We were up
bright and early to catch the coach down outside the castle in Castillo Duquesa
for our day out in Sanlucar De Barrameda; The forecast was heavy rainstorms all
day and as we set off we just missed a heavy one – but it caught up with us as
we entered the road to the castle, there was a large flood in front of us and
the only way around it was by doubling back and entering Castillo from the far
side – so I started off, slowly, across the flood as I knew the road, so I
thought, we made it through the water but with one problem, halfway across the
water started to come in through the doors and we ended up with our feet in
water! See the picture below. The engine was all right and has started first
time since!! Our main problem was that all the documents for the car got soaked
as they were on the back floor under the seat ready for the ITV ( MOT )
inspection next Wednesday !! We have now dried them all out in the kitchen
after we came back last evening, we separated them and spread them out all over
the kitchen with the oven on and the lounge heater on full blast ! When we
opened the doors of the car the water rushed out as we parked !! A bit of a
start to what turned out to be one ‘
Helluva’day.
So off we
set to Sanlucar De Barrameda,as it happened with us in the front seats behind
the driver; as we approached Jerez the driver went straight on at a roundabout
that he should have turned off to the left to go around Jerez and then pick up
he road to Sanlucar, we had been with Mano a few years ago so I had remembered
the route; I was a little uneasy as we had set off as he was checking a Google
map that he had !! It then went from bad to worse, he got totally lost, I tried
to tell him to go back to the roundabout but he did not want to admit that he
was lost, he stopped at a garage, asked people as were passing and finally
asked a car driver! I had meanwhile got my IPhone on the go and brought up the
route on Google Maps to show him; we ended up in the back of Jerez in the tenement
area lost until a friendly driver led us out to the road to Sanlucar; as we
passing all the waste bins in the town were full and overflowing with garbage
bags in huge piles as there must be a strike by the bin men !! So we had a
driver who had never been to Sanlucar,with no Satnave,the two council ladies/guides Beli and Pacqui who as it turned
out had also never been to Sanlucar – oh dear !! This meant that the only two
people that had been to Sanlucar where Malcolm and Brenda !!! The rest of the
people on the coach were mainly Swedish with some English and Spanish.We
finally arrived on the out skirts of the
town with nobody knowing where to go,the driver once again got lost and the
guides did not know where to fine the ‘ Bodega Barbadillo – at one time we got
lost down a narrow country lane, the bus ended up stuck in the old part of the
town in the one- way system, so we had to all get out and walk and find the
Bodega ! Thankfully the rain had stopped and sun had broken through. The words
‘ Fred Karno ’came into mind at this time !!
So finally
we were on our tour/visit to the Bodega in the old part of the high town; it
was very interesting as you will see in the large picture blog’s over the next
few day; the history of the business is fascinating and the various
Bodega/Cellars including the ‘ Bodega Catedral ’which is just amazing, we have
been in some celler’s in our time but never a ‘ Cathedral ’-it is amazing –
each different Bodega has slightly different temperatures to help with maturing
of the wines and Manzanilla in the American Oak Casks !
Then it was
time for a guided tour/walk around the old part of the town by a guide from
Sanlucar ( Thank God ! ) She led us around the various churches and places of
interest and then led us down to the lower part of the town and into the
market, just as it was closing ! More pictures to follow; it was then our free
time to go and explore the town, have lunch and shop ( Closed ) as by then we
were behind schedule ! We set off to go to the “ Hotel Tartaneros ”but found
out that it was closed for holidays ! We then set off towards the river front
down the main street/avenue to find the restaurant that Mano’s mother and all
the family used as they were growing up, and still do when they are back in the
town- Anna told us about it. We found it !
Los Corrales” was doing a roaring business ,full of Spanish families, as
we settled in and I made ourselves known to the proprietor – I rang Mano ,as a surprise
and put him on to speak to him! We had a memorable lunch from the large menu;
Brenda had the Fresh Langoustine’s a la Plancha ( Two plates in fact ! ) They
were sweet and tasted of the sea- Sanlucar De Barrameda is famous for them –I
had the ‘ Solomillo ’ – a 12ounce Filet Steak grilled medium-rare with Sautéed
Mushrooms,Onions,Tomato and Green Peppers with fries !! It melted in the mouth
and tasted wonderful – Brenda volunteered a Langoustine so as I could have ‘ Surf
and Turf ’ !! The picture above show the some of the Tapas display, we had a
slice of the Tortilla as an appetizer and Brenda had a half-bottle of
Barbadillo to help things along.
We then
headed back to outside the Hotel Tartaneros to pick up the bus; which then went
and go lost again as he was trying to find the Xmas Sweet/Cake factory on the
outskirts of town for our last stop !! It was then time to make our way back to
Manilva after one memorable day – for all sorts of reasons ! - AND YES WE DID
NOT GET LOST ON THE WAY BACK !!
Thought for
the Day;
For every
minute you are angry you loose sixty seconds of happiness.
…
.
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