Cádiz

This is not our first time in Cádiz. In 2015, on our driving trip around Europe, we made a circuitous route from Seville to Granada via Jerez and Cádiz. Jerez was virtually shut down, as it was a Sunday, and our stop in Cádiz was just long enough to climb the 173 steps of the Torre Tavira. More on that at the end of this post.

Cádiz (yes, the accent is on the first syllable) is the oldest continuously occupied city in Western Europe, founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 B.C. The modern city name is not much changed from the Phoenician Gadir. The city was important to them and to the Romans who displaced them, particularly because of Atlantic Ocean fishing, including tuna. The city was of less significance during the Moorish era, that culture being less oriented to the sea. After the Reconquista, the city regained its importance.

Our excursion into the city was a walking tour of part of the old city. Our guide’s English was clear and excellent, which, of course, made me quite happy. She exclaimed that tourism is very much the dominate industry of the old city.

The first stop in our tour was to view the Monument to the Constitution, a memorial for Spain’s first, and short-lived, constitution of 1812. On one side is Hercules, by legend the founder of the city.

These are trees in several of the city parks. Our guide could not identify the flower? fruit? of the palm tree (lower right).

The city streets. Most of the area is automobile free.

The city hall and the province’s government building, or is it the other way around?

No respect by the pigeon for the political son of the city, Moret, aka the Joker?

No old European city would be complete without its ancient walls, here a mix here of Phoenician, Roman and medieval construction. Right: The Roman arena, capacity 10,000.

Left: Old city Cádiz was once an island, actually two. It is now a peninsula. Right: This is the roof of the “old” cathedral, now a museum that we did not visit.

Right: The “New Cathedral” (just three centuries old) outside and inside.

This cathedral is in the shape of a Latin cross, with three naves and an apse, but somewhat oddly configured to my mind. The choir is in the rear (narthex) instead of the center or apse. The central seating area is small compared to the side chapel areas. Overall, the cathedral comes across as massive, with large columns. The limestone construction is not as solid as would be desired, resulting in pieces of the ceiling occasionally falling to the floor. Nets protect those below. When we visited, a group in the choir was practicing for a mass to be held to honor those killed in the recent high-speed rail accident.

The primary tabernacle and a silver tabernacle. The latter is carried (now, by vehicle) during the Corpus Christi procession.

More street scenes

In the central market. Cádiz is still a fishing industry town. Right: I could not pass up a couple of plump, fresh oysters.

Classic beauty and beast.

A last look at the streets of old town Cádiz.

A few close-ups, including a parrot pretending to be a pigeon.

It was then back to the ship for the short cruise to Málaga. I finish this post with a picture I took in 2015 from the top of the Torre Taverna, looking down on the cathedral. At the top of the tower is located the Camera Obscura. We were not inclined to repeat the climb.