IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE BLOG ON A PHONE PLEASE CHANGE TO WEB VIEW AT BOTTOM OF PAGE AS IT WILL LOOK BETTER, THANKS MICK.

Tuesday 15 May 2012

Travelling to and back from Carmona, Sevilla Province

A day sight seeing with a few birds mixed in. 
 
View of Iglesia de San Bartolomé.
Jayne and I had wanted to visit the town of Carmona since the Trabuco ladies group had been and said how nice it was, so today was the day. 
We set off quite early and made good time along the A92, it was not till we came on to the more minor roads that we had any delays. We got stuck behind a Lorry and a learner who would not overtake a slow moving tractor, this delay probably added 15 minutes on the journey time which would normally I guess be around 1 hour 50 from our house. 
View of Iglesia de San Bartolomé form the Alcázar.
The road in from Marchena brings you in below the town and gives nice views of some of the older buildings on the outskirts. Along this road I picked up a couple of Lesser Kestrels (Cernicola Primilla / Falco naumanni), Black Kites (Milano Negro / Milvus migrans), Montagu's Harriers (Aguilucho Cenizo / Circus pygargus), White Stork (Ciguena Blanca / Ciconia ciconia), Turtle Dove (Tórtola Europea / Streptopelia turtur), at least 3 Stone Curlews (Alcaraván Común / Burhinus oedicnemus) one of which attempted suicide under the wheels of our car but fortunately I was fairly quick on the brakes, Woodpigeon (Paloma Torcaz / Columba palumbus), Woodchat Shrike (Alcaudón Común / Lanius senator), Gull-billed Tern (Pagaza Piconegra / Gelochelidon nilotica) and Calandra Lark (Calandria / Melanocorypha calandra). 
Flags from the Alcázar.
Once we were in the town and parked we made our way down to the historical part of town and went into the tourist information center and got a copy of a map which the lady employee circled with the most interesting places to visit. 
We started by going into the Iglesia Prioral de Santa Maria which at €3 each was well worth while and I should that when the work inside is finished it will be worth revisiting. Then it was to the Town Museum and interpretation centre which was free on a Tuesday which pleased me no end (not that I am tight or anything). 
After spending a good couple of hours around the museum we walked around the town until we reached the Puerta de Córdoba which was a nice spot but with a bit of weeding would look much better but the view out over the plains was worth the walk. 
Puerta de Córdoba.
It was then back into the town and on down to the Alcázar de la Puerta de Sevilla which was OK but a bit over restore but did give nice high views over the town. 
Food was then the order of the day and we found a nice place on the Plaza de San Fernando which was doing menu del dia and spent a pleasant couple of hours having lunch. Later we did the standard Mad dogs and English person thing and went and had a look around the Roman Necrópolis which was on the out skirts of the town, it was well worth a visit but was hard going in the heat of the afternoon. 
Jayne at the Necrópolis.
We then started to make our way back but took the cross country route out to Osuna, on the way we saw lots more Lesser Kestrels, Alpine Swift (Vencejo Real / Apus melba), Collared Pratincole (Canastera Común / Glareola pratincola), Raven (Cuervo / Corvus corax), Zitting Cisticola (Buitrón / Cisticola juncidis), Spanish (Yellow) Wagtail (Lavandera Boyera / Motacilla flava iberiae), Woodchat Shrike, Spotless Starling (Estornino Negro / Sturnus unicolor), Iberian Grey Shrike (Alcaudón Real Meridional / Lanius meridionalis), Greater Short-toed Lark (Terrera Común / Calandrella brachydactyla) and Little Bustard (Sisón Común / Tetrax tetrax). 
View of part of the Nacrópolis.
We then spent a while having a look around Osuna before heading back home after a long but enjoyable day.

No comments: