2019 October : Five day trip to Andalucia
AAA members and friends enjoyed a five-day trip to Andalucia in October. We left the Algarve on a warm, sunny day and travelled by coach to Medina Sidonia stopping for lunch on the way; we stayed at the Hotel la Villoria just out of town.
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Our first visit of the trip was to the museum in Medina Sidonia (Pictures at right) which we entered through a simple doorway in the street. Once inside, the excavation of a large Roman building was revealed and on the upper floor there was a display of artefacts recovered from the area. In another street, again just through a simple doorway, there was a large section of a major Roman road. We then continued to the spectacular remains of the Roman city of Baelo Claudia (Pictures at right) where we had a guided tour. It was originally a fishing village, settled by the Romans about 2000 years ago and was a major trading post. It was much destroyed by an earthquake and abandoned in the 6th century. |
On the second day we went to the town of Benalup-Casas Viejas and visited the museum. (Pictures at left). It was very impressive with its displays of the history of mankind up to the present day, with accompanying sound effects. As we passed through the museum there were sound effects of a storm and the first use of fire, all very effective for the parties of school children who had also come to enjoy the experience. After lunch we went to the whtie village of Vejer de la Frontera (Pictures at left) for a guided tour of the town; a few of us took the option of a taxi ride for a circuit of the town instead. |
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On day three we departed for Puerta de Santa Maria where we met our guide who took us to the Doña Blanco Phoenician site. (Pictures right) We saw the remains of dwellings and much more; unfortunately due to lack of funds further excavation of the site has not been possible. In Phoenician times it would have been a port near the sea, but is now well inland. Fortunately the weather was dry because, as soon as we boarded the coach, the heavens opened! |
We then went to Cadiz (Pictures left) and visited the museum. After lunch we enjoyed a walk through the historic centre of the town followed by a drive around the town and along the sea front. |
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On our last day we left the hotel for the last time and drove to Guadaira to visit the Alcalá (castle) (Pictures at right) and the fortified area with our guide. Built on a promontory overlooking the Guadaira river, it was fortified by the Almohads, but after 1244 was captured by Ferdinand III of Castile and later fell into disrepair. It was an important link between Seville and Carmona and protected the area |
On day four we visited Sanlúcar de Barrameda and the palace of the Duquesa de Medina Sidonia, a rather difficult place to reach by coach due to the narrow streets in the town. The Duquesa was the widow of one of the most famous families in Spain and a controversial historian in the time of Franco who preserved one of the largest private historical archives. We were guided through the palace with its splendid rooms and library. We enjoyed an excellent lunch in a huge restaurant after which we visited the museum in Jerez (Pictures left) It was beautifully laid out with artefacts from the Phoenician, Roman and medieval periods. We then toured the town by bus.
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