• Tim Lynette Wilkins
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  • Tim Lynette Wilkins

Jerez 2026

A 36-day adventure by Tim Lynette Read more
  • Last seen in
    🇪🇸 Córdoba, Spain

    Bye to Cordoba

    March 8 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    On the whole the trip to Cordoba has been disappointing mainly due to the weather. It has been cloudy and cool every day with occasional light drizzle. As Cordoba is supposed to be the sunniest place in Spain, and has been lovely when we have been here before even in February, we feel cheated. Until late this afternoon when the sun came out and we enjoyed half an hour on the roof terrace.

    Yesterday we visited the Archaeological Museum and it seems even better than before with excellent labelling in both Spanish and English. More stuff than Jerez but not as much as Cadiz. The next visit to the art museum was almost a waste of time even for Tim. The paintings were poor quality though we discovered one new artist that wasn't bad.

    Today was a real disappointment as we had been looking forward to seeing Medinat Alzahra again. It was built in 940ad by Abd Al Rahman as his new capital and it was spectacular. We last went 18 years ago when you could wander over the whole site and watch the archaeologists restoring items. This time two thirds of the site is closed off for restoration and much of the rest is roped off so you have to follow a set route. They have built a big new reception centre and site museum but following the storms it is leaking water everywhere.

    The good thing about the trip has been the food. Despite this now being a tourist town we have had some excellent meals.
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  • Cordoba mosque and roman bridge

    March 6 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    This morning we returned to visit the mosque/cathedral in cordoba. It's one of our favorite buildings ever, and worth seeing every time we come, despite the hoards of tourists. The mosque was built in stages from 786 AD to 991 AD, and after the moors were ejected from spain the catholics built their cathedral slap in the middle of it. Afterwards a quick walk along the bank of the river to look at the roman bridge. It says alot for roman engineering that's still standing- the floods here this winter were so deep the river was high enough to cover the bulwarks and almost up to the top of the arches.Read more

  • Arrival in Cordoba

    March 5 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Sad to leave our apartment in Jerez but hoping to return next year.
    The train journey was below the standard we usually expect on Spanish trains - the carriages felt old and rattled a lot and worst of all arrived half an hour late. The train kept slowing to a crawl - maybe due to the speed restrictions following the dreadful crash in January.
    We are a bit disappointed with our new apartment. It's hard to say why but the kitchen is not well equipped and there is a musty smell in the wardrobe. The roof terrace would be lovely if we had some sun.......
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  • Last day in Jerez

    March 4 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    Although we have had lovely weather for the last two weeks today, our last day in Jerez before moving on to Cordoba, there is another named storm - Regina. It was forecast to rain all day but after heavy rain this morning it has cleared up and there is even some sun. However the clouds going by are spectacular formations and vary from fluffy white to black.
    Tomorrow we catch the train to Cordoba and it seems the storm is coming with us. The forecast is for rain all 3 days we are there. Hey ho.
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  • Saying goodbye to Davina

    March 2 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    Friday was a gentle day at home. We all went down to the Market and had churros y chocolate for breakfast. After a trip round the fish market to choose dinner, Davina took herself to the Alcazar as its 10 years since her last visit. Lunch on the roof terrace in the sun and dinner at home.

    Saturday we had a lovely lunch at Gabrielas before putting Davina in a taxi for the station. Her train to Seville and late flight to Gatwick were on time and she was home in Lewes just after midnight,

    A normal Sunday with church and football though lunch in the sun at Albores was strange. When we ate there a couple of weeks ago we were the only customers between 8.00 an 9.30. They also had what looked like a staff meting with a boss after which the waiters were not happy. Yesterday it was as packed as usual but the waters seemed stressed, kept getting orders wrong and they didn't have any of my favourite puntillitas left! Food was still good. Jerez second team won again though Tim's favourite could only manage a 0-0 draw and may get relegated.

    Now we have the depressing task of prep to leave. As always it's gone too fast though we are looking forward to Cordoba.
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  • Daytrip to the seaside

    February 26 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Actually not quite the seaside, sanlucar de barrameda, which has fantastic beaches but really it's the mouth of the quadalquivir river from seville. Bus from jerez takes about 50 minutes and costs just 2 euros . A little walk along the prom then up into the city for tapas at first one, then two of our favourite bodegas. Buy a bottle of manzanilla, which sanlucar is the centre of, and some lunch on fantastic seafood, prawns, langostines, clams - we must bring finlay!Read more

  • Museum and tapas

    February 25 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    This morning lynette and davina went to the jerez museum. I didn't go as I went a couple of weeks ago, but I met them for lunch at the fundador bodega where the food is superb (and the sherries also!)

    Tomorrow we are planning to take a bus to the beach at sanlucar de barrameda for a day trip.
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  • Davina arrives

    February 24 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Over the weekend we went into the fish market and bought boquerones (anchovies) to cook for dinner , and some fantastic white prawns. Then on Sunday a trip to see xerex deportivo at the main jerez football stadium. My favourite Spanish football team, but not doing well at the moment and could be relegated, I think for the first time ever!

    On Monday we had lunch in a little tabanco in the local square in the sun. Good food and a bill of only 30 euros.

    Davina arrived yesterday in seville, and came down on the train this afternoon. She will stay for a few days, for some warmth, sun, good food and sherry!
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  • Things we always do

    February 20 in Spain

    After the beautiful day on Tuesday, Wednesday was dull cloud all day so I went on the bus out to the Area Sur shopping park. There are lots of shops, many have moved out of the centre leaving empty buildings. It was not very exciting and I didn't buy much.

    Thursday returned to lovely weather and we had to use sun screen! In the evening we went to what we consider the best restaurant in town - La Carbona. They do a six course tasting menu, each course accompanied with a matching sherry. This year it was a completely new menu and was as good as always - so were the sherries. We have discovered many of our favourite sherries from these tastings and last night there were a couple more.

    This morning we had our first breakfast of churros and chocolate down by the market before buying fresh anchovies and prawns for dinner. The was a busking flamenco group to serenade us.
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  • A perfect Jerez day

    February 17 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    At last today the weather was perfect - sun, blue skies and 19c all day. So we did absolutely nothing and just enjoyed it.

    This evening went to a tapas bar that has eluded us before as they were always on vacation - Las Banderillas - a bull fighting themed place with traditional, simple tapas but really good, and packed with locals and some tourists in town for the flamenco festival. Afterwards we called in to El Pasaje for the flamenco set and it was good as always but surprisingly empty. I guess the afficionados are at the various performances around town.Read more

  • A day in the sun!

    February 15 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    It looks like we will have a few days of sunshine so we spent some time yesterday enjoying it. There was still a cold wind but out of the wind it was lovely. When i went for a walk in the afternoon I passed a brass band parading through the streets. This evening it was just about pleasant enough to have an evening sherry on the terrace - briefly.

    Today, Sunday, the wind seems to have dropped . Last Sunday the Central part of the cathedral was cordoned off as rain was coming in through the dome caught in buckets. Today it was open with large plant pots replacing the buckets. Lunch at Fundador was good though the new menu omits many of our favourite tapas.

    This evening I went to a football match to watch jerez industrial (jerez's third team) against Barbate in the andusia third division. It was a good game and jerez won 3-0. The stadium is open and it was nice in the sun but got very cold when the sun went down!
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  • Sunshine at last!

    February 12 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We've been here a week already and it's rained pretty well all that time, but today has been dry and the sun even came out a bit at lunchtime. Thunderstorms and rain again tomorrow but after that the forecast is for a few days of sun.

    Yesterday we went to a visit and tasting at bodegas lustau, one of the bigger jerez bodegas. We've been there before but it seemed a good thing to do out of the rain. It was OK, the sherries mostly aren't ones we particularly like and we were in a tour of 18 people so it was just OK, but at least out of the rain.

    One useful bit of information was to discover which of their sherries are supplied to Waitrose. Waitrose own brand sherries are from Lustau and the oloroso is the Don Nuño brand - which is the one we liked!
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  • First week

    February 10 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 16 °C

    We have been here for almost a week and it has been, by far, the worst weather we have experienced here. Every day has been cloudy and it has rained either constantly or intermittently, often really windy too. This has meant that we haven't wanted to venture out except for essentials and as wandering round the streets of the old town is one of the pleasures of being here, it has not been fun. We have felt trapped in our apartment which, though comfortable, gets boring.
    This evening started dry and we went first to a tabanco we haven't tried before which was closed for vacation (as last year) so went to an old favourite - Almacen - which is just a beautiful space. The food is good too. On the way home we stopped in the Tabanco Plateros for an oloroso (1.80 euro a glass) at the end of the street where we used to stay.
    Then it started to drizzle for our walk home.
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  • Tuesday

    February 10 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    The sky is still completely clouded over, but at least the wind has dropped and the rain is only occasional bits of drizzle. The forecast is that it could be sunny more next week but that seems a long time away!

    Today I braved the drizzle and walked across the city to the archaeological museum. I've been many times before but it's a nice small museum and I always find something I haven't seen before ( or least I don't remember seeIng!) Today they were having problems with the electricity and the top floor lights were off while they tried to fix it. Maybe the rain got in somewhere!
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  • Storms and floods

    February 8 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    There has been periods of weak sunshine today and the wind has dropped a bit, but otherwise it's been raining pretty well all the time we have been here. Last week storm Leonardo battered Andulucia and this week it's been storm Marta. The paper today is full of pictures of flooding around cadiz and jerez, the town of el portal, just south of jerez, has been almost completely cut off and the guadelete river burst it's banks and the roads are impassable.
    The cathedral where Lynette went to mass was partially cordoned off because the dome was leaking and there were buckets and cardboards on the floor to catch the drips.
    I was going to go to the football this afternoon, but the stadium is in the part of the city most affected and the match is cancelled. The whole of the andulcian leagues are postponed.
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  • Strange first day

    February 6 in Spain ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

    We were woken up about 8.00 by thunderstorms and torrential rain. By 11.00 it had stopped and the sun came out so I went to our favourite supermarket Dia to get more food including Tim's favourite dulce de leche ice cream. Tim went hunting for marmalade oranges and was successful so more jars on their way. It has then alternated rain and sun all day, always with strong winds.
    This evening we went to one of our long time favourite restaurants - Gabrielas - and were relieved to find the food as good as ever. They have also done up the inside to quite a stylish space. I have managed to dodge the rain but Tim got a soaking midday. We have tennis tv in the apartment so that fills some dull periods.
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  • Back in Jerez

    February 5 in Spain ⋅ 🌬 17 °C

    We left home at 3,30 this morning and flew to Jerez via Barcelona. We were concerned about a very short time between the Barcelona flight arriving and the Jerez flight leaving, especially as we thought we would have to do the EU new biometric testing, but as it turned out the flight connections at Barcelona were very efficient, and they haven't yet instigated they new testing so it all went very easily. Jerez, like lots of Spain , has really suffered from torrential rain and very high winds, and the terrace at the apartment has suffered too. There are great puddles of water everywhere and some of the furniture is broken. I think the forecast is for another week of rain, then a dry period. We can hope!Read more

    Trip start
    February 5, 2026