Cadiz

Mon.May 30. Docked in Cadiz,3rd largest city in Spain,population 2 million.Went on a tour to Jerez de la Frontera.This is where sherry gets its name.A lovely little town with several squares.The main square is large with a huge fountain, in the middle of which is an equestrian statue,that invariably has a pigeon on the rider's head.It rained briefly,the first rain we've had.
We went to the Gonzalez Byass winery where they make Tio Pepe sherry.The founder of the company,Manuel Gonzalez,was funded by his uncle,in 1835, and named his best sherry for him,hence Tio Pepe,(Uncle Joe)They use only two types of grape and three types of sherry that vary from very dry to very sweet and in between.The founder joined with his English agent,Robert Blake Byass to form the winery.He later bought his partner out but kept the name bacause Gonzalez by itself is a very common name.
A tradition began when someone left out some sweet sherry and mice drank it.Now they put a glass of sherry on the floor with a little ladder against it and another glass with snacks for the mice.I took a picture of a photo of a mouse climbing the ladder.
I learned a lot about sherry today.

Cadiz, Spain