After Madrid, Alex and I headed down to the South of Spain, to a little town called El Puerto de Santa María. It's right on the coast as you can see above, although that's another town nearby called Puerto Sherry. We left Madrid and headed south on Halloween, arriving just in time to eat dinner, pick out a (not very exciting) costume, and head into town to celebrate. As the only group of foreigners in the town, the eight or so people in our group were the only ones participating in Halloween. With people's costumes ranging from ghosts to belly dancers, our group of mostly North Americans (US and Canada) definitely got some stares.
The rest of the time in the south was spent visiting a few other small beach towns around the area. We went to Puerto Sherry where we saw some ancient ruins and beautiful beaches, and Cadiz where we saw even more churches and castles, one where Die Another Day was partially shot.
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| Alex and me enjoying the sun that never shows its face in the Netherlands |
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| Sunset and cruise ship in Puerto Sherry |
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| El Puerto de Santa María bull fighting arena |
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| Plaza de Toros again |
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| Inside Osborne Sherry |
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| Castle in El Puerto de Santa María, owned by Caballero Sherry |
When Alex and I toured the castle in El Puerto de Santa María, we did not expect it to end with a sherry tasting. Because the castle is now owned by Caballero, they include that in the free tour of the castle. We tasted around seven different types of sherry. It was very good, and fun to be drinking the sherry that is native to that region. Although I also have pictures of the Osborne Sherry property above, we missed the tour in English and didn't get to compare the two.
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| Cadiz Cathedral |
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| In the bell tower |
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| Looking out onto Cadiz |
The next three pictures are of the Castillo de Sebastian, where scenes from Die Another Day were filmed. Apparently Cuba was modeled after Cadiz, and because the film was set but could not be filmed in Cuba, Cadiz was the second choice. The tide was way out, but normally there are waves splashing against the bridge and it seems more remote.
The south of Spain, though very different from Madrid, was an interesting glimpse into authentic Spanish culture. It was perfect to have friends there who spoke the language and could guide us around to the best spots in town. We enjoyed the sherry, along with great seafood, seriously needed sunshine, and beautiful beaches. The trip definitely made me reconsider my study abroad location! It was good to come home though, and am now trying to get readjusted to the wind and the rain of fall in the Netherlands.
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