Published without spell check...running out of Internet time.....
Since we left Malaga on the Mediterranean Sea last night, we have passed through the Strait of Gibraltar ar midnight, and travelled into the Atlantic towards Cadiz.
Sunday, post tourist season, museums closed, shops closed and rain when we docked in Cadiz. Another unchoreographed day....
The city is one of the oldest - if not the oldest - continuously inhabited city in the Western world. 12th century BC saw merchants from Tyre call the port 'Gadir' (enclosure), Carthaginians and later Romans expanded it into a major naval outpost. Columbus started his second journey to the New World from Cadiz.
Its various cathedrals house original works by Goya, Murillo, El Greco and Zurbaran. One of Murillo's frescos depicting the Marriage of St Catherine (Santa Catalina Cathedral) remains unfinished. Murillo fell from a scaffold and died before the work was completed.
Inside the impressive fortifications of the old city one may find dozens of historically significant buildings from various eras, and one of the most impressive is the Castillo de Santa catalina, which was built under the rule of Philip II in 1598. Britain's hero and Spain's bane, Sie Francis Drake, one one of the many pirates pillaged the harbour in 1587, too early for him to be deterred by Castillo walls.
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| Railwaystation in Jerez |
A short walk from the Port, at the far end of the harbour basin, is Cadiz railway station. I headed there, to check out trains to Jerez de la Frontera, a 50 minute trainride away from Cadiz.
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| Kegs of Tio Pepe's Sherry Factory |
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| Andlausian Riding School - closed |
Jerez is the Sherry (Jerez) production centre of Spain as well as the seat of the famed Escuela Andaluza de Equestre, the Andalusian Riding School.
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| Have to wait until next time to see the wonderful horses again in action |
A few other select breeding establishments in the area concentrate on preserving the magnificent Andalusian horses of Carthusian lineage, well known for their beauty, high energy, elegant movements and proud carriage, balance and noble and docile character. For the horse enthusiasts, here is a link to one of the 'Yeguadas' (breeding ranches) in Jerez which is proud of five centuries dedicated to the Carthusian horse.
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| Well, at least there are a few statues to remember the proud animals and their riders |
www.yeguadacartuja.com
Commuter trains in Cadiz could be the envy of the most 'advanced' North American counties, they are flawlessly clean (not a grafiti or shred of garbage in sight), fast, frequent, utterly modern and cheap to ride. About 7 Euros got me a return ticket.
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| Electronic signs in efficient commuter trains |
The ride circumnavigates the entire bay of Cadiz, then passes through endless wetlands where storks built their nests on telegraph poles beside the rail tracks, and scores of water fowl have their home. Eventually one arrives at the Jerez rail station, which seems to be a mix of modern technology, Eiffel inspired roofs, and azulejos walls (coloured tiles) to compete with any cathedral.
Sunday...all is closed here as well, even the tourist office which normally is a ood source for city maps. An inquiry at a convenience store was fruitless, but a news stand man directed me to a hotel, whose vestibule had no sign of life anywhere, but a convenient stand with various maps. I was in business.
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| Typical Sunday morning street scene in Jerez |
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| Baroque columns at one of the local cathedrals, note elaborate design |
Headed through a downtown city scape reminiscent of earlier ages, with bodegas, moorish buildings, Baroque palaces and inviting tree shaded plazas, towards the Riding School. Closed, not a horse prancing around anywhere. However, the little town is so attractive and offers itself to easy discovery that a slow rain spattered walk proved to be just as satisfying as admiring glorious equines in action.
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| Sunday morning at church |
Churches and cathedrals still rang with hymns of the faithful attending mass, but the city slowly emerged into a Sunday morning 'day-of-rest' ambiance. Tio Pepe's, the main Sherry estate and main tourist attraction, was closed as well, but the little outlets around town startd to fill with post mass patrons. a Sunday flea market set up around the outside walls of the Alcazar, a 12th century Moorish structure complete with 'Turkish Baths'. There were more African people selling Chinese trinkets, than there were locals selling local crafts - but it was visited by Jerezians en masse anyway.
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| Sunday morning gossip locale |
Nearby there was a small chapel, no bigger than a house entrance doorway, held a flamboyantly dressed small statue of a Virgin and Child, surrounded fresh flowers and dozens of prostheses, back braces, photos of The Cured. One still believes in miracles here...
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| Chapel with statue of Virgin and prostheses |
Back in Cadiz, there was still sufficient time for a short stroll through picturesque and quiet streets to cast a last glance at the venerable city before reboarding Prinsendam.
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| Main Square in Cadiz - a little drizzly |
