Wandering round Cádiz

Near the Cathedral, walking by the Atlantic.

Do you want to come for a walk with me in Cádiz?  Let’s see.  We’ll want to see the Cathedral and its museum; the former Cathedral; the Roman Theatre; the Mercado Central; the Castillo de Santa Catalina; the monument to Cortes of Cádiz, promulgators of the Spanish constitution in 1812; the city walls …..

That sounds too much?  You’re right.  Let’s just go for a stroll instead, and see what turns up.

We’ll start out from our hotel. It was a convent once, and while it’s still a spacious and gracious place, we didn’t have to get up in the small hours to pray.

By day …
…and by night.

We’re surrounded by a warren of old streets just like this.

And just down the street is this greengrocer, with its inviting wall display that changes every day.

Breakfast first though.  Let’s find a bar.  We’re having a large glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, pan con tomate (grilled bread with grated raw tomato and a drizzle of olive oil), and a good strong coffee.

This is from an earlier holiday. But it’s still our standard breakfast.

We needed to post a letter on our first day.  It took us ages to find somewhere.  And  it’s here, in the wall of the Central Post Office.  That was once a convent too.

The Central Post Office
And a letter box.

And look!  These narrow streets need protection from ill-driven carriages crashing into them,  Corners of buildings are kept intact by covering them with metal plates, or even using redundant canons from the Napoleonic wars.

Street-corner-protector
Look hard to find the canon upended and protecting this archway.

We haven’t been to the market yet.  It’s in the hub of the city, and all about the fish: stall after stall of it.  It’s hard to believe there’s anything left in the sea.  Fruit and veg., meat and cheese and all the rest come a poor second here.

We said no sightseeing.  But we have to pop into the cathedral – mind that crane!

The Cathedral interior.

And climb the tower for views over the city.

The industrial face of Cadiz, and a distant view of Puente de la Constitucion, 1812

You’re never more then a minute or two from the sea here.  Views? Of course there are.  But there are also community-driven cats’ homes, randomly furnished with boxes and cast-off carpets, and lots and lots of cats.

And while we’re walking along the seafront – look at this.  It’s a ficus macrophylla – a giant kind of fig tree, allegedly brought back from India as seedlings round about 900 by two nuns.  It’s too big to photograph really.

This ficus was easier to photograph at night.

And here’s La Casa de las Cinco Torres (five houses, despite the name), built facing the sea in the 18th century, to make a fine impression on incoming visitors.

La Casa de las Cinco Torres.

Time for a drink now?  You’re in sherry country (Jerez is just down the road), so let’s go where the locals go, and ask for some advice about what to choose.  Here’s Taberna Manzanilla. Malcolm was offered a 7 year old number, but mine was 14 years old, and accompanied by a local sheep-and-goat cheese. What will you choose?

We could just as well choose La Manteca.  Either way, decorating the interior with bull-fighting posters seems obligatory.

Tired now?  Well, mooch round a bit then – here are some entirely random images.

The seafront
a canon that defended the city.
A fine window that’s seen better days.
A fine detail on this house.
This hairdresser’s took my eye …
… together with the notice outside.
Another street scene.
Sunset

 

Then we’ll finish off the day in the fisherman’s quarter, La Viña , at la Tabernita, a family concern only open at the back end of the week, and weekends, share a few tapas, and wander back to the hotel.

A reflected image of La Tabernita
La Viña by night

An entry for Jo’s Monday Walk:  Jo – I don’t think this walk will get past Quality Control, as it’s a composite.  But I just couldn’t pick one!

Author: margaret21

I'm retired and living in North Yorkshire, where I walk as often as I can, write, volunteer, and travel as often as I can.

41 thoughts on “Wandering round Cádiz”

  1. You made it! 🙂 🙂 Thank you so much, Margaret! I will be high tailing it there some time this year, that’s for sure. I have to dash now but I will come back and linger on those ‘padded corners’.

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    1. It’s lovely, and quite compact. You can do the entire circuit in about three quarters of an hour. Only you don’t, of course, because meandering is the pleasure.

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  5. What a great tour with little walking and enough stops to get ‘restored’ in it. I would have taken a not sweet sherry with a cut of strong cheese, not Manteca (or what goes under that name in our countries). These pics could have been taken in Portugal too where we found more or less similar ‘offerings’. Our breakfasts consisted of freshly pressed oranges, a sweet bread substitute (ha ha) and at least one but often 2 small coffees. Taken at the bar, it was less expensive and you could follow the incredibly quick handiwork of the barista and employees. We also always had ‘talks’ with those guys (never women) and learned a lot about the place. Or those tiny restaurants which often didn’t have a name even, but just a few tables and chairs, a large wood burning BBQ at the entry and a humble but fresh display of fresh fish from the catch of the day. How come there are any fish left in the water, is a question I often often ask…. We are (apart from the brisk walking) more similar then one would think!

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  6. An inviting visual feast you’ve even made the industrial area of Cádiz look mysteriously attractive. As usual I’m impressed with the selection and display of fish for sale as part of the everyday shopping trip for a local. Did we ever manage the like here in England?

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  12. I love love love your photos and they make me want to re-visit Cadiz a lot! How Moorish so much of it looks. And what character in the changing greengrocer’s daily display and the hairdresser’s enticing come on. A city where individualism is alive and well it would seem.

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    1. I hope so. You’re right. It has a lot of Moorish touches, such as the original cathedral, now demoted, that was once a mosque. That deserved a photo in my post, but …..

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  15. Oh I had no idea about Cadiz but I now want to go there. I love those alleyways and the inventive way they protect the old buildings! Fantastic use of old canons.
    Sherry, seafood, alleyways- I’d love it all, exceot for the cats, perhaps. Hey those nuns must have sourced a seed from a tree originally taken from Australia. Ficus macrophylla is a Moreton Bay Fig named by Captain Cook, I believe! I thought I recognised it from the picture. I live in Moreton Bay!!

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  16. Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Sáo Bartholomeu de Messines | restlessjo

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