Now for some silliness, we all stood in this very narrow doorway and it certainly showed our height difference, I could barely reach up, hence my horrible expression.

That was our day in Arcos de la Frontera! Thanks to Pepe for use of his car, Ryan for driving and the photos, Angela for researching all things curious.

Cheers, Bev and the snoozing Lexi Cat