Zufre, in the Sierra Morena

(Cheesy text, courtesy of PhotoDirector, can't be changed).

For our last day in Spain, we headed north of Seville again, to the mountains and natural park of the Sierra Morena. We fancied another day in the countryside, and had read that Zufre, in Huelva province, was a stunningly beautiful village perched on the edge of a cliff. This turned out to be no exaggeration. 

When we reached the village, we drove up a wide cobbled road, almost perpendicular, that led to the splendid ramparts of the fortress. In times of war the local populace sheltered within these walls. The streets wound onwards and onwards, up and up, eventually leading to a square. We stopped for a drink outside a cafe where the locals were gathered, gossiping beneath large parasols. After some difficulty, we located the town's paseo, where the fountain and curved tiled benches provided a focal point, and the view over the Sierra and the reservoir stretched out forever. The market hall has been refurbished recently, as has the Plaza de Toros opposite. Sadly neither were operational. I did peer into the bull ring to see what it actually looks like. Cultural and theatrical performances are also staged there at fiesta time. 

Our arrival coincided with a fiesta, of Nuestra Señora del Puerto, Our Lady of the Fort/Port.  Flags of Spain and Andalusia decorated the squares, and the image of the virgin was displayed  on posters hanging from balconies around the town. Seeing some people going in and out of the church, I entered, and immediately saw and smelled the white chrysanthemums, a long roll of cloth laid out, and the statue of the virgin on the altar. People who were making floral decorations told me that the pilgrimage of in honour of the virgin had taken place the previous weekend, and that they were preparing for a procession around the village (with the statue, I believe). Quite reminiscent of my Catholic childhood and the Lily procession in December, except that the sky was blue and we were in Spain, not Scotland, speaking Spanish rather than chanting in Latin.

Back in the paseo, we had lunch at the 'window' restaurant, where the maitre d' obligingly placed us in front of the window with the best view, and drew back the curtains. Grilled dorada (gilt-headed bream, apparently) was our choice of fish, and the ubiquitous mixed salad, which today contained nuts as well as sweetcorn, tuna, tomatoes and raisins. All very good, and as for the butterscotch ice cream...

After more exploring of the town's historic buildings, and admiring the obviously recent renovations (Zufre is part of a network of villages promoting sustainable and responsible tourism), it was time to leave. Reluctantly, we drove along the road out of the Sierra Morena (the 'dark mountain range') towards the motorway back to the city, and the airport. 

The blessings of  Nuestra Señora must have been with us, because we got safely through the city,  back to the car rental drop-off and the heat and bustle of the terminal. What a holiday it's been!