We could have easily slept in longer today but the alarm is sounding and we want to beat the heat. It is certainly much hotter here than in the mountains! We are off to Cadiz for the day. Our host has a route via the train and boat.
We set off at 7.30amits still dark! Again I am cursing booking old town Absolutely zero chance of hailing a taxi here and even less chance of one arriving if I try to telephone and give verbal instructions!
We have arrived at the train station via the twisting narrow streets without too many wring turns. Now to negotiate the ticket buying procedure. I go to the ticket office but its a ridiculously slow process. The woman at the front has been at the only counter open for over fifteen minutes! Meanwhile Ian is back to tell me he has sussed out the self service machine. But shall we go straight to Cadiz on a direct train and cut out the catamaran? Yes! Sounds much easier!
Ian gets the tickets and we are on the platform five minutes ahead of schedule. Our train has arrived on the dot. Its
Its 9.20am and we have arrived in Cadiz. Ian has a circular route planned. We have decided to do the outer circle first around the sea walls, before the sun gets too fiercethen more to the inner, potentially cooler, interior later.
We start off at the 17th Century fortifications and town gate, then head off towards the sea. Here we start our walk proper, passing the cathedral and old Roman theatre on our way. There are two star first that Ian would like a closer look at. Neither is open but we can get up pretty close. The first involves a walk along a causeway. By the time we have done that weve walked a fair distance!
Now we have reached a shady, and rather interesting, botanical garden. Boards inform us if all the different plants here, and theres a lot of ornamental topiary with bubbling fountains interspersed.
Weve reached the last fort and my feet are about to drop off. We have a place earmarked for sherry and tapas in the centre. Time
We have earmarked the sherry place (its down a narrow back street) and its closed. It was supposed to open at 11.30am. We find a bench and wait a while. We will give them 15 minutes before giving up.
Its midday and the sherry house has opened. We are the only ones there! The guy gives us a bit of a run down on the sherries telling us that its a family business that has been handed down the generations. I order sweet which Ian goes for a medium dryand wed like some tapas. The sherry does not disappoint although the tapas turns out to be an overpriced bag of potato crisps. We decide this isnt the right place for lunch!
We make our way back to the cathedral for a final wander before making our way to the catamaran. Ian wonders if we should just take the train but a boat trip sounds like it might be fun?
It takes us a while to locate the entrance but finally we are there. I buy two tickets and we wait with two others to take the boat back to Puerto St Maria. To be
honest its nothing special although we do get some nice views of the suspension bridge connecting Cadiz with the mainland. And now we have to walk in the full sun to the railway station. Its supposed to be an easy 1km walk - well nit in this heat and actually Im sure its at least twice that distance. Ian was right, should have taken the train all the way!
Anyway, were finally at the station, exhausted and footsore, so now its just one stop, ten minutes, and we are back in Jerez. Here the bun fight to exit the station is exhausting. There are automated barriers which people must use to get on to the platform and we are using the same ones to exitalong with every other man, woman and electric scooter or bike.
Out of the station its a mere 30 minute walk back to our flat. There are taxis but the traffic is gridlockI suppose wed better walk it!
meatballs whilst I have gone for the local ham with ‘broken eggs on a bed of potatoes. Ian reports that his is somewhat bland.
