Lost in Jerez

A stork couple make their home in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. 

Our winter getaway this year was to the Andalucia area of Spain. We spent five days in Jerez de la Frontera, a city known for sherry, flamenco dancing, and royal Andalucian horses. Jerez, which translates to sherry, is roughly pronounced "her-eth," something I learned our first evening in town during a private guided walking tour. 

Jerez's cathedral sparkles in the evening sky. 

First, about that tour. We often go on free walking tours when we visit a new city. The idea is that a guide will give us, along with a few other tourists, a lay of the land, sprinkle in some history, and provide insider tips on where to eat. In return, we give the guide a tip at the end of the tour. 

The Cathedral of Jerez features Baroque, Gothic, and Neoclassical styles.

We're eager for our Jerez at Dusk tour because we know very little about the city, and an evening tour will require us to stay up later, perhaps even late enough to have dinner in a restaurant. (Restaurants in Spain start serving dinner about the time we're changing into our P.J.'s.) 

This tour is through GuruWalk, an enterprise that connects tourists with freelance amateur guides who work for tips. Our guide, Kike, may be an amateur tour guide, but he's had a long career as a flamenco musician/dancer and is also a barber. We enjoy our tour, although being the only participants makes us a bit self-conscious when deciding what to pay at the end of the tour. 

Tío Pepe is a popular figure among sherry lovers in Jerez de la Frontera.

Jerez de la Frontera was originally named Xera by its founders, the Phoenicians. During the Middle Ages, the city, which was located on the border of Kingdom of Granada, was governed by the Muslims until the Catholic monarchs won control. Jerez's rich Muslim past can be seen at the Alcazar, a fabulous fortress that contains a mosque and Arab baths. Just around the corner is the Cathedral of Jerez, an ornate building that we admire from the outside.

The Alcazar of Jerez dates to the 11th century. Several vestiges
of its Islamic origins remain. 

The Alcazar of Jerez contains this ancient olive oil press.

It's time to rest after climbing to the top one of the towers at
the Alcazar of Jerez.

The Villavicencio Palace at Jerez's Alcazar contains
this well stocked pharmacy.

The old city was originally surrounded by a wall, some vestiges of which can still be seen. The town was deliberately designed as a labyrinth so that invaders would get lost if they breached the wall. I can attest that it was an ingenious idea. Even after several days here, I need a map and GPS to find my way back to our apartment. And even with these tools, I get lost — a lot: There's a shortage of street signs here, and certain areas where my phone's GPS gets confused and sends us in the wrong direction. 

Performers at the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art salute
the royal box, although no kings are in attendance today.

One thing we can't miss is a visit to the Royal Andalusian School of the Equestrian Art. I'm glad we planned ahead, otherwise we might have missed the chance to see the famed Cómo bailan los Caballos Andaluces, How the Andalusian Horses Dance, a spectacle featuring the wondrous Cartujana horse breed. Some aficionados of such things consider this exhibition to be the best equestrian ballet in the world. Our show tickets allow us entry to the school's gardens, the equestrian art museum, saddlery, stables, and carriage museum. We visit the stables last, and wander among the stalls admiring the steeds up close — sadly, no petting is allowed. 

The equestrian museum is housed in the palace at the
Fundación Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre in Jerez.

This building contains the performance arena at the Fundación
Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Ecuestre in Jerez.

Ken has a word with one of the horses at the
Royal School of Equestrian Art in Jerez.

This rider is perhaps calming pre-show jitters at the Royal
School of Equestrian Art in Jerez.

Cómo bailan los Caballos Andaluces is the famed horse ballet at the
Royal School of Equestrian Art in Jerez.

Jerez is also known for its flamenco dancing. In fact, according to Kike, the term tabanco, meaning a bar where flamenco is preformed, was coined here, although I can't confirm he's right on this one. We don't attend any flamenco shows during our visit to Jerez, nor do we stop by any of the many sherry bodegas. If we find ourselves back in Jerez, we'll still have a healthy to-do list. 

I adore this tile bench in Cádiz.

On one of our days in Jerez, we head to Cádiz, allegedly Europe's oldest city, located a short train ride away on the southern coast of the Iberian peninsula. This city is rich — really rich — in history. Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans ruled here. The Muslims defeated the Visigoths here. Christopher Columbus set sail from (and returned to) Cádiz two or three times. The city was Spain's first capital following the signing of the first Spanish Constitution in 1812. 

The city of Cádiz has a rich Muslim heritage.

Cádiz's Roman theater is free to visit. Note the neighbor's laundry
drying above the stage.

San Antonio Plaza in Cádiz is a popular gathering spot for locals.

Although we find Cádiz to be a pleasant city, with a vibrant market, we see few signs of all this rich history. We enjoy the architecture, a visit to ruins of a Roman theater, and a leisurely stroll along the sea during our brief visit. 

Pastel buildings with beautiful windows abound in Cádiz.

Pretty spots like this one are found throughout Cádiz. 

In my next Away to Live post, I'll share glimpses of several stops we made on this trip to Southern Spain. 

The beautiful blue sea of Cádiz is seen through this balustrade.