Cadiz

29th August - 2nd September

I first visited Cadiz about 15 years ago at a time when I also visited many of the beautiful cities of Spain including Toledo and Salamanca and yet Cadiz stuck in my mind as a city I was looking forward to re-visiting. Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Spain having been founded by the Phoenicians around 1100BC but it was during Spain's gold age when boat loads of gold etc. was brought back from the New World and this paid for the extensive fortifications the keep the piratical Royal Navy at bay and the street upon street of majestic buildings. Anyway before all that let me tell you about my crossing......I set off in thick fog from Vilamoura about 2pm having been assured by an arriving boat that the fog was only a mile thick, thankfully he was right and I emerged into a beautiful albeit windless afternoon. I motored towards Faro, about 4 hours away, and as I arrived so the did the wind which stayed with me until 4.30 in the morning. I had a great sail, lieing on my back looking at the canopy of stars so bright so numerous and over the the south I could see, as the sun set, a huge dust storm over Africa ....... just magical. Am I sorry that this is my last overnight trip...well yes and no....the stars are fantastic and the feeling of gliding in the total darkness is beautiful but its bloody cold and everything gets covered in dew, the funny thing about seawater is that it never really dries and as soon as the dew arrives it reabsorbs liquid and starts dripping everywhere.

I arrived at Puerto America marina about 11a.m. and went to sleep!!! as I do so well... later I walked along the fortified walls into Cadiz and happened on a fantastic jumble sale stetching a good 1/2 mile along a street......I bought a hand drill and a present for Debbie....no that's not right..... I know I bought Debbie a hand drill; boy will she be impressed!! I carried on into the main square and went to a service at the huge gothic Catherdral and as I came out I saw this woman talking a pig for a walk.... not something you see every day....is it? The strange thing is that no one else batted an eyelid.

On monday I went to a "freiduria" were, as Richard recommended, they serve fried fish....fabulous fried fish, squid etc. Cadiz claims that frying fish was "invented" here...maybe they were maybe they weren't....who cares... the fried whitebait were beautiful.
I set off for Barbate today , which is half way to Gibralter, and as I was leaving the harbour a Spanish frigate went past me a 20+knots hurrying somewhere and later as I passed Cape Trafalgar a Guardia Civil motor lauch came tearing past returning a little later with a cargo of "Moroccans" who had obviously been trying to cross the straits into Europe, Africa is so close in fact I'm sat here now writing this and as I look out of my door I can see the mountains of Morocco quite clearly... well it beats watching the rain in Manchester doesn't it.

And finally ..... I tried to put my running shorts on today.....not to go for a run your understand but to replace the ones I'd soaked whilst washing the boat, anyway, I nearly cut the blood supply off to my legs....I can't deny it I'm putting on weight and fast...oh well I am on holiday aren't I?