Jerez (112km from Gibraltar), then onto Playas De Luz near Isla Cristina just before the Portuguese Border (222km)

We headed off from our Aire by Gibralter at around 3.30 to head up to Jerez (112km), through Bull country. Wide open landscape with long horned cattle grazing the sunburnt scrubland. And lots of wind turbines too along this now Atlantic coast.

We had planned to stay at an Aire at a local motorhome dealer in Jerez, firstly because of its proximity to the Spanish riding school we wanted to visit (Real Escuela Andaluza De Arte Ecuestre), but secondly because it had great reviews from everyone who stayed. The reviews promised a warm welcome and a glass of local sherry. What more could one want 😁

On arriving, (they were expecting us following my email) after settling into our spot and going to borrow an extension lead for the electric point we were first welcome with a cold glass of cream sherry straight from the barrel and then a second glass mixing half cream and half medium to make a dryer mix. We then needed to go and have a lie down 😂

We headed out for supper and Chris and I both enjoyed a bowl of clams while Jack had a burger.

The following morning we headed to the Famous Spanish Riding School and home of the horse ballet. Sadly due to Covid reducing their show seating from 1600 to 600 per show we had been unable to book to watch the actual 'show', but instead went to the school and had a guided tour of the stables, tack room, grounds and were then able to sit in the large indoor arena and watch the masters teaching and training horses and pupils. We spend a couple of very happy hours there soaking up the atmosphere.

The lecture theatres and library are situated on the first and second floors of this beautiful French Style Palace designed by the French architect who also designed the Paris Opera house and Monte Carlo casino:

The Indoor School which also houses the stables and tack room of the performance horses:

The Tack Room was like a museum even though every working horse had its tack kept there. The temperature and humidity was kept perfectly to preserve the leather, and all the tack used at the school was made on site for each horse:

All the animals in training are Stallions, and most are pure bred Andalusian horses. All the mares are kept for breeding at a stud farm outside Jerez.

They also teach carrage driving in an outdoor school with its stables behind:

Following out lovely few hours watching the horses we headed back on the road up to Seville. More open land with lots of arable land as well as dry pasture with cattle and horses. As we headed on past Seville and towards the Portuguese border the countryside changed again to orange groves, poly tunnels and wooded countryside, starting to resemble the areas of Portugal we were more familiar with.

On arriving at our well reviewed campsite for the night we spotted a couple of other British motorhomes for the first time, and the campsite was very busy ( a bit too busy for us). It was situated in a beautiful marshy part of an estuary and very much reminded us of the parts of Portugal we know. The same marshy smell and lots of wading birds including Flamingo.