Every year, over the course of about four days, the city of Jerez (just 20 minutes from Arcos) goes mad for motorbikes. Actually, the province of Cádiz goes mad for motorbikes, not just Jerez.
This weekend an estimated 140,000 bike fans descended on the province, making their pilgrimage from far and wide to come and see a race. I only saw bikers from Western Europe, but for all I know they came from further afield - such is the passion for the Jerez Grand Prix, or ‘MotoGP’ as it’s called. It may have been the first race of the season, but year after year, wherever the race falls in the calendar, there’s the same massive influx of people to this part of Southern Spain. Arcos, like Jerez, has been buzzing with bike fever.
Sunday was the big day. And the race itself saw a surprise early on. Valentino Rossi, an Italian who has won the Championship for the last five years, fell off his bike. The Spaniards in the crowd loved that. Though Rossi did actually finish the race, he came a miserable fourteenth. Up-and-coming Spanish rider Dani Pedrosa came second in his debut at this level, but the race was won by Italy’s Loris Capirossi - so the Italians in the crowd had something to cheer about after all.
Our guests here in Casa Campana came back from the race red faced. Not because they were ashamed that Britain’s James Ellison finished 16th. No, Summer’s arrived, and the hot sun caught them out!