A Glimpse of Cadiz!

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

                         

What a surprise!  This was our second visit to the port of Cadiz.  Last time we didn’t spend any time in the city because we had a full day tour to Seville.  We were docked before sunset on Monday evening and it was great fun to sit on the verandah and experience the sights and sounds of this bustling city.  Cadiz is the oldest city in Europe.  It was founded in 1100 BC by the Phoenicians.

                            

Our research into the best way to experience Cadiz showed us that there were four walking tours that took you to all parts of the city.  The maps were color coded and the sidewalks had a painted stripe to follow.  We started out on the one that followed the San Carlos Walls around the exterior of Cadiz and found it very interesting.  City life is quiet and unassuming.  We walked by fishermen, dog walkers, lovers and groups of young and old men just gathered for the day.  Spring is in full bloom and the gardens were neatly manicured and smelled terrific. Mosaics dotted every aspect of statues, monuments, buildings and signage.  The walk wound through the Alameda Apocada, filled with tiled fountains and lush foliage.  Intermixed with the Bastions and Forts was Genoves Park.  The park is noted for its trees and is one of the city’s most beautiful botanical settings.

  

  

The old city of Cadiz is surrounded on three sides by water.  When we reached the Playa de la Caleta we were overwhelmed with the colorful views of water, beach and boats.  The tide was out and fishermen were walking to their boats, children were beachcombing, locals were sunbathing, and tourists were strolling on the paseo to visit San Sebastian Castle.  The former La Palma Spa is in the center of the beach, looking out to sea.  This building in an eclectic style was built in the early 1900’s and is currently the Andalusian Underwater Archaeological Center.  It was not open to tourists and we were very disappointed. 

  

 

Markets are an important part of Cadiz’s city life.  There were many little ones tucked away in amongst living quarters.  There were transient ones set up on street corners and there were many housed under the roof of the old Central Market.  People were animated as they perused the stalls and chatted at every opportunity.  We were constantly being enticed to buy the wonderful local treats but ended up in a tiny café (no tourists) to enjoy a drink and fresh crepes…the proprietor left the café to go across to the market to purchase a fresh banana for our crepe – how great is that!

  

  

As always, we were drawn to the churches.  So many of them are now closed that we could only read about and imagine what the interior must be like.  We did get into the Cathedral Nueva… construction started in 1722.  The Cathedral was built on top of a Moorish mosque.  It is a Gothic building that has both Baroque and Neoclassic elements.  The dome of the church is covered with glazed tiles and its gilt surface reflects the sun with intensity.  The church has a crypt that we were able to visit.  When you made any sound, the echo created a mind-boggling effect.  There is no way to describe this massive structure.  It is a shame that it is in a state of disrepair and it is fortunate that work has begun to restore this majestic Cathedral.  Some of the Roman and Moorish ruins have been discovered during this restoration project and there is talk of a museum being built on the site.  We visited other churches and were enthralled with the religious mosaics built into every type of building in every kind of setting. 

  

 

        

We strolled on the plazas, exhausted our batteries (both the camera and ours) and headed back for the ship.  We planned to recharge the batteries and head back out in hopes of dinner in Cadiz.

  

        

                                      

Needless to say – it didn’t happen and we enjoyed a wonderful Spanish Paella and Chorizo BBQ on the lido deck.  We were marinated and serenaded into the night. 

We had read that Cadiz has great architecture, great beaches and great streets…we couldn’t agree more!