Things finally did look up, but not until they had deteriorated a lot further. I went off to the train station, having given up on finding my friend Stirling. At the station I was told that every night train south was full. So I had to get into a cab and rush out to the airport again to try and get on the last flight to Seville. This turned out to be horribly expensive, but I managed to get on it with a few minutes to spare, and finally arrived in Seville last night At the gate a driver was waiting with a sign with a horse on it. This cheered me up, because I have always wanted to be met at an airport by somebody carrying a sign.
I was driven to a small Andalusian town of carmona, where the other members of the group were still having dinner. A jolly crowd of mainly American women, but also including a young Russian girl who had flown here all the way from her home in vladivostok. She too had lost her luggage. She got hers back this morning, and mine has been located and will arrive tomorrow morning.
We have all been for a lovely ride this morning through olive groves and poppy fields, and now we have just finished our first lesson in the manege.
And here I am, with an Andalucian thoroughbred stallion, the horses for which this area is famous. Tomorrow we are going on an outing to the Royal Andalucian Riding School so things have clearly looked up...