The first Sunday in March dawned with the promise of a beautiful day, by 9 a.m. the sky was clear and blue and the temperature already in the high teens. I felt that I hadn’t been away from La Linea for some time, so after a quick look at the map, I suggested a trip to Jerez as it had been high on my list of places to visit for some time. I had spoken to people who had been but the only thing that they could say about the place was that the sherry tours were fun and excellent value for money. I was sure that there must be more to the town than sherry and today was to be the day to find out.

It is about an hour’s drive along the A381 from La Linea on new road through the edge of the Parque Natural Los Alcornacales, then through rolling hills covered in predominantly arable farmland. The city, fortunately, was easy to navigate and underground parking was soon found at the centre of town.

The first impression was of how quiet the place was in terms of traffic noise. We were in the town centre and not being deafened by hooting cars and rasping mopeds. We then walked down a narrow street that brought us out on Alameda Cristina where we found a street map from which we could orientate ourselves. The Plaza was tree lined and held a taxi rank of horses and traps. Close to the taxi rank a blue suited brass band were warming up, the first of three bands we saw that afternoon. Calle Largo, the heart of Jerez, was where we headed for next. This is a large pedestrianised area and the main shopping precinct of the town housing all the usual stores plus one or two unexpected such as Dorothy Perkins and Footlocker. One thing that struck early on about Jerez was the number of orange trees that lined up along almost all streets, the air was filled with the fragrance of orange blossom and Calle Largo was no different.

At the end of Calle Largo we emerged on to the large Plaza del Arenal with a magnificent statue of a man on horseback flanked by fountains and a floral display around which families milled about and children played. Apparently horse races are held in this area from time to time, Jerez of course being famous for its May horse fair. Around the plaza are many tapas bars with tables that flow out onto the square and it was at one of these, Bar Arenal, that we ate Berza for the first time. Berza is a speciality of Jerez, a stew made from a mix of beans and meats and flavoured with a Moroccan blend of spices. It was delicious washed down with a glass or two of fino or dry sherry.

At the western end of the Plaza the old Arabic quarter began and it was to here that we headed in order to see the Alcázar.

Outside the Alcázar every Sunday is held a flea market where a wide assortment of goods is displayed, from broken tools and children’s toys, to furniture and antiques. Much of it was rubbish but I am sure there would be something there of worth for the bargain hunter. My favourite stall was one which prepared and cooked potato crisps fresh for you, and something that I had not seen before.

The Alcázar is a Moorish fortress which started life in the twelfth century, was added to and adapted up until the 18th century, though the later modifications were obviously Spanish not Moorish. Much of it was then left to fall into a state of disrepair but fortunately in recent years much has been done to revive this ancient monument.

After walking through what is known as The City Gate, and typical of Islamic fortresses in that it is an s-bend gate, one walks through a huge arch to where one has to pay to enter. Entry costs €3 and is well worth the money, and is open daily from 10am -8pm May to September, and 10am – 6pm the rest of the year.

After paying, one walks through a beautiful small court yard to an area that was converted into an oil mill in the 18th century, the first room houses the mill. The mill was mule powered and at this stage of the process the olives are ground to a paste. Once milled, the paste was taken to the second room where it was pressed using weight from a huge wooden beam that was forced down by means of a twenty foot high screw at one end. The resulting oil ran out into a channel in the floor and into a tank. All the olive processing equipment here is in such good condition and very interesting to see.

The mosque is the next feature and still has the original ablutions courtyard with a fountain where Muslims would have washed before going to pray. The architecture here and throughout the Alcázar is magnificent with ornate arches and carvings.

From the mosque one walks out into sunshine in the parade ground and from here into the gardens. The gardens are beautiful and contain olive and orange trees and many small ponds with gravity fed fountains. Beyond the gardens lie the Arab baths which have three stages; cold, warm and hot. Throughout the bath house in the ceiling are star shaped skylights that allow a wonderful light to cast shadows inside.

The final destination inside the walls of the fortress is that of the Palacio de Villavicencio, a baroque palace built in the late 1600’s. It houses a collection of modern art as well as many older pieces; a municipal pharmacy from the 19th century; and a camera obscura from where one can see the whole city. It costs extra to enter the camera obscura.

There are other aspects to the Alcázar but these are still being restored.

That was the end of the day and we had managed to fill the whole day without embarking on a sherry tour!