Spain 44 - Carmona/good parking/an open church and a comfort break/tuna salad and mixed fish menu del dia

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Let's start the day by saying it is yet again hot with little sign of any cooling breeze today. We are heading out towards the coast with Carmona as our destination. Carmona is built on a ridge overlooking the central plain of Andalusia to the north of Sierra Morena. The city is known for its thriving trade in wine, olive oil, grain and cattle. .

OUr journey took us past half completed buildings some houses some factories. It took us past empty greenhouses with the plastic flapping. It got us thinking about seasonal food. Have you ever picked up tomatoes on the shop shelves and looked at where they come from. Poland, the Netherlands and Spain. We wondered why in our own climate where we can grow tomatoes we continue to buy them from all over Europe. What about apples? Kent is famous for them. We can grow them but look at the shops again . Where do we buy them from ? South Africa, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Surely we could grow more . Perhaps we like to build more and more houses on agricultural land rather than use the land for the cultivation of food. We see fields full of tobacco and maize. Europe seems to use its land much more efficiently. The french value their terroir - just listen to Raymond Blanc eulogising about it and what can be grown in it. That seemed to be the topic of conversation in Gabby as we drove towards our destination for the day which was a a large empty car parking spaces very easily found on the outskirts of town. In fact, 15 minutes walk away from the Roman Necropolis.

We had a map printed out and found our starting point. Walking up town even early in the morning was hard going. The heat is getting to Glenn in particular. We have concluded that we should have ignored the weather forecasts and gone to Sicily instead. There would have been so much more to see . A norman cathedral and castle, bucketloads of Baroque buildings. Yes I know - we hate Baroque. Somehow this trip has made Sicily sound like the next destination for us and Gabby. And even a trail following the fictional detective Montalbano . A bit like an Inspector Morse trail around Oxford but with a back drop of sea and sun.

Struggling through the heat we made our way to the necropolis with its free tiny museum. Inside were roman stone tiny sarcophagi where the cremated remains of the dead were kept. Busts of insignificant Roman emperors - no sign of Hadrian anywhere and a wonderful stone elephant which later we were to find was once housed at one of the graves on site. The site had a mixture of pre- Roman and Roman burial chambers. Nothing as exciting as the ones in Italy that we have seen and most here were fenced off. It wasn't a site you could spend much time at and we quickly moved on for a well earned coffee break. The first of many.

It was another 15 minute gruelling walk up town. First to a green square where the council workers were cutting the grass and tending to the plans. It looked well cared for and tidy and around the square sat men and women enjoying the sunshine. Quite lively after many of the places we have visited in Spain. Carmona looked as if it might be the best town we have visited this trip. It began to hold a lot of promise. It looked clean and tidy and well cared for.

After another five minutes walking we entered the city gate. An Islamic affair with horseshoe arches. Very intriguing. The streets were busy , quite cool , cooled by the closed in feel of the Kasbah and the four storied buildings. High above us the sun shone but from the roof of each hung sails draped from one side to the other keeping out the hot rays of the sun. Boy was it welcome to walk underneath them.

. Again we noticed the ornate tall brick built churches were shut tight . We walked up from the Gateway of Sevilla to a second main square and looked into the shop windows. Cake shops sold the local cake the Torta Inglesa. I bought some cakes but not this one. It looked round and coated in icing sugar. I should have purchased a slice or two but sadly Torta Inglesa will have to wait for another time. This square was lively too as the American tourists had arrived in town. Strangely this trip we have not seen any Japanese tourists with their selfie sticks. Also there have been few lines of tourists following the guides with their umbrellas. We only dodged a few of them along the way.

I did find the cathedral and managed to sneak by the sentry on the door. I didn't even notice the box when I entered the internal courtyard. He must have sneaked off for a cigarette or a comfort break. I and many others sneaked a peak inside for free. The cost was only 1 euro 80 cents so I guess I should have felt very guilty sneaking in withouThe courtyard was Islamic in style, dark and with trees providing shade from the hot sun. It was lovely and made a welcome relief from the dark and gloomy church with its many side chapels. Garish saints and apostles looked back at me as if to say you have not paid to come and see us. It was not that welcoming and I was glad to get out into the sunshine once again. Would it have been worth paying to see inside . Probably not.

As it was dinnertime we sat down in the one café open. Probably not the best of choices . There were others around the square but none had opened. Spaniards seem to wake late which means that they eat breakfast late. This then moves dinner later hence the closed cafes. ,I guess the menu was probably touristique which generally means not very good quality and certainly catering for the tourist rather than the local. Glenn ordered a salad which came with tinned tuna . We always forget the Spanish like to add tinned tuna to a starter. Not something we do at home and had I remembered I would have asked to have it left off. I ordered mixed fish. Calamari in batter which looked like onion rings, small pieces of cod and tuna fried in batter and coated in some kind of rich sauce. Loads of sardines complete with bones, heads and tails. I ate the middle of the fish picking the flesh away from the bones. They were tasty but not filling which was probably a good thing as they left room for what I hoped would be an interesting second course . They reminded me of Skippers . Small tinned sardines de-headed and doused in olive oil. A staple fish food of the 50's and 60's. Would I eat them now ? Probably not. At least they though didn't have the eyes left looking soulless at me . 2nd course was something that sounded like Brocade of Pollo. Chicken to you and me. 4 pieces heavily spiced and grilled on a stick sitting on a bed of chips. Not that inviting . They didnt look that inviting . Not the best menu del dia we have ever eaten but for 10 euros a piece they filled the hunger holes. The bread and bread sticks were OK . You cant go wrong much with bread.

Time to move on but not before we hit the Aldi store on the way out. Mother Hubbards cupboard and the fridge were well and truly empty. I needed fresh milk, I needed bread and cheese and found a nice strong Cheddar on one counter made in the area around Bristol. A big bag of crisps were added plus some marshmallows as the sweet drawer is running short too. Half a dozen puddings ranging from Tiramisu to Creme Caramel. Looks like we are eating in tonight .

It didn't take me long to get round I never do like Aldi all that much. The few puddings went in my bag and then it was time to hit the road for another destination. We planned on heading coastward to one of the Bennys . Benicassim - a large camping site much loved by the Brits . Close to the sea and the town it seemed an ideal stopping off point where we could enjoy the sea and the beach. We planned to stay a few days to chill out and relax and test out what overwintering would be like in one the Bennys. In the back of our minds we had that awful feeling that we would hate it and that it wouldnt be us. But we had to give it a try didnt we?

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Comments

[jackieandchris2011]

Carmona
Michael Portillo has a house in Carmona!! We motorhomed around Sicily a couple of years ago - interesting place but Chris found the driving hard work!! Good to visit though! We have a blog on it as we went to Sardinia , Sicily and then Italy and France for 7 weeks!!

[JenGog]

michaels house
Nice place to live I guess if you have the money and his background . Being half spanish helps him . I have read your blogs and enjoyed what you had to say about the countries . Glenn found driving in Spain hard this year and now we are back we have to take Gabby for her habitation check and service plus the handbrake failed on the way home . Wouldnt hold on the hills -

[Katherine Clune]

Sicilian baroque
Actually we thought it would be too cutsie with all those cherubs, but we liked it.but then we loved Sicily. We’ve looked at Bennys, but not even prepared to give it a go.