Sunday 10 October 2010

Aracena, in Huelva Province

Our women's breakfast group had a day trip to Aracena last week - a beautiful town north of Seville.  For health reasons, I didn't go to some of the attractions so let me tell you what Rough guide to Spain says:  " Set in the Sierra  Morena (the largest of Spain's mountain ranges) the town's southern flank is topped by the Iglesia del Castillo, a 13th century church built by the Knights Templar around the remains of a Moorish castle.   Its principal attraction is the Gruta de las Maravillas, the largest cave in Spain, discovered by a local boy when searching for a lost pig".

For me, the outdoor museum of contemporary sculpture was the most appealing.  This small town has dozens of fine works donated by Eduardo Chillida and Carmen Perujo.

I had a long, leisurely yummy lunch of stuffed sirloin of pork (prunes and ham) for which the area is famous.  This is, after all, the jamon-producing area.  Also famous for wild asparagus and mushrooms.  I don't normally drink so two glasses of excellent Rioja later found me buying an art-deco type tea service that I didn't need but loved....and it was very cheap at 46€.

Now I'll try to do my slide show