As it happened, the driving was no problem at all. We did notice that on the freeways, even with a hefty 120kph speed limit, the spaniards feel the need to speed. The flashier the car, the faster they drive. I guess there is no point to a flashy, black 4 door Porsche unless you can leave everyone else eating your dust.
We drove the 40 km to Jerez de la Frontera, a renouned sherry making area and with a reputation for haughty Andalusian equestrian types. We approached the town through some marshland that gave way to a light industrial area. Finally we got into the town proper and it looked pretty much like a big Geelong. We didn't see a single vineyard and the only sherry producing enterprise we came across was closed. Rather than hanging about ere we decided to quickly drive on to our next planned stop, Cadiz.
Cadiz was much more interesting. It was a maritime city with links to Columbus and two of his voyages. Even before we entered the city proper it's maritime character was evident in the absolutely gigantic ship building cranes we passed. Johnny remembered learning that on the way to take on the Spanish. Armada, Sir Francis Drake entered Cadiz and humiliated the governor but singing off his moustaches.
Like so many other Spanish cities, Cadiz had vast multi-storey underground car parks that kept the town free flowing and pretty. We emerged from the car park close to the Cadiz cathedral. There seemed to be some sort of scout meeting outside the cathedral in the square and the kids had a fierce game of brandy going that had them shrieking and running all across the plaza.
Cadiz was so warm that we quickly took off our coats and wished we had worn t shirts. Cadiz had the same sorts of maze of city streets we had found in so many other places, but as the whole city was built on a spit of land between the bay and the open sea, at the end of each street there was a sea view.
Rather than walking all the lanes, we decided to do a long walk around the promontory so we could take in the sea. It was lunch time and so we thought we would also look for a place to eat. We found a very accommodating guy on the seafront and had a great lunch of calamari and salad. He felt that we should also try his tortillas so the threw in a great wedge go potato omelette at no charge. Next to out table there was a very earnest literary discussion going on between a group of elderly men. Over a beer or a wine they read aloud and had passionate discussions on the works before them. What a civilised way to spend a Saturday afternoon in retirement.
Because it was an important port, various monarchs had added fortifications to the seafront. The Baluarte Candelaria was a star shaped fort that guarded the bay. The high stone walls were further protected by a wide moat that had been drained in recent times. The building today houses artists studios, a theatre and the massive vaults were hosting an art show during our visit.
We walked past a lot of prosperous merchants houses along the sea front. These guys obviously profited from the trade that Columbus opened up with the Americas. Perched on the front they were in a good position to watch their laden ship dock and rub their hands in glee at their growing profits. There was an elderly couple fishing from the sea wall, sculling beer and wearing wet suits. There must be a back story to that!
We walked through the 18th century Genoese Park. This was like a small botanic garden and it housed the largest Datura I have ever seen. Many of the bushes has been hedged into spirals and twists. The little fountains throughout helped to screen out the sound of the passing traffic and gave the impression that it was a bit of an oasis. A wiley seller had set up at the far end to catch the park visitors and and their kids.
Cadiz harbour was very wide and deep. As the clouds dispersed, the water turned a gorgeous light green. We slowed our pace as we approached the historic military fortress. This reminded us of Bastikaya in Dubai with its cluster of buildings it's date palms and it's curious silence. There was a display of the amphora jugs that ancient traders used to store grains, oils, spices and other trade goods from one end of the Mediterranean to the other. There were even some that had been brought from Cyprus. In another section of the fortress there was a display of paintings by a contemporary of Marcel Duchamp. I'm amazed at how many free cultural exhibitions we have been able to find and walk into without charge.
We stopped for a coffee at a cafe on the beachfront in dazzling sunshine. The white towers of the Palma Spa gleamed in the sunshine. The scene reminded me of the St Kilda sea baths, but this was much larger. The beach front and in fact hosts a lot of tourists from the cruise ships that pull into the harbour so it is well set up with all the things tourists want, good food, good coffee, clean toilets and lots of bilingual and trilingual signs on all the places tourists want to visit.
There was a lot more to see in Cadiz but we had to leave after three hours as we had to drive on to Conil de la Frontera, where we were staying. When we arrived in Conil, it was the dreaded siesta time. Shutters were drawn down, and few people could be seen about. To be honest it looked sad . We had a walk about to get our bearings but there were so few people about that we thought it best to deal with business. There was a bit of life along the other harbour where a lot of camper vans had pulled in and spilled out tourists looking for a place to relax and get a bite. We found a supermarket and bought fruit and breakfast supplies for the next three days. John had found bargain accommodation on the internet. We had a two storey villa outside town for 40E per night. It was a bit complicated getting the key but it all worked out and we followed the owner through a maze of country roads and roundabouts to the house.
Once we took our things inside we used the I pad and google maps to get back to the town for a walk and to find somewhere for dinner. The streets were really tangled and for a while we seemed to be driving around in circles. We found a few likely places and went back to the house to unpack and put on a load of washing.
By the time we worked out the wi if, checked emails and hung out the washing, it was time to return to the town for dinner. We were really pleased that the restaurants had re opened and that the locals had emerged to give the streets some life. We picked a busy looking pub cum restaurant, but when we got inside we realised it was full because everyone had turned up to watch the big match. There must have been forty or so people inside and others outside but no one was talking. We weren't sure about our choice but it was quite late and neither of us wanted to wander around in the hope of finding somewhere else. When the food arrived, it was really good and so was the wine. Johnny had the pork with salad and chips and I had the beef with pears. We used the I pad to find out what they were all watching. It was Barcelona FCC and Madrid Athletica. We got into the match as well, gasping at the near misses and scoffing at the theatrical rolling about in pain as soon as players were touched.
At half time the whole place sprang into life. The locals talked, joked, smoked, and ordered more drinks. Girls came inside and tried to distract their boyfriends. When the second half started the quiet descended again. We ordered coffee and watched a bit more of the match but we were both tired and sleepy so decided on a short walk before the drive home. Quite a few of the pubs and restaurants were open and doing good trade. The atmosphere of the city had changed completely. So many places we passed had the big game playing in the background. There must be a rule that you can't live in Conil unless you follow the footy.
