Andalucia Day 24 The coast to Sanlúcar de Barrameda

The car squeezes cautiously out of the garage for the first time for 6 days and we drive up the coast to Rota. Here, to park near the beach amongst some newish houses is easy and so we walk along the beach on firm golden sand left smooth by the retreating tide in the direction of the corrales de pesca.

Set up in Roman times and used ever since, they are low walls out beyond the beach which trap the water of the outgoing tide and with it some fish. They have been used for centuries and some are still used today. A lady is crouched low next to one of the walls so we go and have a look. She's looking for camarones, the local small prawn used for making tortillitas de camarones.

There are very few people on the beach, there is, unusually, very little wind and so I'm tempted into a short swim in the ocean. Just because it is the ocean basically, because the waves tend to move the sand so even though the water is clean it's never very transparent and when I come out shivering I realize not very warm either. Nevertheless, I am pleased to have swum in the ocean. On the way back we take the Camino Natural de Rota, kilometres of boardwalks in the pine forest.

In the car we have our camping chairs and also the sun umbrella we bought from Ikea and have never used so we drive to Chipiona in search of easy access from the road to a, preferably, deserted beach. We are lucky and find a suitable place almost immediately to picnic, relax and read. The sun umbrella does what sun umbrellas are supposed to and since there isn't much wind we spend a very agreeable few hours next to the sea.

Off to Chipiona in search of coffee, but restaurants on the sea front are packed with people eating fish at four o'clock in the afternoon so we have a quick look at the outside of the sanctuary nearly on the beach and the lighthouse and then continue to Sanlúcar de Barrameda.

Sanlúcar is situated where the Guadalquivir river meets the sea and it's beaches are actually facing the river. We find a rather windy café for coffee which mysteriously comes accompanied by two glasses with ice cubes.

After, we explore the town, and up at the parish church there's a wedding. The church is therefore open and fully illuminated so we can appreciate the frescoes of the roof and one side chapel in particular.

The wedding has finished and the bride and groom are posing for photos while there's singing, and rhythmic clapping, more flamenco type than religious.

Outside there are a dozen horse-driven carriages waiting and the wedding guests are milling around, some getting a quick snack or drink in the bars outside. The women all have very smart ceremonial type long dresses and some are clearly finding it extremely uncomfortable to walk across the flagstone square in impossibly high heels.

The bride and groom come out of the church and a signal is given further down the road. A small boy goes out into the middle of the road (!) to stop the traffic and a splendid carriage pulled by 5 decorated horses stops in front of the church.

It's getting late and we would like something to eat before going back to Chipiona lighthouse for the sunset. This proves difficult because local people have got as far as ice-cream and coffee at 7 o'clock and bar kitchens don't open until 8. Stay for supper and miss the sunset? 

We resort to Mercadona for an Empanada and thanks to Google maps navigation park almost next to Chipiona lighthouse at quarter to eight. It was worth skipping supper. There's some low cloud on the horizon and the sun sets over the corrales de pesca in a sky which seems painted not real.

Two or three fishermen are walking among the corrales where the dusk makes it impossible to distinguish between the rocks and the reflection of the rocks in the sea.

We drive back in the dark, and Andrea manages to squeeze the car back into the garage, a fantastic day.
Kilometres by car: 80
Kilometres on foot: 16