Iberian Discovery - Part 6

Wine and Horses

This part of our tour was, for me, not quite as exciting as other parts. Everyone in the group had different interests, however, so I was quite content to accompany the group.

We first visited the Royal Andalusian Equestrian Academy where high stepping, dancing horses are trained.

We saw the indoor stadium where horses perform.

Riding equipment was lovingly stored in a wood-lined, picturesque room.

The breeding lines of an apparently famous horse were displayed on these tiles.

The stables contained many, many corridors like this.

It seemed horses would be treated royally at a place like this, but, in reality, they looked bored standing in their cell-like stalls. C likes nothing better than to pet animals.

From the Equestrian Academy we traveled to the Tio Pepe Winery.

We saw endless corridors of wine aging casks in multiple buildings.

I love grapes and grape juice, but I've never been a participant in "wine culture". For me, all the elaborate steps in wine production don't improve grape juice, they only ruin it. The whole admittedly attractive ceremonial prelude to wine drinking ends in disappointment. First there's the lovely vineyards and winery buildings. Then the decision about vintage year and wine color. Then nice bottles are opened and wine poured into attractive glasses. Even the names are enticing: sherry. Who wouldn't like a nice glass of sherry? (Me!) The inviting appearance of the cool colored liquid is deceptive because once it actually arrives on my tongue, it tastes like paint thinner! Something in my personal body chemistry finds alcohol abhorrent. Everyone else, it seems, loves it. Well, enjoy, I say. Knock yourselves out. Get tipsy. I'll stick with water or Coke. Here are some grapes destined for Tio Pepe Sherry.

Courtyards, and even entire streets within the winery, were covered in fruit-bearing grape vines.

The only picture of the two of us during our entire tour was taken at the winery. I wish we had a picture like this from a more beautiful location.

We had a light lunch at the winery, complete with samples of sherry which the proprietors obviously hoped we would buy. Then we headed on to our hotel in Cadiz. We were now free to wander during the afternoon and early evening before our scheduled late dinner at the hotel. We walked off toward the main cathedral along streets like these.

We successfully navigated to the main cathedral, but didn't go inside.

I found a replacement for my lost hat in a small shop. I really needed a hat to shield my eyes from the bright Spanish sun. We came across ancient ruins incorporated into the modern city. The De la Rosa Arch shown below was part of a medieval wall from the 12th to 15th centuries.

The rounded arch seen in the next picture is the Arco de los Blanco dating from the 15th to the 17th century. It was the former land gate to the medieval quarter. The neighboring pointed arches belonged to the royal butchers.

Just around the corner was an ancient Roman amphitheater. Unfortunately, the amphitheater was behind a fence and substantially blocked by construction equipment, so it was impossible to get a good picture. Next to the amphitheater was the back of the Santa Cruz Church seen in the next picture.

On the way back to the hotel we passed this lovely entrance hallway and, later, a huge spreading tree. I collided with one of the tree's massive, low, protruding branches and whacked my forehead with a solid blow.

Cadiz is a seaside city. This was a beach near our hotel.

The view from our hotel looked over the ocean. Before dinner C took a sunset picture.

We enjoyed yet another very late dinner at the hotel. There would be a busy day tomorrow traveling to Morocco and Gibraltar.