Andalusian Horse Farm and Sherry Bodega

Although my title to today's entry might be a bit misleading, the horse farm and the Sherry bodega were separate facilities.  The farm was the first stop and we got to interact with a number of the horses in their stalls.  Most were fairly docile and seemed to welcome the touch and affection of us humans.  We also got a history lesson as to the breed and how the farm came to be a publicly owned company.  All that paled in comparison to actually watching the horses being worked out...what awesome creatures!  They have a distinctive gait, almost a  prance, at several speeds, and with their noses tucked back almost to their chests, they are really a sight to see.  The star of the show was a puppy named Leia, who was extremely friendly with all of us and soaked up all the attention she could get. When we were viewing the colts and fillies, she delighted in barking at them and sending them all running, but around the adult horses, it was a different story; she knew not to give them any trouble.

A short drive into town took us to the Sherry Bodega (manufacturing facility), where we got the grand tour and a history lesson on their product.  Then came the fun part, where they served us a Tapas lunch and let us sample the products.  The dry sherry came in 3 varieties and there was a dessert version as well.  Harvey's Bristol Cream is a blend of the 4 kinds and was very tasty.  It is usually served as an after dinner drink, and I could see myself drinking it that way.  They also bottle a brandy there, which I also sampled, but it wasn't my favorite...I think it resembled gasoline!

Back at the hotel, most of us went out together for dinner to an Italian restaurant.  The food was good and a good time was had by all.  The ladies loved it because our waiter was a George Clooney lookalike.  That's all for now...2 full days in Seville and then I begin my journey home.  Adios.

Olive Oil Mill and Arcos de la Frontera

Once again I am making this entry for the previous day because I seem to have adopted the eating habits of a true Spaniard.  Most evenings we don't leave to go to dinner until 8:30 or 9:00 pm.  Dinner usually lasts until 11:00 and by the time Rhonda and I get done skyping, I'm too tired to post to the blog.  Anyway, we visited an olive oil mill yesterday and learned how the olives are processed and the oil is collected and stored.  Contrary to popular belief, the olives aren't "pressed", they are pulverized and the oil is extracted by centrifugal force.  Then the mash that is left is processed and the pits are separated out to be used as biomass fuel.  What's left of the fruit is fed to pigs, helping to ensure the steady supply of ham that this country runs on.

The owner of the mill also operates a small vineyard and had some excellent wine that we were able to sample, and I bought a bottle to put in my luggage and drink at home.  It was a great stop along the way to our hotel for last night and tonight.  It's an old convent that has been converted into a hotel and it's perched atop about a 300 foot cliff above the town of Arcos de la Fronteras.  The hotel only has 13 rooms, so we've completely taken the place over for a couple of days.  My room looks out over the dropoff, and I also have a small terrace overlooking it. The views are spectacular and I was able to sleep with an open window last night instead of A/C blowing on me, a nice change.  About 5:30 I started hearing the roosters from a farm down below, but was able to go back to sleep with no problem.  I will try to post a pic or two, but this site is slow today...we'll see.  Adios!