Cádiz
DO Walk along La Caleta Beach and stroll the Mercado Central
JULIO
It was a Halloween long weekend and we had hoped to go to Seville but it was so booked we decided to detour to the seaside port of Cadiz upon a friend's recommendation. We trained in and again not knowing the distance or having data on our phones we foolishly decided to walk to the hotel. It was a good five mile walk, rolling our bags over cobblestone streets all the way down a huge peninsula all the way to the end. Surprisingly it looked just like a Southern California beach town although it was easy to tell there was a storm brewing.
Our hotel was super fabulous as was the knockout who checked us in although she spoke so quickly I could barely make out the room number. She very graciously upgraded us to a superb ocean view room that we sank right in to. We were super tired after our walk and hungry so I went out on recon to get us some picnic dinner for the room. I got us fresh unpasteurized sheep's cheese, membrilllo (quince paste) and a myriad of Spanish treats and Cava (sparkling Spanish wine). It began to pour and our romantic Cadiz retreat began.
We explored the town the next day going to the local cafes and stumbling upon the central market that was astounding. More fish and ocean delicacies than I have ever seen. A feast for the eyes. We enjoyed sampling all the local fare such as fried shrimp cakes, Spanish tortilla, paella, and creamy salmorejo soup.
We ended up chatting with a couple from the UK who were commiserating about the wackiness of Brexit and the state of politics lately. They warned us how surprised they were that their country had elected a far right wing prime minister and that the same thing could happen in the U.S. with Trump. We laughed and thought that would never happen...
We continued to explore the old sea port or La Caleta and were charmed by the cathedral and relaxed vibe of Cadiz. Truly a worthy stop and even in the rain it was charming - I can only imagine how fabulous it would be in the sunshine.
