Pics: European Bee Eater, Christopher Columbus, "Platero y Yo"-one of Bob's favorites!
Up and off by seven. We headed west 24 km to the bustling port of Huelva, past a large oil processing plant, huge docked freighters to a bridge that crosses the Odiel River. There we found a small road through marshland and out onto a ten mile long breakwater which ended with the lighthouse we can see from our hotel room.
Since it was Saturday morning, the breakwater was crowded with fishermen, parking any which way, setting up tables and chairs all over the narrow road. We managed to maneuver around them to the lighthouse and then made our way back. We saw Godwits, European Oystercatchers, and Little Terns.
I made RRZ stop at the Cristóbal Colón statue at the entrance to the harbor since we didn’t have time to go to La Rabida Monastery, where CC consulted monks on the shape of the earth. He started his journey 4 miles up river. The monument was a very large, great statue of Columbus looking out to sea clutching a huge cross. And, behind it was the CC café where we were able to get café con leche and pan tostado with butter and jam. I was happily revived, and RRZ was thrilled that we had spent 6 euros for breakfast instead of the 34 we would have done at the fancy buffet at the Parador!
We got back to our hotel at about ten and started to organize our stuff. I called Iberia once again and got someone who didn’t speak much English, so talked back and forth in Eng/Spa pidgin and hopefully conveyed that we did not want our luggage delivered to the hotel, but that we would pick them up in Sevilla. We checked out and said goodbye to our nice sympathetic recepcionista and I drove back to El Rocío, stopping at yet another visitors’ center at Doñana, hiking a miles along beautiful boardwalks and getting great views of the lovely Whiskered Tern.
We headed back to the freeway into Sevilla and I missed the bypass turn and we went into Sevilla center which wasn’t a too bad way to get to the airport. We found the parking structure and wandered aimlessly up and down levels in search of an empty space. Finally we just ignored the arrows and plunged into the outer reaches of the lot and finally found a spot.
We had been instructed to go through Security with our letter from Iberia and head down to Baggage Claim, but, of course, Security would have none of it. We went back to Iberia check-in and were told our bags were heading out to the Parador!! I told them firmly that they were downstairs in Baggage Claim, knowing no such thing!
We were then told to go downstairs in an elevator and knock on a closed door. We went downstairs and found lots of closed doors….finally one opened on the first knock and we headed over to Iberia Baggage Claim……and there were all three bags! What a thrill! We signed off on them and rolled them back to our car and set off for Aracena, our next stopping point.
We headed north on the A-66 and turned west on the N-433. We climbed up into foothills and oaks and past the town of Aracena finally came to KM 95 and turned sharp onto a narrow track which wound up for a kilometer until it ended at a lovely villa. Sam and Jeanne, a Scottish couple, bought the land in the 80s and built this wonderful house, which looks charmingly much older than its 30+ years. Sam and the dogs greeted us and he showed us to our suite of rooms at the top of the house. We have a bedroom, bath, and sitting room. We opened our bags and found nothing missing, not that we’d checked anything of value, but still with all the traveling they have done and the many times they have been inspected, it was amazing to find everything intact.
I went down for tea and asked Jeanne what time dinner was..an error on my part, I had gotten this B&B mixed up with one in the future, but Jeanne said no worries, she could whip up dinner for us, even though they were going out tonight! Asked if we would mind dinner at eight! Definitely no worries.
We pulled out clean clothes and inspected the very fancy shower/steam bath/soaking tub in our bathroom. I managed to squirt water on top of my head and a stream of water by my feet and finally figured out how to turn on the basic shower! Felt great to bathe and be able to actually put on clean clothes!
Went downstairs accompanied by Bucky, a small terrier who, once you have thrown a small rock that she owns, claims you forever as her stone-throwing slave! I made Cuba Libres at the honor bar (my favorite kind) and Sam took us into dinner: poached egg on garden greens, pork tenderloin in cream sauce with potatoes, and sliced strawberries in OJ with mint, contreau and strands of orange zest ---. Really refreshing Great meal! Upstairs for blogging and bed!
Up and off by seven. We headed west 24 km to the bustling port of Huelva, past a large oil processing plant, huge docked freighters to a bridge that crosses the Odiel River. There we found a small road through marshland and out onto a ten mile long breakwater which ended with the lighthouse we can see from our hotel room.
Since it was Saturday morning, the breakwater was crowded with fishermen, parking any which way, setting up tables and chairs all over the narrow road. We managed to maneuver around them to the lighthouse and then made our way back. We saw Godwits, European Oystercatchers, and Little Terns.
I made RRZ stop at the Cristóbal Colón statue at the entrance to the harbor since we didn’t have time to go to La Rabida Monastery, where CC consulted monks on the shape of the earth. He started his journey 4 miles up river. The monument was a very large, great statue of Columbus looking out to sea clutching a huge cross. And, behind it was the CC café where we were able to get café con leche and pan tostado with butter and jam. I was happily revived, and RRZ was thrilled that we had spent 6 euros for breakfast instead of the 34 we would have done at the fancy buffet at the Parador!
We got back to our hotel at about ten and started to organize our stuff. I called Iberia once again and got someone who didn’t speak much English, so talked back and forth in Eng/Spa pidgin and hopefully conveyed that we did not want our luggage delivered to the hotel, but that we would pick them up in Sevilla. We checked out and said goodbye to our nice sympathetic recepcionista and I drove back to El Rocío, stopping at yet another visitors’ center at Doñana, hiking a miles along beautiful boardwalks and getting great views of the lovely Whiskered Tern.
We headed back to the freeway into Sevilla and I missed the bypass turn and we went into Sevilla center which wasn’t a too bad way to get to the airport. We found the parking structure and wandered aimlessly up and down levels in search of an empty space. Finally we just ignored the arrows and plunged into the outer reaches of the lot and finally found a spot.
We had been instructed to go through Security with our letter from Iberia and head down to Baggage Claim, but, of course, Security would have none of it. We went back to Iberia check-in and were told our bags were heading out to the Parador!! I told them firmly that they were downstairs in Baggage Claim, knowing no such thing!
We were then told to go downstairs in an elevator and knock on a closed door. We went downstairs and found lots of closed doors….finally one opened on the first knock and we headed over to Iberia Baggage Claim……and there were all three bags! What a thrill! We signed off on them and rolled them back to our car and set off for Aracena, our next stopping point.
We headed north on the A-66 and turned west on the N-433. We climbed up into foothills and oaks and past the town of Aracena finally came to KM 95 and turned sharp onto a narrow track which wound up for a kilometer until it ended at a lovely villa. Sam and Jeanne, a Scottish couple, bought the land in the 80s and built this wonderful house, which looks charmingly much older than its 30+ years. Sam and the dogs greeted us and he showed us to our suite of rooms at the top of the house. We have a bedroom, bath, and sitting room. We opened our bags and found nothing missing, not that we’d checked anything of value, but still with all the traveling they have done and the many times they have been inspected, it was amazing to find everything intact.
I went down for tea and asked Jeanne what time dinner was..an error on my part, I had gotten this B&B mixed up with one in the future, but Jeanne said no worries, she could whip up dinner for us, even though they were going out tonight! Asked if we would mind dinner at eight! Definitely no worries.
We pulled out clean clothes and inspected the very fancy shower/steam bath/soaking tub in our bathroom. I managed to squirt water on top of my head and a stream of water by my feet and finally figured out how to turn on the basic shower! Felt great to bathe and be able to actually put on clean clothes!
Went downstairs accompanied by Bucky, a small terrier who, once you have thrown a small rock that she owns, claims you forever as her stone-throwing slave! I made Cuba Libres at the honor bar (my favorite kind) and Sam took us into dinner: poached egg on garden greens, pork tenderloin in cream sauce with potatoes, and sliced strawberries in OJ with mint, contreau and strands of orange zest ---. Really refreshing Great meal! Upstairs for blogging and bed!
Katy -
ReplyDeleteSO glad you have clean clothes, and found your luggage all intact -- what an AWFUL experience!
Travel safely!
Much love,
m
x
Oh, thank goodness - I was beginning to think that you were going to come home in the same clothes that you left in! (and you may have too)
ReplyDeleteParks, towns, B & Bs sound wonderful.
I'm enjoying both blogs - Spain and France - "compare and contrast'!
xoxo
HH