December 15, 2024
I’m so sorry. My brother, Brian, informed me that he has been trying to send comments to my blog and has been receiving an “undeliverable” message. As soon as I get home, I will contact the website administrator and have that corrected. I thought you all had been tired of hearing from me! I really appreciate and missed receiving your comments. My sincere apologies, again.
We wanted to get an early start as Cadiz, Spain is our last port of call on this first year leg of our The Hope for Today Charitable Trust–Seeing God’s Hand at Work…Around the World Tour. It is hard to imagine that the first year is coming to an end.
We had been to Cadiz, Spain before as it is the gateway into Seville, Spain a city with renowned flamenco influence and the home of Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla, Seville’s world-famous bullring.
We had only two items on our agenda today. First, visit the González Bypass Spain’s most well-known sherry bodegas and home of the world famous Tio pepe sherry. Its origins can be traced to 1835 when it was founded by Manuel María González Angel. Second, see the unique magic of the Andalucian Horses Dance, an equine ballet accompanied by traditional Spanish music and riders in 18th century costumes performed at the world-famous Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art. Happily, we were able to accomplish both.
I rarely drink, so my motive to going to the winery was to learn more about the Gonzalez family. Not only was the González family at the forefront of sherry winemaking, but they have also participated in the introduction of the polo game in Spain, the first grass tennis court, the installation of the first electric lighting and running water and the first train project in Spain. The winery is still privately owned-What a family dynasty! Additionally, the grounds of the winery are absolutely breathtaking. One of the streets inside the winery was voted by Conde Nast as one of the most beautiful streets in the world. And I did take a sip at the sherry tasting.
One of the joys of travelling is sometimes you get to enjoy sights you did not expect to see. So was the case today at Gonzalez Bypass. As it was the Christmas season, they had on display from the Musuem of Spain miniature Christmas scenes. These scenes are made from clay, and I took the photos through a glass enclosure. If you can, zoom in on the photos. The accuracy is remarkable! I felt like I could climb into the scene.
The Royal Andalusian School is well known for its “dancing stallions” presentations staged in its purpose-built arena designed in 1980 by the Spanish architect Jose Luis Picardo. The school is also devoted to conserving the ancestral abilities of the Andalusian horse, maintaining the classical traditions of Spanish baroque horsemanship, preparing horses and riders for international dressage competitions, and providing education in all aspects of horsemanship, coach driving, blacksmithing, the care and breeding of horses, saddlery, and the manufacture and care of horse harness.
No video I could have taken would have done justice to what we saw at the Royal Andalusian School. I’ve attached two videos to give you an idea of what we experienced.
I will share some final thoughts with you on a sea day as we cross the Atlantic Ocean enroute home for Christmas.
Thanks for travelling with us.