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Jerez and Cadiz
  • Arven

Jerez and Cadiz

A 8-day adventure by Arven Read more
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  • Trip start
    June 2, 2012
    ArvenJerez and CadizTraveler

    Early Start

    June 2, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    We had a very early start on the 4am blue bus!!!!
    Said goodbye to a very sleepy Orls and headed off. The airport was jammers.
    Smooth flight to Seville and got bus to the station. We just missed the Cadiz train, there was a wait of 3 hours for the next one so we set off in search of breakfast.
    We found a sidewalk cafe, full of locals all chatting loudly. It was very entertaining watching them. Good coffee and toastadas.
    Train was on time and clean. We got off in Jerez.
    Jerez does not believe in street signs, so two very tired and warm travelers got very lost trying to find the hotel.
    Eventually with the help of a street map on a poster and two cold beers we got there.
    Hotel is nice and modern. Room has a balcony. Hungry we set off to downtown Jerez, Saturday afternoon/evening...almost everything closed.
    Weddings were in full swing, lots of music and dancing.
    We sat in the square and had Cruzcampo and tapas, with all the pensioners waiting for the bus. Bars began to open and eventually we found La Vega.
    Had dinner, squid...place was quaint but the food was very good. We went back to the Square for a final beer and then headed to hotel. We were wrecked.    Read more

  • ArvenJerez and CadizTraveler

    Sunday in Jerez

    June 3, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Coffee was good at breakfast, rest was just ok.
    We headed off for a wander, got to the Alcazar, it is really nice, great views and the restoration has been well done.
    The ticket seller was asking why Ireland voted yes, discussed the banks and salary cuts etc. Nice guy.
    We had a good walk around the Alcazar and then headed to a street market. OMG it was utter junk. It was amazing that anyone was trying to sell some of the stuff.
    We walked down to Gonzalez and Byass bodega ( Tio Pepe ) for a tour and a tasting.
    There was a little train to bring us round on the tour. Smell from all the barrels in the warehouse was amazing.
    Tio Pepe was uncle Jose !!!
    Very interesting tour and afterwards we got tapas and a tasting. Arven drank all 4 !!!!
    We visited the shop and got some mini bottles and Lepanto Brandy for M. Forgot to get coke mixer on the way back to hotel !!
    We went back to our "local" in the square for beer and tapas and then back to the hotel for a siesta. Our early start yesterday was catching up on us.
    We had chosen a restaurant in the fish market for dinner. Closed on Sunday !! So back to La Vega with all the oldies. The ground was covered in paper and toothpicks. The food is good though, those oldies are on to something.
    Arven had squid and M had Solomillo. Absolutely delish.
    We sat on our balcony and planned Cadiz. Arven had a sherry. A good day.    Read more

  • ArvenJerez and CadizTraveler

    Cadiz

    June 4, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We walked to the station after breakfast. We had planned to get the 10.15 train but just missed it so 10.35 instead. Had time to sit in the sunshine and catch on diary.
    No A/C on the train but the journey was ok. We did the tourist office walking tour. Very nice spot. It is touristy because lots of cruise ships dock here.
    We sat in the park for a break, under a dragon tree. They are in every park in Cadiz, amazing trees.
    Had lunch at a bar counter, Jamon and sardines with beer. Then we finished the walk and visited the cathedral. We walked by the beach, saw the old walls and Santa Maria del Puerta across the bay. Then quick walk to the station with 3 mins to catch the train back to good old Jerez.
    Hot, sticky and tired but it was a very good day trip.
    We headed out after showers to Arenal and sat in the sunshine. This relaxing is exhausting.
    We had deep fried diverse fish!! and Tenderloin for dinner. Very tasty. Then back to terrace for a nightcap.
    Two noisy tables at restaurant in garden but we were so tired we slept immediately.    Read more

  • ArvenJerez and CadizTraveler

    San Lucar de Barrameda

    June 5, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    After a good breakfast we got a coach to San Lucar de Barrameda. the home of Manzanilla. I thought it was a smallish village but it turned out to be a large modern town. 65,000 people.
    Looked new, clean and prosperous.
    We found the tourist office and got a map. Then off to visit Bodega Barbadillo, up steps, steps and more steps. 30 deg and very unfit. I was melting.
    We went to see the museum, it was free and then went to buy tickets for the tour. We had missed an earlier English language tour and there were only 2 of us waiting for the next tour, in 'Spanish. Woman in ticket office did not want to do a tour for just 2 people. She said, come back tomorrow for English tour. Arven left but I went back in and said we had climbed all those steps and travelled a long way and we could not come back tomorrow. No budging her, she did not think it was worth her while to give a tour to just 2 people. I told her I was very annoyed and intended to make a complaint. She threw her eyes up and said "Inglese"
    Anyway I calmed down and we headed down the hill again and found a nice restaurant. We had a lovely lunch, fish tapas. Arven had 2 Manzanilla. We relaxed and really enjoyed the food.
    We visited Bodega Gitana shop and bought a small bottle of Manzanilla for later.
    We were on time for the afternoon bus back to Jerez.
    Walked up to our square and had beer and sardines and then back to chill at hotel.
    We decided we would do a tapas tour for our last evening.
    1. Cafe Arenal....Cruzcampo and Verdejo + 4 lovely tapas. We sat in the sun and worked out a plan to buy an apartment in Seville. Arven had it all planned out on a napkin.
    2. Ascencion Square... Beer, white wine + 2 tapas. More expensive food but not as good as 1.
    3. Cafe Gabrila....Fino, Albarino and 2 tapas. Food was meh
    Our local on Arenal was the best of the lot....ok it was a small sample.
    We walked back to hotel, there was a bull terrier running round the street and an old lady gave out to us for not having it on a lead !!!
    We are off to Seville tomorrow. Jerez has been brilliant. We will def be back.    Read more

  • ArvenJerez and CadizTraveler

    Seville

    June 6, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Up early, checked out. We met a Spanish guy who had spent a year in Cork learning English.
    We headed to the station. 36 deg leaving Jerez and 42deg when we got to Seville at lunchtime. We got the bus to the tobacco factory and walked through the Murillo gardens. It was way too hot and sticky to enjoy them.
    We got into the Barrio and had a sit down and a beer. The bar had a Disney style cooling spray and we sat there for ages. We needed that cooling system.
    We got a taxi ( I know !!) from the square to the Hotel Andaluse. It is a bit far outside the city....
    Very nice room and bathroom. Good wifi too.
    We got the bus into city, I wore flip flops, not a good idea because we had to walk a long way from the bus stop to get to the main sights.
    We stopped for a sit down, Mahou beer, and then headed to Sierpes. The streets were all decorated and there was public seating outside café Laredo, with an orchestra playing.
    The windows and balconies were covered in flowers, candles lighting. It was a Corpus Christi procession and celebration.
    We went to La Viuda for eats. Beer was good and we had Prawns, potatoes, onions, egg and onion salad too. All tapas. Good food.
    Arven wasn't too sure where to catch the bus back to the hotel. We walked and walked but finally M asked three guys in a bar and we were directed to the number 34 stop.
    We had a long wait for the bus but finally we got back to the hotel. Very tired and very warm. Had long showers and decided to plan tomorrow a bit better with a lot less walking.
    Hopefully it will be cooler day too.    Read more

  • ArvenJerez and CadizTraveler

    Seville Day 2

    June 7, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Breakfast was amazing. Wine, Fizz, Juice and mega choice of food. Hot and cold buffet was really good. Coffee not great but there was an expresso machine so Arven made his own coffee.
    We headed out to the pool and sat in the shade reading our books. Arven got a text from Cathal about an earthquake off the coast of Mayo !!! 5 on the R scale.
    So we've had floods in Cork and now a Quake off Mayo, I predict a plague of locusts or frogs next.
    After an hour or so we had had enough relaxing so we headed into Seville. We went to the Sacrastia for lunch. Then a walk up Tetuan and into the Cortes for a wander and a bit of A/C
    We were wandering back to the Giralda when we came upon a student protest against education cuts. The Spanish do great protests, all very organised but loads of noise, whistles, drums and chanting. Plenty of banners too.
    We sat in Murillo park for a while and then got the bus back to the hotel.
    We are staying in the Barrio tomorrow evening. Last day in Seville tomorrow.    Read more

  • ArvenJerez and CadizTraveler

    Seville Day 3

    June 8, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    We were very tired this morning but we figured it was a bit of dehydration from the temp in Seville. We had a lovely breakfast again, they even have pancakes.
    We checked out and got the 34 bus into town. We checked where to catch the bus for the aeroportu, and then checked into the Murillo in the Barrio. It was a bit basic after the Andaluse but clean and central.
    We had a stroll up to Alfalfa for beer and tapas. Then we did a walk though some of the neighbourhoods. Saw Pilate’s house and other minor buildings.
    We had a rest in the Murillo. Paper 1 was just ok. There was a nasty integration question.
    We got packed and organised for tomorrow and then headed out for dinner. Half raciones and beer but the food was good. We did a bit of a tapas crawl of the greatest hits.    Read more

  • ArvenJerez and CadizTraveler

    Bye Bye Seville

    June 9, 2012 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    There was a big tour group at breakfast. We thought they might be Danish.
    We were still in plenty of time for the bus to the airport.
    It was a very smooth journey home and Orlaith had left the car in D9 for us.
    We are back but Liam is heading off on his first holiday today, to the Cotswolds. Hopefully it won't be as warm as Seville.    Read more

    Trip end
    June 9, 2012
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