Holiday part 3: Hacienda Zorita

On Saturday 1st June we drove north to stay the night at Caceres.

Above is a photo of a bridge in Sevilla, the Puente del Centenario, taken as we crossed a branch of the river Guadalquivir.

On Sunday afternoon we arrived for a 2 night stay at Hacienda Zorita, Wine Hotel and Spa, which is a few kms from Salamanca.

We stayed there 2 years ago and we were eagerly looking forward to our return visit.

We were not disappointed.

This is part of the Rio Tormes which runs through Salamanca and eventually joins the Duero.

You can spot Margaret at the window of our room exactly in the centre.

On the first evening we attended the wine tasting at the end of the...

...massive bodega.

The emphasis is on home grown produce and of course the extensive range of wine.

Once again, we enjoyed some wonderful food,...

...drank some of the finest wines...

...and had some time to relax...

...as well as enjoy exploring the grounds and the buildings.

The koi carp there are enormous!

Morning coffee.

Lunch the following day is exquisite!

A great steak knife!

The chilled cheese and ham store is just next to the restaurant...

...and of course there is a great selection of wines.

Christopher Columbus stayed here before he set off for the Americas. I wonder if he used our room?

The label in the photo below was inside our wardrobe:

Another brilliant experience!

Holiday part 2: Doña Lola

On Saturday morning we leave Sabiote and drive to Mollina to meet up with our friend Alan for lunch in the Chinese restaurant as we do every year.

After lunch we drive down to our time share at Doña Lola in Calahonda stopping off at Fuengirola to do some shopping.

The view from our apartment is wonderful only this year the board walk along the front has been completed, it is below the wall at the edge of the swimming pool and people walking past are below so we maintain privacy.

The emphasis for the week is total relaxation and enjoying good food so here we are having a Sunday lunch...

...and sunbathing at the "adult" pool on site.

We like to visit as many restaurants during the week as we can - there's plenty of choice within easy reach.

And here we have the traditional photo of "Margaret in the window" which I take every year.

Also on the list of essential meals for the week we have fish'n'chips,...

...a full English breakfast,...

...kippers...

...and of course an Indian!

It is always a most enjoyable experience to have an evening meal at the restaurant on site, La Plaza Beach. Above is the starter we shared, the house salad.

We both had a chicken dish for the main course and finished off with my favourite, apple pie and ice cream...

...and not only great food but the entertainment during the meal was from the wonderful Laura Carter with an exceptional voice and a great range of songs.

Certainly a memorable week!

Holiday part 1: Sabiote

A 590 km drive to the town of Sabiote for our first overnight stay. The hotel was in the far north-east corner of the town right next to the 13th century castle with some magnificent views.

We chose to stay in this hotel from a wide selection of "activities" which was a present from our good friends Carmen, Raúl and Ariadna for my birthday last August and a very good choice it was.

Manillas, the name of the hotel, are handcuffs although we didn't actually see any.

The hotel itself was a bit like a small Parador, the famous national chain of hotels throughout Spain which are usually in castles, monasteries or the like.

The room was very comfortable...

...and the building itself was very interesting...

...with a lovely central open area, just right for sitting and relaxing with that gin'n'tonic before evening meal.

But before that there was time to explore the castle next door...

...and the typical Andalusian views of the countryside dotted with olive trees.

The original castle was enlarged in the 16th century to what we see today...

...although the inside was plundered and destroyed by Napoleonic troops.

However, the outside of the castle is a splendid piece of architecture...

...bearing exquisite carvings of that period.

The town church dedicated to San Pedro is also of the 16th century and it too has ornate carvings even though they are a little weathered.

Inside the church a wedding was taking place and I couldn't resist taking a photo of the wedding car, a 1952 Citroën Traction Avant in very good condition.

Finally, back to the hotel for that G'n'T I mentioned earlier. A very good start to the holiday.

Cretas Medieval Fayre

This afternoon we went to Cretas to pay a visit to their annual medieval fayre.

As usual they had traditional crafts being demonstrated...

...and a collection of hobbyhorses which played authentic clip-clop sounds and whinnied with their lips moving! I almost bought one for myself!

The interior of the church is splendid.

On our annual shopping list is a loaf of real handmade bread.

Margaret bought me a very good quality leather belt which was made for me as we waited...

...and another purchase was a mug with a name - but they only had Spanish names so it is for one of our Spanish friends.

How high can you kick? Admittedly, this guy was on stilts...

...while his very slim friend was close behind...

...as they walked through the narrow streets accompanied by traditional musicians.

Say "cheese" for the photo. We bought a goats cheese here to go with the bread.

Another craftsman chipping away - I didn't like to distract him while I took the photo.

The pillar in the centre of the Plaza Mayor with the moon making an appearance...

...and the ladies concentrating on their lacework. A great afternoon out!