On Running Away

It was 28th October and Mick's birthday so I had decided to go to Cadiz.

There were two reasons for this, one is that following the demolition of my neighbour's house my normal routine had taken a disappointing and frustrating turn, I needed a break; the other is that I had Parador Amigos points to use before 14th November which entitled me to a free night in a Parador (Spain's state run hotel chain)!

The drive was glorious. The road is a good one. I avoided Lady Sat Nav's recommended route of motorway and toll road, and took the main A road via Jerez. The road sweeps through the Sierras on the edge of the Grazalema National Park, the mountains showing every shade from the greens of the olive groves to greys through blues and purples in the autumn sunlight. Shame I only had Lady SatNav to share it with!

I stopped for petrol just outside Olvera, there were four cars on the forecourt, including mine – I felt sorry for the attendant , I'm English, the others are French and Dutch I think! He had that bewildered look about him, 'do you understand what I am saying?'

I arrived on the outskirts of Cadiz and joined the stream of traffic pouring into the city, I had to negotiate the new town to get to the old town, my hotel was right on the edge of Cadiz Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean.

The old town is entered though an ancient archway. Puerta de Tierra, recently widened to cope with 21st century traffic demands. Old Cadiz is built on an isthmus, almost an island, joined to the rest of Spain by only a narrow strip of land.

I followed the signs, which fortunately agree with Lady Sat Nav, bumped along the cobbled street to the hotel and parked outside the front door, second choice of space as I rather belatedly noticed the signs warning of birds in the trees! http://www.parador.es/cadiz

I have a lovely room with a little balcony and a sea view, overlooking the pool (unfortunately it closed two weeks ago) and the patio. Across the Bay of Cadiz I could see Puerto de Santa Maria, the most southerly tip of the Sherry Triangle (no, not some Spanish equivalent of the Bermuda one, but the region that produces sherry, only wine from this area can be called sherry) and Rota, another seaside resort more famous for its American Naval Base. I sorted myself out and headed out to find the tourist office for a street map.

It was remarkably warm for late October even for Spain when traditionally you can expect rain at this time of year. There is something quite magical about sunshine on the sea, the way it glistens and sparkles like jewels, beckoning you to venture out and see what treasures can be uncovered, both real and virtual!

I had been to Cadiz twice before and it felt familiar, I trawled my memory for the route to the tourist office. Needless to say, like virtually every city in Spain, it was being renovated (for 2012 when Cadiz celebrates 200 years since the signing of Spain’s first written constitution.) so it has moved, but I found it. Once armed with a map – not that you can really get lost in Cadiz, its surrounded by water so whichever direction you head in you'll eventually hit the sea, then its just a choice of left or right! - I felt relaxed and just wandered around getting used to it again.

Cadiz is full of narrow streets of 17th and 18th century balconied houses built for a time when rich traders lived here. I loved wandering these streets peering into doorways left open, an invitation to call, some revealed gloriously tiled entrances, splendid courtyards full of exotic plants and tinkling fountains, others depict a life more humdrum, a kid's tricycle at the bottom of the staircase leading up to flats above. One instantly evoked a long lost memory of visiting a friend's house in Gibraltar after school, even down to the same smell! Cleaning fluid I think!

 

Plenty of examples of the ‘hand of fatima’, supposed to ward off evil spirits.

It makes the perfect city for a couple of days, just the sort of place Mick and I enjoyed. It is small enough to walk around soaking up the history beneath your feet, the sea always in sight and an abundance of bars and restaurants.

In one of the narrow back streets near the Cathedral I found a little bar with a few tables outside, time for cerveza y tapa – I suppose I should have felt flattered that the waiter was surprised I was on my own!


The map indicated a Lithography Museum and Workshop and I thought this would be interesting, but you've guessed it, it was being renovated!

Open top bus tours, are always good for getting your bearings and working out what to see, so I hopped on the next bus. I thought I was going to get the entire trip to myself, but no some Spanish tourists got on at the next stop. The bus took us from the old town along the promenade by the more popular beaches of the new town , then back into the old town, mainly following the sea around the edge of the city, but venturing into the narrow streets at one or two points. I'm just glad I wasn't driving the bus, cars parked on both sides of narrow streets with 90 degree bends, a legacy of pre motorised transport days, brought a policeman out to watch and offer advice. A bit of shuffling back and forth and the driver successfully negotiated the corner without hitting anything!

I visited the Cathedral next. The most amazing crypt I've ever heard. Not that I'm any sort of expert on Cathedral crypts, but I say heard because the acoustics were phenomenal! The crypt is below the altar, its circular with a large central 'hub' and six 'spokes' leading off from it, each 'spoke' ending with an altar, or a cross, or statue or plaque and the echo of your footsteps seems to bounce back from the all in turn, quite eerie!

Before I headed back to the hotel I searched out a little bar in Plaza San Francisco where Mick and I spent a pleasant evening listening to a tale of woe from an old salty seadog last time we were here, but it was closed for holidays!

I have discovered that my mobile broadband picks up a pretty strong 3G signal so could have a successful Skype call to my Dad for the first time in 10 days!

So I guess now is the time to explain the ‘disappointing and frustrating turn’ events have taken. As I said earlier, my neighbour has had his house knocked down. In the process a power cable was severed.

This did not completely cut off the supply of electricity, but I was aware of a strong smell of burning at around 11.00am! then I noticed that the phone and the internet had stopped working. I told Mario (the builder) no phone, no internet! Several men of various different shapes and sizes came to my house looked at my phone, the phone line coming into the house, the router and agreed they weren’t working. Pablo, the owner of the house that had been demolished, phoned Telefonica for me and arranged for an engineer to come and check the line.
By now some of my other neighbours were reporting televisions not working, and no doubt other stuff too. My toll, once I’d been round and checked everything, was the router, the telephones, both the adaptors for my laptops, the DVD player, the CD/Radio, the digital photo frame, the mobile charger and my alarm clock. Thank goodness for the powermonkey at least I could charge up my mobile and my mp3 player!
The Electricity supplier come out on Saturday afternoon and repaired the broken cable, but it was by now obvious that the power surge when the cable was cut took out most of my electrical stuff!
On Sunday Pablo and Esperanza called round and made sure I had checked everything, cooker, microwave, etc
On Monday Telefonica arrived and confirmed the line was OK, and Esperanza lent me a phone telling me I couldn’t keep using my mobile it’s too expensive! The plumber arrived to move my hot water heater currently attached to the wall that my neighbour wants to replace, and hopefully fix a new leak I’ve discovered in the downstairs bathroom. I phone Telefonica and asked them to send a new router.
On Tuesday I tried to replace some of this stuff. The local computer supplies shop couldn’t get me replacement adaptors. I bought a Movistar mobile broadband USB. I couldn’t find a phone with 2 handsets, but I did get an alarm clock, DVD player and a CD player. The plumber returned to fix the leak.
On Wednesday I tried the shop in Antequera, he wouldn’t be able to replace the Dell adaptor, I would have to do this online, but he thought he could replace the Samsung. Come back tomorrow.
By now the batteries were completely discharged on both the laptop and the netbook.
On Thursday, I couldn’t get to my normal weekly breakfast meeting because Mario arrived in the wind and rain to tie down my roof that used to be tied into the wall of the house that’s not there anymore! I visited Ann to use her computer to order a new adaptor from Dell. The shop in Antequera had a replacement for the Samsung adaptor.
My friend Rafael, an architect for the provincial government in Seville visited the building site next door and announced, they’ve knocked down your wall! The wall between our two back gardens was mine – apparently! We came to an amicable agreement on a resolution to this and Rafa promised to keep in touch and keep an eye on the build for me, and look after my interests!
On Friday I phoned Telefonica, where’s my router. It could take up to 10 days, be patient!
By now I was feeling very fed up and very alone but at least I had my netbook, but the mobile broadband proved to be quite elusive, sometimes I got a 3G signal, but it never lasted long and the GPRS signal was just too poor to deal with very much at all and just resulted in me getting very frustrated. Hence my inability to Skype my Dad!
On Tuesday things started to look up a little, the insurance assessors for the builders’ insurance company turned up and asked to see my broken stuff. I presented them with a list and the amount I thought it would take to replace it and they agreed and said the money would be in my account in two to three weeks! How about that then!

And so I ended my first day in Cadiz on the terrace of the hotel bar. As an 'amigo' I also get a free drink! The restaurant looked very good, but I contented myself with a bar snack! (Tortillitas de camarones, yum!)

I also managed to speak to both my brothers, before falling into bed, watching the BBC news, what luxury! ( I still don't have television at home!)

A lazy start to the day on Thursday. I wandered along the seafront to a café next to the Caleta Beach, overlooking the Castillo de San Sebastian for breakfast. Caleta beach is where Halle Berry stepped out of the sea in that orange bikini in Die Another Day (it was supposed to be Cuba, but was really shot here in Cadiz).


A typical Spanish breakfast of coffee and toast, usually costs me 1.50€ in La Roda, it was3.60€ here – just a small reflection on the price differences in tourist centres!

After breakfast I walked to the Castle, San Sebastian, at the end of the breakwater. It was a lovely walk in the sunshine, the sea lapping on both sides of the breakwater. Unfortunately the castle is not open at this time of year, in fact quite a few opportunities were not available because its October – I guess I’ll have to come back in August when the castle will be open and evening guided city walks are run.

I visited a Roman fish factory which would no doubt have been a lot more interesting if the party of Germans had stopped talking over the video and let me get past then to see the wall panels explaining the history and the process. If the video was to be believed ancient tuna used to throw themselves into the fishermen’s nets!

I wanted to visit the camera obscura. Although I have been before its still fascinating. The Torre Tavira that houses the camera is the tallest of 140 watch towers in Cadiz. The towers were originally built by the rich merchants to watch the comings and goings of the trading ships, the Torre Tavira was made the official city watch tower and although most of the watch towers are still there they are no longer as grand as they were. The tower gives some magnificent views across the roof tops.


 

I wandered through the parks, the Alameda Apodaca and the Parque Genoves, havens of peace except for the squawking of the feral parrots responding to a cat wandering casually though the gardens

I finished off my visit with a look at the work of Juan Luis Vassallo, I confess I thought I hadn’t heard of him, but I did recognise some of his work – not such a heathen after all!

 

I checked out on Friday morning, and had to confess to being a bit of a wimp and could the receptionist help me move the car as the guy behind had parked a bit close, I know letting the side down for women drivers( no pun intended!)

I returned home still no news from Telefonica – so I gave up and bought a new router. A trip to Malaga to collect Janet Hinks from the airport gave me the chance to visit Worten (sort of electrical superstore) so I could get a router and a telephone.
Janet’s help on Sunday meant we succeeded in installing both the telephones and the router – though it did all take rather longer than expected. As the adaptor hadn’t arrived from Dell and my netbook doesn’t have a CD drive we had to visit Anne to transfer the CD installation disc to a USB stick. Then I had to phone Telefonica to get a userid and password, easier said than done as I didn’t recognise the Spanish for ‘@’! But finally – so we treated ourselves to a few glasses of wine and tapas at La Maestranza!

Monday was Janet’s last day so we crammed in all the sightseeing in one day............the lakes

..........Antequera



.............the Laguna, and finished up with a outdoor film show on my new wall, but definitely the last time this year!
Janet’s afternoon flight meant we had time for a trip into Malaga in the morning and a stroll round the Alcazaba (Moorish Fortress).

I sent her home with instructions to tell everyone what a great time she had and they should all visit me!