Anyone who has been in a park in southern Spain or in a bullring will have seen a yellowish ochre sand on the ground, called “albero”. This is something that can also been seen in wineries where sherry is aged. It comes from a detritic limestone that is quarried in an area close to Seville. The rock is pulversied toturn it into a sand.
The “albero” floors seen in sherry-producing wineries are watered once a week throughout the year. The “albero” absorbs the water which slowly evaporates helping to cool the air and increase the humidity. In summer when it can get hotter and drier the ground is watered more frequently. The “albero” can become worn and uneven over time and so more has to be added and flattened out. In the first photo below mounds of “albero” are waiting to be worked on.
In the seocnd photo, a man can be seen using a special tool for flattening out the newly added “albero”.