En route to Seville

Back into Spain today and into Andalusia. It was grey and drizzling today as we drove through the dry rolling plains of the Alentejo with its woodlands of cork and olive trees. Cork trees are harvested every 10 years and live for approx 200 years. Cork is an important product from Portugal and is used for corks, handicrafts ( I have seen cork shoes and handbags) and for floors. We drove through villages of little white-washed houses with brightly-coloured window and door surrounds.When we crossed back into Spain and Andalusia it became hillier , still the cork and olive trees, but with more farming - quite barren with stone walls, horses, sheep, goats and also the black Iberian pigs which eat acorns and this apparently gives their meat a special flavor.
Festivals here include bull fights, bull running in Pamplona and other centres and 'la tomatina' on August 31st, which is the throwing of tomatoes in Valencia.
We are staying in a very posh hotel in Seville called Macarena. There are lovely old buildings and the old city wall are right outside. Tonight we went to a tapas dinner and flamenco show. The flamenco dancing was amazing and we all yelled 'Ole' until we were hoarse!