On Monday 20th January, 34 of us set off on our January jaunt of Historic Sights and Gastronomic Delights to Cadiz.
After loading luggage, we left at 08.30 on our way to our breakfast stop en route. We then continued our journey, heading first to Setenil where we had a guided tour. It is an extraordinary place with huge rock formations where the locals have created dwellings over the years and now also, restaurants and shops. Many of the properties are available for tourist rentals. We travelled to our restaurant for lunch in the local tourist train. What a feast ! a wonderful selection of raciones and excellent local wine. We then boarded our coach for the onward journey to Cadiz.
We checked in to the 4* Senator hotel, which is in a great location in Cadiz, within easy walking distance of all monuments and also convenient for the coach. After a short time to settle in, we walked to a lovely restaurant where we were welcomed and served a delicious dinner.
After a good nights sleep and buffet breakfast, our Guide Isi came to collect us for a walking tour of Cadiz. He is very knowledgeable with a great sense of humour and the morning went quickly, as we walked around this compact city – it has a wonderful cathedral, interesting Archeological Museum and other points of interest. He left us at the next restaurant where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch. Thankfully, the rest of the afternoon and evening was free and so many of us had no further food that day – we were completely full !
The next morning, after breakfast, we boarded the coach for the journey to Puerto Santa Maria – such a pretty place with excellent beaches as well as a selection of Bodegas, making sherry, brandy and gin. We had a guided visit in the Osborne Bodega, the company that has had huge silhouettes of large black bulls, overlooking towns and cities in Spain. It was most interesting, still family run and we had a tasting of 3 sherries – just right before our next lunch! We went to a famous fish restaurant for a fishy lunch – sweet fresh prawns and the famous tortillitas of camerones among other dishes. We had hoped to travel back across the bay to Cadiz by ferry but sadly, the ferry was cancelled due to high winds. Instead, we boarded our bus again for the trip back to our hotel, time for some r and r before the bus collected us for dinner at the famous El Faro restaurant. Once again, excellent food and service and the evening ended with a nightcap back at our hotel. We had a free morning on our last day and so a leisurely breakfast was taken and people chose to do different things. We met at 13.00 for our last lunch in Cadiz, in the beautifully painted Cafeteria Royalty, for a selection of raciones before our journey back to Nerja.
We travelled back by a different route which was enjoyable, although many people were asleep by this time ! Needless to say, a most enjoyable time was had by all, judging by the messages of thanks.
Now the challenge, “where to next?”.
Christina Sinclair
Co-ordinator
Nerja History Group
687 602 057
email:nerjahistorygroup@yahoo.com
www.nerjahistorygroup.com