We are sailing due West along the south coast of Spain having spent a very sunny day exploring Cadiz. Occupying a tiny peninsula on the south coast, Cádiz is a set in a beautiful corner of Spain and is well worth a visit. It was founded in 1100 BC, and is the oldest inhabited city in Europe. It has developed through Phoenician, Roman, Cartheginian and Muslim influences, and as the skyline shows is now an architectural mix of very old and very new.
The old town is in the tip of the peninsula and is buzzing with beautiful plazas that are constantly full of life. To get there, you must first pass through the new town, an elegant metropolis with excellent beaches.
Not wishing or needing to book a trip, we left the ship at about 10.00 am ready to catch the local ‘Hop on, Hop off’ tourist bus.
Unfortunately the Costa Mediterranea was berthed alongside us, so the queue for this bus snaked a very long way along the promenade, and we realised we were in for a very long wait.
But luck came to our aid. Firstly a gentleman who didn’t want to wait gave us his ticket for 2 adults (worth 30 euros) and then disappeared before we could say thank you. If you know him, please thank him on our behalf. Secondly, we realised if we walked back one stop we could avoid the cruise crowds and hop straight on to the bus.We secured a front row upstairs seat and enjoyed the commentary as the bus, unable to navigate the narrow cobbles of the old town, circumnavigated the peninsular. At this point in the blog, I would love to give a detailed historical overview of the main sites, but it was incredibly hot and time was limited. So, in common with many cruise destinations we have visited we simply sampled the highlights with a view to ‘returning one day’.
We loved the views across the bay, and imagined Sir Francis Drake sailing in to secure the trade routes in the 1500s. Known as El Drak in Cadiz, he is not a favoured figure so we kept a close eye on our little duck’s safety.
We also enjoyed the beautifully sculpted seaside gardens full of fountains and Mediterranean blossom.
Last night was the first formal Captain’s dinner. Oh no....I thought my dress was unique!
Not wishing or needing to book a trip, we left the ship at about 10.00 am ready to catch the local ‘Hop on, Hop off’ tourist bus.
Unfortunately the Costa Mediterranea was berthed alongside us, so the queue for this bus snaked a very long way along the promenade, and we realised we were in for a very long wait.
But luck came to our aid. Firstly a gentleman who didn’t want to wait gave us his ticket for 2 adults (worth 30 euros) and then disappeared before we could say thank you. If you know him, please thank him on our behalf. Secondly, we realised if we walked back one stop we could avoid the cruise crowds and hop straight on to the bus
We secured a front row upstairs seat and enjoyed the commentary as the bus, unable to navigate the narrow cobbles of the old town, circumnavigated the peninsular. At this point in the blog, I would love to give a detailed historical overview of the main sites, but it was incredibly hot and time was limited. So, in common with many cruise destinations we have visited we simply sampled the highlights with a view to ‘returning one day’.
We loved the views across the bay, and imagined Sir Francis Drake sailing in to secure the trade routes in the 1500s. Known as El Drak in Cadiz, he is not a favoured figure so we kept a close eye on our little duck’s safety.
We also enjoyed the beautifully sculpted seaside gardens full of fountains and Mediterranean blossom.
Last night was the first formal Captain’s dinner. Oh no....I thought my dress was unique!
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