Nerja History Group 2018-19 Visit
The Historic Sights and Gastronomic Delights of Jerez
On January 22, 30 of us of various nationalities set off from
Nerja towards Jerez, stopping outside Antequera for breakfast.
This is always a nice ice-breaker, especially for those who
haven’t travelled with us before.
years old. Here we had another explanation of the process
which differed from yesterday’s, due to the age of the sherries.
We also had a very tasty tasting (!) and then time to look at
their private Art Collection which includes works by Zuberan,
Goya, Velazquez & El Greco.
Suitably refreshed, we continued through beautiful
countryside to Jerez and straight to Bodega Fundador. Here we
were given a guided tour, an explanation of the sherry making
process and a visit to their Museum with old, original
equipment, including shoes with nails in the soles for crushing
the grapes. That was thirsty work! A tasting was undertaken
followed by a delicious lunch of tapas, paired with five
Harvey’s sherries.
Some of us decided to take taxis back to the hotel to relax
before meeting to go to a special Flamenco show - wow. This
was followed by dinner at a really wonderful restaurant, a
former winery, for a very special pairings menu. It was
stunning. More wow! Next morning, after another delicious
breakfast, our luggage was loaded and we set off for a visit to
The Palace of Time (go on, guess - yes, a clock Museum).
We then checked-in to the Soho Boutique Hotel (a former
winery) for some R&R before meeting for a short walk to have
a guided visit of a private palace. In spite of its faded elegance,
it was enjoyable to see such a palace which is lived-in and to be
shown around by a member of the family. We then had a short
walk to a wonderful fish restaurant for dinner - the quality and
quantity of the food and attention shown to us by the staff was
excellent. It had been a long day and so we walked back to the
hotel and retired for the night.
The Museum is set in beautiful grounds with a large Gyroscope
on the central lawn. The Palace itself is a neoclassical style
Mansion, dating from 1881 and refurbished in 2002. It houses
more than 300 clocks - English, French and German
timepieces, displayed beautifully, with classical music playing
in the background. The atmosphere is so calm and tranquil
apart from on the hour, when a fusion of tinkles, tunes and
gongs announce their presence! Our guide Miriam was
excellent. She is very knowledgeable, has very good English
and a lovely personality.
After a buffet breakfast, our Guide came to the hotel to collect
us for a walking tour of the city. His commentary was very
good and he included some amusing anecdotes. He is a local of
Jerez and very passionate about his city - there is a lot to see!
Some of us enjoyed a walk in the gardens before boarding the
bus for our visit to the Escuela de Caballos and a performance
of the Dancing Horses. This, as always, was wonderful. The
horses look in such good condition and seem so proud to strut
their stuff. When the performance ended, we had time to buy
some souvenirs before heading off for lunch. This time, a
selection of raciones to share, with a choice of sherries and
wines - a wonderful way to end our stay in Jerez. Then we
boarded our coach back to Nerja a very happy group - people
have already been asking “where next”? !
His tour finished by escorting us to the Bodega Tradicion, a
smaller bodega, which only has rare, old sherries - some are 30
The Nerja History Group meets each month between October
- April for a talk about some aspect of Spanish history. The
following week, there is a day-trip to a place of interest. The
two-night, three-day trip is usually an annual event. Meetings,
talks and visits are conducted in English.
Christina Sinclair
Co-ordinator Nerja History Group
www.nerjahistorygroup.com
[email protected]
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