Chasing Summer –

Last night for dinner, the dining hall (completely coincidental) served turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing, so I got an early Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. It was delicious.

The seas were also calmer last night, or we didn’t have to go as fast, but the rocking was much less – Yah for the light sleepers.

This morning, bright and early, we arrived at Cadiz, Spain, which meant our clocks needed to move forward one hour. I had forgotten that when you are in an interior cabin, it is dark and as cold as the air conditioning made it, so I had no idea how to dress for my day.

I assumed the best and threw on shorts and a tank top. I was mildly surprised that when I went for breakfast, it was still dark outside and rainy. It was pretty, though, as we had pulled up to the port next to the much larger P+O cruise ship, and all the lights were on. Cruise boats are really mini cities.

Brian Davis was aboard the other, larger ship, and shared some pictures of Villa Vie with us on Facebook.

After breakfast, I went out walking Cadiz, which is conveniently dense for walking. Sadly though, I forgot that many things in Spain do not open before 10 or 11 and it was only 9:30 so a few things planned didn’t happen.

I stopped first at Oratorio de la Santa Cueva, which didn’t open until 10:30, so I decided I would return if needed. Didn’t happen though because I was tired.

I then walked to Palacio de Mora. It was not truly a palace but a rich home dating from the mid-19th century.

From there, I stayed wandering the narrow streets of the old medieval center to the Torre Tavira. Cadiz has over 126 towers built in the 18th century. This one was constructed in 1780 and is the tallest point in the old city. Inside the tower is a camera Obscura. Images can be viewed for about 20 minutes. It costs 8 euros to go in, but I chose not to.

From the Tower, I headed toward the central market. An old farmer’s market still houses 170 stalls selling produce and other foods daily. Outside, some souvenir stands have been set up.

Close by is the Cadiz Cathedral (1721) and Square. The square also houses the old Church of Santa Cruz (1563), the old Cathedral Santiago(1669), and the Rose Arch, an access gate to Town Castle.

The Cathedral costs 8 euros to enter and includes the crypt.

Through the Rose Arch, I came to the old Roman theatre. It is free to enter if you just tell the attendant what country you come from.

From the ruins, I made my way to Saint John of God Square. Here is the main square and Cadiz city hall is here. It was raining quite heavily, so I stopped for an umbrella and a drink. When I left the cafe, I noticed that the ship was only a few minutes away, so I decided to stop back in for a quick lunch before heading out again.

Luckily for me, the rain stopped at lunch, and I could go back out in the sunshine.

In the afternoon, the sun was shining, and the humidity was out. I hit up two parks, Parque Genoves and Almeda Apodaca Promenade. While Parque Genoves is a must-see park, I was not impressed. It had dirt walkways with oddly shaped trees. There was a fake waterfall area that housed some water fowl, though.

The Almeda Apodaca Promenade was beautiful with clever statues, fountains, and the biggest trees.

From the beach area, I could see the Castillo de San Sebastian and decided that it didn’t warrant a closer look, but I did snap a distance picture of it.

On the way back to the boat, I also visited the Gran Teatro Falla and Plaza de San Antonio. The plaza was mostly a large empty square but on one side sat the Church of Sant’Antonio. It was built in the 18th century and renovated in 1857.

My last stop was at the Earth Gate (Puerta de Tierra) and Barrio Santa Maria. These are the original entrances to the old town and neighborhood in the 2nd district. They date back to the 15th century when the medieval town became too large.

Entrance to Santa Maria Barrio

That evening at dinner, we left port to head up the river to dock at Seville for two days. The evening entertainment was a showing of the new Beetlejuice movie. Loved its tacky grossness.