Main Cathedral in Cadiz
Arrived Cadiz on the train around noon and took a cab to Joaquin’s which is really more of a small hotel rather than a residence B and B. Joaquin was great and even carried my suitcase up the stairs to my room. he gave me the requisite tour but this place was a maze of rooms and terraces. Mine was spare but clean and had a terrace where I could smoke. Went out to explore and find lunch which turned out to be a plate of prawns and a salad – all good. It was too much work to peal the prawns so i just took the heads and legs off and ate the shell and all.
A very nice lunch.
Took a VERY long lunch and since they never ask you to leave just sat and read and drank coffee. Finally got up and walked the narrow streets some more and of course got lost. Anyone betting on my sense of direction would find me 100% wrong every time. No matter which direction I choose its certainly wrong even when I try to second guess my wrong guesses I’m still wrong. i did make it back but its no wonder that Im averaging around 17,000 steps a day. A third of them are in the wrong direction. I arrived up at the living room outside of my room to find a lovely Chinese woman named Candy charging her devices with the extra plugs in the room. Her husband Martin joined and we ended up talking for a could of hours.
Me, Candy and Martin.
Candy was cooking dinner and i was invited but having just eaten I sat with them on their terrace while they ate and continued the conversation. As usual the Europeans were very interested in Trump. I countered with great interest in their election coming up this week.
Not much in Cadiz but the beach and old town but that was enough to make my few days there quite pleasant. Not being a beach guy I didn’t layout but rather walked to the Long Beach all the way to the end and turned around and walked back to the room. This way I could enjoy the girls on the beach without having to sit on the ground and get sand in my clothes. Ive never been able to see the attraction of laying on the beach for hours. As I told a couple who invited me to go along with them. Too much sand, too much water, too hot! I am much happier in a cafe overlooking the water with a good internet connection and coffee and a/or a beer. So that was pretty much Cadiz. I did go into the main church which is another monumental edifice paid for with the gold taken from the new world. the rest of the time I just wandered and socialized with the other travelers in the B and B. One night on the suggestion of Joaquin we went to a flamenco performance at a bar – no charge – and they didn’t even pass the hat. Local guys and the dance was an eighty year old man who had been doing this since he was ten. It turned out that his mother live in the flat of the ground floor of where I was staying. They performance included singing by A huge guy and two others how harmonized beautifully. Great music and all fort he price of a beer – good beer at that!
More wandering the city which has great promenades along the water and a fabulous market. Again here the fish is unbelievable you could get this variety for any amount of money back home and the prices were about half what I pay at Whole Foods.
Try finding this at Whole Foods!
The old part of Cadiz is vey narrow streets but mercifully mostly on a grid with water on three sides. I still managed to get confused and always walked the wrong direction when consulting google. I’m always struck by how clean everything is. I only wish the streets and bathrooms at home were this nice.
Narrow streets.
There always is a nice place to sit and have a meal or just a beer or coffee and I took advantage of this the entire stay. I enjoyed the B and B and met too couples Candy and Martin from London and Diego and Barbara from Chile, traveling for one year. Both were very good company and I invited Diego and Barbara to dinner if they would help me find grilled fish and a outside table. Much wandering finally produced both and we all ordered the same thing with Diego bantering with the waiters to get us what we wanted and a good table.
Barbara with a great dinner.
The fish was excellent and I had another one the next day for lunch. I’m starting to get tired of the food because while their is a huge quantity and variety of vegetables in the markets you never see it in the restaurants. All they all have is ice burg lettuce and tomato salad. And, while the tomatoes are great tasting I am dying for something green. Even Diego couldn’t find any wherever he went.. Im resigned to scurvy until I get home. They do make excellent french fries but I’m trying to stay away from the carbs. I do cheat a little once in a while.
Finally gave up on my plan to see Portugal. The travel is just too complicated and in the end would have added another 10 days to the trip. Got a train ticket to Bilbao and enjoyed the rest of my time on Cadiz.
Funk band
The last night in town was spent with Barbara and Diego. First a few hours having ice cream and coffee with Barbara while Diego played soccer with Joaquin and his friends. The we all met at a club and listened to a funk band and had beers until almost 2am.
Doug, Barbara, Diego, Joaquin, and his girlfriend.
A great way to end the time in a lovely city. Made new friend and hope to meet up with Candy and Martin when I get to London.
Plaza in Cadiz
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