Friday, 21 April 2023

Seville to Cadiz

 Seville to Cadiz


Another day, another train!  A very chilled train journey today and in just under 2 hours we were in the southern Spanish coastal city of Cadiz.  Cadiz is situated on a narrow peninsula surrounded by sea on all sides with the old town situated at the tip of the peninsula.  


The old town is characterised by narrow winding streets which even after 4 days we were still struggling to negotiate but that is all part of the experience and meant that every time we went out we discovered something new.


Our friends Cris and Jane were joining us for our stay in Cadiz having spent the weekend in Madrid and we had booked an Airbnb apartment in the old town.  Our apartment was still being cleaned when we arrived so having met up with Cris and Jane and left our bags in safe keeping at the apartment, we set off to explore.


Being a coastal city Cadiz can be a little windy but it is was a beautiful sunny day and the breeze was very welcome.  Cris and Jane have been to Cadiz a few times before so took us on a brief tour of the town ending up at one of their favourite tapas bars, Casa Manteca, for a reviving glass of beer and to sample some delicious tapas.  Cris was in charge of ordering as he speaks much more Spanish than the rest of us and enjoys the challenge.  Tasty morsels were soon arriving to soak up the beer including tortillas de camerones, a lacy pancake packed with tiny shrimp, which were absolutely delicious!   


Refreshed we made our way back to the apartment to unpack and have a very much anticipated cup of English tea which tasted amazing.  Thank you Jane!  The apartment is fab and as this is the first time we have had access to a washing machine since leaving home we took full advantage and are pleased to report that we can now continue our travels with a bag full of clean clothes.


Cadiz is stunning and very easy to explore on foot.  It has beautiful beaches and a bustling town that gets quite busy during the day particularly if there are any cruise ships in port but quietens down in the evenings as day visitors disappear.  A visit to the camera obscura gave us a unique perspective of the city and it was strange to see washing blowing and people walking around in the reflected image.


We did sample some lovely sherry here too but our new favourite aperitif is Spanish vermouth, served very cold over lots of ice with a slice of orange, the perfect way to end (or start) the day.


We spent a very happy and relaxed few days with Cris and Jane eating, drinking, walking, swimming, talking and laughing.  It was great to have their company and we will miss them now that they have returned to the UK.  Thank you and hasta luego guys and remember, keep your cow well tied!  xx


We have boarded our last Spanish train today for the 13 hour journey from Cadiz to Barcelona and then out of Spain tomorrow.  The train is affectionately known as the ‘fast train to nowhere but the slow train to everywhere’.  If you are interested in reading a little more about this particular journey it was featured in a Guardian travel piece last year and here is the link:  https://amp.theguardian.com/travel/2022/apr/05/rail-route-of-the-month-barcelona-to-cadiz-the-slow-train-right-across-spain 


We have loved exploring Spain and will definitely be back.  Now for more adventures…


Our train to Cadiz






View from the Camera Obscura Tower




Casa Manteca



Sherry tasting




Vermouth tasting







After the sherry tasting



Tortillas de Camerones



Cris and Jane leaving us

Cris and Jane’s train back to Madrid



Our 13 hour route




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