La Villa de Benaocaz

In a roundabout sort of way, on a trip out today we ended up in the old Arabic village of Benaocaz, founded in 715 A.D.

We left Olvera this morning heading west toward Villamartin before turning off onto the A-373 road towards Ubrique.

Our original intention was to visit an old ruined castle just off the main road, about 7 kms from Villamartin. Visible it might have been but could we find a way up to it...no chance.

So onwards to the outskirts of Ubrique, turning left towards Grazalema and winding our way through beautiful scenery to the village of Benaocaz, pictured above.

A tiled plaque showing the location of the village in respect of it's surroundings.

We drove into the village and headed through the increasingly narrow streets, eventually parking at the Plaza de Vista Hermosa.

Temperatures were by now into the mid thirties so a quiet stroll around and refreshment were high on the agenda.

The village was very clean and tidy and well cared for as we headed uphill to get better views.

Arabic influence is still a part of life here, as displayed by this plaque on one of the houses we passed.

At the top of the village are the ruins of the old fortifications, some of which has been restored.

Many houses had floral displays, though not as many as other places that we have visited.

We came to the Iglesia de San Pedro and as the doors were open, we went inside.

It was a lovely church, as always, well cared for with some lovely paintings, statues and icons.

We noticed while walking around that places of interest were depicted in tiled plaques on the side of buildings. This one is for the Iglesia.

Good to see that the family coat of arms (Crosskey(s)) was set above the altar.

The Ayuntamiento in the Plaza de Las Libertades.

Benaocaz was a very pleasant, quiet little village and well worth a look around.
Much more information can be found in the official town website below:

http://web.benaocaz.es/ayuntamientos-i/opencms/benaocaz/index.html?__locale=en

The operation

Today is the day that Calcetines is scheduled to go to the vet to be spayed. Prior to the op, she had to be quarantined for twenty four hours to ensure that she ate no food and for this we thank our friends Mark and Maria for allowing her to stay at their B & B with Anne.

So last night and for most of today, Anne was tasked with looking after her until we could take the short drive to the surgery in Algodonales.

Anne had quite a restless night worrying about her but Calcetines slept like a baby. She is a brilliant little dog, taking everything in her stride, not being fazed by anything.
At four thirty, we picked up our friend Inma who, with the help of her family and neighbours has been sheltering and feeding Calcetines for a long time now and would dearly love to find her a permanent home.

The Veterinaria, Rosario Sanchez, who spoke good english, advised us that she would be in the surgery for at least a couple of hours so we headed back to Olvera to await a telephone call to come and collect her.

At 9 pm, we arrived back at the surgery to collect a very wobbly and dazed little dog. The operation had gone well and armed with some anti-biotics and a protective collar to ensure that she didn't bite at her stitches, we headed back to Olvera and Inma's parents house to let her recover.

We have to return to the vet in 10 days time for removal of her stitches.

In the meantime, if anyone looking in has a place in their heart and home to take this very special little dog, she will make a most affectionate and loyal companion and absolutely deserves a chance of happiness.

Please contact me at acrosskey@yahoo.com if you can help.

El Peñón del Cerretillo

A stroll this morning took us down Calle Francia, passing by a pathway that leads up to the Peñón del Cerretillo.

The last time we came this way, which was many months ago, the area was uncared for and overgrown with weeds.

Today however, the area has been transformed and cleared of the scrub and debris that previously existed and new path's and steps have been laid to allow access to the top of the peñón.

We have also noticed recently that after several months of inactivity, work has restarted on the steps that will provide access to the park from Calle Victoria.
With a few benches in place under the shade of the tree's, it will provide yet another pleasant place just to sit and enjoy the view and surroundings.

Iglesia Reparaciones

Just wandering past the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Encarnación this afternoon and I was pleased to see that work on the restoration is continuing.
An interesting insight into the history of the Church and Olvera is kindly provided by our friend Dan, who with his wife Alison owns a house here in Olvera. As follows:




"When Olvera fell to the conquering army of Alfonso XI in 1327, it came under the control of the Gúzman family, who were awarded control of much of the region for their role in the defence of Tarifa during the Reconquest. It later passed into the hands of the Dukes of Osuna. Its most famous son is probably Nicolás de Ribera, born here in 1487, and one of the leaders of Spain's conquest of Peru. He was made mayor of its capital, Lima, in 1535."


Nicolás de Ribera



"The Church belongs to what’s left of the Dukes de Osuna's family and not the Roman Catholic Church...that has always been the issue. All the Osuna fortune was wasted in one generation, the family member concerned was not buried in the family vault in Osuna but outside the church in disgrace..!!.
As you turn into Calle Llana from Calle Pico you will see the ornate carved door on the right hand side that used to be the entrance to the Osuna house. They used to visit Olvera in the summer months as it was cooler that Osuna, described as the frying pan of Spain."

The impressive frontage to the former house owned by the Dukes of Osuna in Calle Llana.


Linked posts:


Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Encarnación

El Puerto de Santa Maria

Free at last, after the chore of house painting, to get out again on our travels, this time to "El Puerto", a town located to the north east of Cadiz at a distance of about 10 kms across the Bay of Cadiz.

Arriving about 10.30 am with our lovely friend Inma, the air was slightly chilly with a cool breeze blowing off the sea......mucho frio.

We had parked the car at the Playa de Valdelagrana, one of several beaches that front El Puerto. There were a few people setting up for a day on the beach but in the vastness of it, it looked deserted.

After a coffee, we headed further into the town and parked up on the harbour side for a euro all day, which was brilliant.
We headed for the Centro, admiring the old buildings in the streets, while looking out for the Oficina de Turismo to obtain a guide to the features and history of the town.

As is clear from the pics, the weather had now greatly improved.

The streets were quite busy, some pedestrianised and others operating a one way system but we unfortunately could not locate the Tourist Office.

At the end of one street we came upon the Plaza de España and the impressive Iglesia Mayor Prioral.





















Perched high up on the roof were several storks and their nests.

Another accidental find was the ornate entrance doors to the Convento de la Concepsión, founded by Franciscan nuns in the 16th century. Being a Monday of course, it was closed.

Working our way slowly back in the direction of the harbour side, we passed many "Bodegas" (Wineries) open to the public but on this occasion we didn't partake of the free samples on offer.

The 15th century Castillo de San Marcos, set in a quiet square and another pleasant surprise but again unfortunately closed today.

Our circular route eventually brought us back to the harbour side, to the ferry service which has been operating between El Puerto and Cadiz for the last 76 years.

Inma taking a few pictures of the "barco's" (boats) in the harbour.












On this trip we clearly did not do El Puerto justice as I am sure there is much more to be seen.

Next trip, we really must find the tourist office, get a map, and explore it further.

More detailed information on El Puerto can be found by clicking here.