The Bailey Bunch

On our final trip out - a visit to Jerez. The new town is nothing to right home about but the old town is a delight. Full of great sights and sites - none more so than the Alcazar. Set in the heart of the town it is part Moor fortress, Baroque palace with exquisite gardens, grounds including a beautifully proportioned mosque and delightful baths, light by Arabic stars in the roof. After the evening stroll a flamenco night in the Taberna Flamenco. A converted sherry warehouse now a restaurant and flamenco house. Food was fantastic and the flamenco from the dancers everything it should be - sinuous, sensual and passionate with fantastic soulful singing and great guitar music too. ... read more

Now a quick dash up the Autovia to Seville to see our friend Ginny over from the US on holiday. Delightful to see her and catch and delightful to be in such a spectacular city. The most wonderful architecture and design. Fantastic buildings from the cathedral, university, commercial buildings to the 1929 Expo in Plaza D'Europa. Simply a stunning feast. Most wonderful tour in a horse drawn carriage. The evening cooled thankfully from an achingly painful 42 degrees at 6:15pm to a cooler temperature - ideal for strolling, sitting, eating and drinking with friends. ... read more

One of the great things travel affords is the opportunity to experience different forms of light in different places, whether this be sharp daylight against a blue azure sky or the textures of orange against a setting sun. No pollution atmospheric or light helps of course.... read more

A lazy day today spent in the shade by the pool before stretching legs to see the lovely Atlantic sunset and moonrise ... read more

First day proper yesterday was spent recovering from a very late flight into Gibraltar followed by an even longer effort to hire the car. Finally we set off and arrived at Roche Vieja in the very early hours of Monday. so yesterday was all about just getting sorted. Today was first proper day and we went over to Verjer de la Frontera a beautiful hill top walled town about 20 minutes away. It overlooks the River Barbate and has been settled over the centuries by Bronze Age people, the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, the Moors and then the Spanish (in a variety of forms) and Napoleons army too. It is close enough to Cape Trafalgar to have the gunfire from Nelson's ships. Today it's peaceful with the citadel a maze of steep alleys, narrow streets, enticing courtyards ... read more