El Rocio

The wide dusty streets are a little reminiscent of the towns of far west NSW near the Warrumbungle mountains (where my grandparents grew up) that I visited as a child. The main difference is the gigantic pilgrimage church which over a million peregrinos visit each Easter..... and perhaps the shops selling flamenco dresses and ponchos......and the tapas bars.......oh well there are gum trees, wide streets, verandas, dust and heat. 

Church of El Rocio

I'm a wide street

no kookaburras in these gum trees

El Rocio is on the edge of the Donana National Park and is great for birdwatching if you're into that sort of thing. From Dickie we looked out over the lake where flamingos paddled alongside horses and sand flies. No on could say the place was size-ist. 

spot the Dickie

view from Dickie with a raindrop on camera

The rain came in overnight and turned the streets to mud so we headed off to La Rabina to visit the monastery there. We carried Hugo around the museum (he was heavy but well behaved) and another reminder of childhood came when we saw the replicas of Columbus's ships the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. We learnt about these at school and I've always liked the musical quality of the three words strung together.

After a night in Moguer we will be in Portugal in an hour or so. A new country - how exciting. Looking forward to becoming fluent in yet another language....not.