Today’s weather was definitely an improvement over the blustery wind and rain of yesterday. But it was still very questionable for any significant outings with all of the Adventurers.
The kids wanted to spend another day at home playing games and legos so Dad agreed to keep them company (and out of trouble) . He made real pancakes for breakfast which made everyone happy.
Since Tracy is winding down her time in Spain, she and Tiffany did a quick trip into the city of Cádiz to see the oldest city in Spain. It’s less than an hour drive around the bay from Rota and it was sunny and not too windy when they arrived.
The city has defined several walks around the historic district depending on your interest and they’ll give you a free map with them highlighted in different colors. We chose the green ‘Medieval District and Puerto de Tierra’ route. As we walked we realized that the routes were marked on the sidewalk as well. Thanks Cádiz!
We began by entering a beautiful plaza, passing through some arches that once marked the boundary of the old city and then we followed the green trail to the Cathedral.
The Cádiz Cathedral was once known as ‘The Cathedral of The Americas’ because it was funded by money from the trade between Spain and the Americas in the 18th and 19th centuries. We didn’t get a chance to go inside. The architecture outside seemed a bit unadorned compared to the elaborate gothic Cathedrals in Seville and Toledo but it was beautiful in its simplicity, enhanced by the two large bell towers. We saw artists sketching it from all angles.
After we admired the Cathedral we got back on our route and headed over to the sea wall.
We stopped for some refreshments along the trail and watched the neighborhood for awhile. The local drink of choice for these Adventurers is the Tinto de Verano or ‘Summer wine’. It’s a bit like sangria but much easier to make – 1/2 red wine and 1/2 either lemon or orange soda served over ice with a garnish of fruit. We’ve had it in several places and it’s refreshing, tasty and typically the same price as a Coke.
We also ducked inside for about 10 minutes to wait out the only rain of the day.
Our next stop was the ruins of a Roman Theatre, built around 50BC and discovered in the 1980’s. It’s the oldest stone theatre in Spain, prior to this they were built of wood and taken down after the show. The exhibits in the small museum were interesting and there was a enough left of the ruins to give a sense of the scale – seating 10,000.
Our route ended at the entrance gates to the old city known as the Puerta de Tierra or ‘Earth Gate’. Carved in marble in the 18th Century it was more a religious artifact than a fortification. In the first half of the 20th century it was adapted to allow for automobile traffic by adding two large arches which still stand today.
The day ended with all 6 Adventurers back in Rota enjoying some takeout.
5 Adventures Together 