Leaving the coast at Cadiz I made my way back to the Costa del Sol via another town that most of us have heard of, Jerez de la Frontera. This is the home of one of the largest sherry producers in Spain, Bodegas Gonzalez Byas, is the home of the Tio Pepe sherry brand. Unfortunately the tours stopped for a siesta in the afternoon so I was unable to partake. I was however able to visit the 12th century Alcazar which has one of the few intact Arabic bath house in Spain and also the intact mezquita (mosque) which was converted to a chapel in 1264.
The streets here are lined with Orange trees which at present are ripe with fruit, which is just left to fall and rot on the ground (I suppose they don’t make marmalade here). I followed my nose and quite by chance came across the Cathedral, in which, I witnessed the preparations for a parade this weekend to start the run up to an early Easter. All the silver has been polished and flowers were being added to one of the floats.
Other places of interest were the 16th century Town hall and the 15th century Inglesia de San Miguel.
My journey continued over the mountains via the Grazalema National Park and over the Pass of Puerta de el Boyar @ just over 3000ft
