Cadiz – Adventures In The South of Spain

Exploring Rota: A Stroll Through Spain’s History

Like Puerto de Santa María, Rota is another charming village in the province of Cádiz. We visited Rota as a day excursion during our extended stay in Cádiz, Andalucía, Spain.

We planned to take the ferry to Rota, as we had to Puerto de Santa María, but when we showed up at the station, we were told it was a bus instead. One needs to be very flexible about these things. The bus ride was short and comfortable. The best part was meeting a Dutch couple who were biking through Europe for a year. Their luggage consisted of two saddlebags each. They removed their front tires and stowed their bikes under the bus. They started their journey last June, rode to the northernmost point of the Scandinavian countries, then to the southernmost part of Spain, and are now headed north again through Spain and Portugal. Talk about an adventure! They are at least our age.

Rota is pretty quiet this time of year. In the summer it is a vibrant beach town, but in the off-season, there are very few tourists. There is a naval base nearby, a joint USA/ Spain facility.

Rota has a similar history to other towns in the area. Pre-historic remains have been found there. It was a Phoenician settlement, later Roman, Viking, Muslim, and Christian. Bartolomé Perez, a local fellow, sailed with Columbus on his second voyage. Ferdinand and Isabella were reported to have stayed in the castle at Rota.

The historic center of Rota is immaculate with its whitewashed buildings, archways, and flowers. There is poetry on many of the walls, a custom we have seen in many Andalusian towns.

The beach is beautiful and near the beach is a large section of restaurants and bars, that I’m sure are much livelier on summer nights and when sailors are on leave.

We had lunch on the town plaza. The owners cooked just for us; they were so nice. The food was simple, good, and reasonable. We enjoyed our tranquil day strolling though Rota.

Below is the inner courtyard of the castle and the entrance:

I hope you have enjoyed this post on Rota. Spain is a country to be savored slowly!

Thank you for reading. Geri

Sunday Street Photography In Spain

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My friends from Photography class call it “Creepin”. My cousin MJ says it’s “Photojournalism” and the official term is “Street Photography.” The rules for Street Photography are fairly vague. Since privacy laws don’t apply to public spaces, street performers are fair game for photographers. Can I help it if someone walks, bikes, or skateboards into my photo? I often reques consent verbally or with a nod toward my camera, and other times I just sneak the photo. It’s the old dilemma of ask for permission now or beg for forgiveness later.

People do add something to the scenery. For me, one of the joys of travel is observing people at work and play. The Spanish work day is long, so people embrace their time off.

Sundays in Spain are especially good people watching days. The streets are quiet in the morning; it seems that everyone sleeps late, except for joggers and churchgoers. Stores, markets, and banks are closed, as are public buildings and some museums. By early afternoon, the paseo (stroll) begins! Spanish couples and families take to the plazas, parks, beaches, and cafés to enjoy the sunshine. Most are fashionably dressed, even the children; especially the children.

Leisure is an art form, and the Spanish have perfected it. They can linger for hours over a cup of coffee or a single glass of beer or wine. Bill has termed it “the Spanish sip”. Lift the glass, bring the liquid to your lips, but keep your lips gently closed. There is no stigma to day drinking, but public intoxication is rare. Although, I have occasionally been awakened by loud singing in the street after closing time. Conversation never seems to wane, but most of the time seems to be about pretty much nothing. (at least to my ear). Restaurants do a big Sunday business for the afternoon meal. It is best to have a reservation. By Sunday night, many places have closed their kitchen. Street life gets quiet as people head home to rest up for a new week.

Exploring Historic Castillo San Marcos In Puerto Santa María

El Puerto de Santa María is across The Bay of Cádiz from the city of Cádiz. We took the ferry over on a Sunday. It reminded us of our ferry trip from San Francisco to Sausalito when we visited Christine. We enjoyed the 30 minute ride to Santa María, admiring sailboats on the blue water. After docking, we headed for the historic center, which is typically where the action is in small Spanish towns.

It wasn’t hard to spot the castle; high ground, thick walls, towers… and just outside of the walls; a café. Time for a coffee and croissant! I love to drink coffee in the sunshine surrounded by centuries of history.

The city of Cádiz is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Europe. Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, Moors (North African Muslims), and Christians are all part of the story. The Arab occupation from the 700’s AD until the final Reconquest in 1492 is responsible for much of the architecture and beauty of this region.

Cádiz province claims a number of “Columbus ” connections, some true, some legends. Columbus himself spent two years at The Castle San Marcos, while arranging funding for his second voyage. The voyage did not leave from Santa María, and apparently it’s just coincidence that it shares a name with one of his ships.

After finishing our coffee, we walked around to the front of the castle, where we paid a small entrance fee to tour the grounds. We had the castle pretty much to ourselves and only encountered a few other guests. The castle rooms and grounds are immaculately kept, and we enjoyed our visit. It was especially fun to discover the sherry bodega and its barrels of “Castillo” sherry.

From the castle we walked through town in search of lunch. Santa María is fairly spread out. We seemed to be in the Osborne Sherry warehouse section and everything was closed up on Sunday. We found the bullring, an impressive structure, but there was nothing happening there. Lunch options were quite limited, a situation we have seldom encountered in Spain. Not to worry, we haven’t gone hungry yet.

Having exhausted the highlights of town, we headed back to the port to wait for our return ferry. Here we found a nice waterfront place to enjoy a beverage, along with most of the town’s residents. The rest of them may have gone to Cádiz for the day, as there was a large crowd getting off the ferry when it pulled into port.

**Geri and Bill Stroll Through History**

“Livin’ La Vida” Local in Cádiz (January 10- February 1, 2022)

We discovered Cádiz two years ago (Pre- Pandemic). We were here for five days and we knew it was somewhere we could stay longer, perhaps a lot longer. The weather is mild in winter, the walkability is fantastic, the food and wine are exquisite and relatively reasonable, and the beaches are beautiful. There is a vibrant street life. The locals love their city!

Photos of the Streets and Plazas of Cádiz

Cadiz is under-visited by tourists. Cruise ships dock here, but it appears that one ship at a time can fit. COVID has changed the cruise world. We have only seen three ships in our time here (almost three weeks) and I doubt they are very full. The visitors this year are Spanish from other regions, and some other Europeans, mainly Dutch and German. We also met an Irish couple, but very few British, and so far, no other Americans. It is pretty much a necessity to speak Spanish, or to travel with someone who does. If you stay in a tourist hotel and don’t venture far from the main square (San Juan de Dios), you can find English menus and servers who speak some English, but then you are missing out on the local experience. The food and wine (and prices) get better the farther you roam. Some fine dining restaurants have bilingual menus; others do not. Thanks to COVID, most places have their menu on QR code and then you can Google translate on your phone. I am in no way trying to discourage you from coming, but I would suggest brushing up on your high school Spanish by getting The Mango app. (available free with a library card). Be able to order your beverage of choice, because you will be asked what you want to drink as soon as the server greets you.

We are staying in an Air B&B apartment in the historic area. It is a short walk to the Baluarte (sea wall). The apartment is on first floor, which in Spain means second floor. There is no elevator. The apartment is comfortably furnished with a well-equipped kitchen ( not that we are cooking a whole lot). We have a small washing machine and a drying rack. The grocery store is a short walk and there is a fresh fruit stand down the street. The nearby bakery has fresh bread and pastries, and the owner is as delightful as her baked goods. Plaza Mentidero is right around the corner and we have our favorite place for tapas on the square. (Bar Samir)

We located the sports complex early in our stay and we have been swimming three to four times a week. The pool is four and a half miles from our apartment. We walk the paved path along the sea, swim 1600 meters in the Olympic-sized pool, have lunch on the beach, and take the bus home. Not a bad days work!

Photos of Our Route to the 50 Meter Pool

A big part of living la vida local is adjusting to Spanish hours. The sun doesn’t rise until 8:30 and the streets are pretty quiet until 9:00 or 10:00. Room darkening shutters have made sleeping-in surprisingly easy. Coffee can be had almost all day. We eat breakfast in our apartment and head out for the day’s activity around 10:30. The traditional siesta closings are still observed in Andalucía. Shops, museums, and churches are closed from 2:00- 5:30. Lunch is served between 2:00 and 4:00. Restaurants reopen for dinner at 8:00, but only a tourist would dine that early. We often have lunch at a restaurant and a light snack with a glass of wine in the evening. We brought along our cribbage board and a deck of cards, so we’re feeling right at home.

The sun sets at 6:45 these days. Between 6:15 and 7:15 is a popular time to stroll and is perfect for Photography. The locals enjoy coffee and sweets during this time and cafés are filled with families and friends socializing. As I write this, it is getting close to that time (the evening Paseo).

I have a lot more to say about Cádiz: its history, people, and restaurants, but I’ll save that for another time. Future posts will describe day trips to Puerto Santa María and Rota, and our two night getaway to Arcos de la Frontera. Stay tuned!