Does the gastronomy of Spain know no bounds?
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This is Queen Nia the wise, tucking in to tapas and vino, in El Rocio, a wild west town transposed somehow to Southern Spain. El Rocio was founded in 1270 by King Alfonso the wise, and is composed of houses, bars, restaurants and fraternity houses, criss crossed by wide sandy streets, with wooden railings everywhere to tie your horse(s) to.
Outlaw.
There are horses, ponies and traps for hire.
And you are as likely to meet a horse as a car on the streets.
This is our Lady of El Rocio.
And this is her shrine.
We cycled about 15 km South to Matalascanas, a pretty empty beach on the edge of the Donana nature reserve.
Looking the other way along the beach.
We stopped for lunch in a restaurant close to the beach. The menu was beyond my Spanish and the waiter had no English so we just let him choose. I had tortillitas de merluca, aka hake fritters and Nia had tortillitas de camerones…shrimp fritters. Washed down with a cold beer. Delicious.
Resting between courses.
The co-driver pausing in contemplative mood on the way home. I must cut down her fish rations.
Poor Colin exhausted after the long cycle ride (he was in the dog cart all the way).
El Rocio at nightfall.
Sunset.
Rambling about Europe with the Kray Twins (Colin and Penny).
Travels with Mavis 
Hi Nia,
I know it’s not your birthday until the 27th but just in case I dont get another chance before then, I will take this opportunity to wish you a very happy birthday. I hope you have a great day and whatever you have planned I hope it will involve a glass or three of the local vino. Enjoy your trip and keep up the good work with the blog, fantastic pictures and some really entertaining reading. Take care, all my love and best wishes to both you and Peter xx
Mark.
Hi Mark,
That is very kind, thank you very much.
As you can see we’re having an amazing trip. We’re planning on driving along the coast today heading east after a great 6 days at El Rocio. So we don’t know where we’ll be for my birthday yet but it should be good weather anyway.
Hope you’re well and that autumn in Lancashire isn’t too chilly.
Love Nia & Peter xxxx
Hi there – oh you make us jealous!!! Brings back so many good memories of wonderful El Rocio. Glad you enjoyed it as much as we did – can’t wait to get back. The sun shone in Santiago yesterday – but it rains and rains today – sob, sob.
cheers Kate and Lawrence.