Coastal Cádiz

4/2: 8.3 miles, 4/3: 11.1, miles 4/4: 5.2 miles

Wednesday, April 2nd I awoke at zero dark thirty and hoofed it the half hour to Málaga’s train station. My route was well lit and I felt safe and continue to be grateful to live in an age when women can travel solo.

Train stations are a bustle of energy!!! You don’t know until twenty minutes before your departure which platform you’ll be on. Crowds hover at the information screen and Boom, when the information pops up, those to whom it means something hustle en mass to the appropriate lower level platform. For my first flight this morning we had to walk the length of one train to a second – seriously, it was maybe a quarter of a mile!!

My train to Seville was about a ninety minute, comfortable jaunt. I had nearly forty-five minutes to wait for the Magic Twenty Minute Pre Departure platform information to be shared and Man, was there a crowd rush to the platform!! My 7:00 am train was Much Less crowded!!! Once again, I was able to get to the right place at the right time and get my backpack in my overhead storage area.

So, airports, train stations and bus hubs generally have official and commemorative names. I didn’t think anything about the name on my ticket thinking it was the Cádiz station’s name – until it became apparent I was slated to exit in Jerez de la Frontera much earlier. And that realization didn’t dawn on me until I barely sighted the name as we pulled away…. It didn’t help that the announcement system was cutting out and all I could hear was “Cádiz” and I kept thinking it was my stop. I came to believe it was actually just a long sentence that included that the train was bound for Cádiz.

And, I had my backpack on and was halfway down the stairs for the next stop, barely staying onboard when it didn’t seem right knowing I was the last stop and many others were staying on. I clamored back into my seat in embarrassment!

I was thankful that the ticket agent came through verifying passage before I ended up riding several more stops and about an hour past my paid destination!!! I share all this blather to reflect the effort that goes into the logistics of traveling, and that sometimes it doesn’t go right. I get anxious, yet I continue to try to calm myself, pray, think things through, reach out to resources when I can, and just get to the other side, often with a huge sigh of relief! If I can do it, you can, too!!

My walk from the train station was about thirty minutes, and then I settled into a plaza near my next accommodation site to enjoy leftover salmon from the Málaga mercado, an apple and some cheese! There was a guy playing amplified guitar, his beautiful voice wailing out plaintive flamenco melodies, always emotionally moving – even without the dance and flair!

My gracious Airbnb host, Eva, welcomed me early and it was great to be able to unpack my backpack before setting out to explore the town! I almost didn’t want to leave!! Eva’s artistic magic squeezed gasps and smiles from me! There’s so much art, fabric, eclectic touches of hippie/Hindu/boldness/texture – posters, decoupage, ceramics, mobiles, sea shells utilized countless ways, masks, photos in gorgeous AND outrageous frames – running the gamut from tame country scenes to provocative snapshots of culture! Even the floor has sections of Terrazzo, mosaic tiles, glass and stones… The bathroom is completely wallpapered with decoupaged pages torn from books, theater posters, sheet music, newspaper articles, an occasional crazy picture. The toilet had sparkling jewels glued to the bottom! I was greeted with sweet incense burning and classic rock n’ roll emanating from a fabulous sound system! Images or descriptions defy the reality of what this woman has created!! Quite mind blowing!

W & K stayed here last month, and besides referring me to “Habitaciones La Pepa, told me that I might like to check out Parque Genovés, which I did! I strolled upon the Paseo de Carlos III, along the Bahía de Cádiz and inhaled the Lucious, briny fragrance of The Ocean!!

Eventually my path took me to the beach and I was then able to go into a fortress structure that was ancient and classical – Castillo Santa Catalina, and they also had an amazing art exhibit!

I passed by Inglesia de San Antonio on my way back (and actually several times, since it’s near my crash pad) stopping into dinámica Cafe Bar Liba for some refreshments after which I called it a dia (day)!

Thursday, April 3rd I set out wandering with no real purpose in mind, yet the city map had some historical routes I was considering and I wanted to hit up the public Mercado. I am so enchanted by the beautifully tiled entryways into what are probably just general apartments!

And the medieval wooden doors, brass door knockers in various designs such as hands, lion heads, bear paws – and embellishments abound on the sides of buildings when my eyes travel up. The stone wall material almost everywhere and the cobblestone streets and plazas just cry out from an earlier time centuries ago.

I ducked into Inglesia de San Francisco and was not disappointed! To say it is a beauty that I have come to expect within Spanish churches, from the smallest to the largest cathedrals, is not to say that it’s boring or ever gets old! It is quite amazing how elaborate the ceilings arches, draperies and floors can be, often stunning pipe organs and figures of Saints, angels and Jesus are crafted in Mammoth sizes with so much gold and silver! Soon it will be Semana Santa (Holy Week),and I believe some of the huge silver adorned carts that I saw will be used in the processionals representing the Stations of the Cross.

The public market was fun to stroll through, as usual, yet I didn’t buy any of the lucious offerings. It was a feast for my eyes instead!

I enjoyed the statues and structures in the Plaza de San Juan de Dios and also traveled by the Catedral de Cádiz. There were lots of (large) tour groups so I elected to keep walking.

On by the “Arco de Los Blanco.”

And that’s when I saw it!!!! A Camino waymarker!!! The route out of Cádiz is called the “Camino de Santiago Via Augusta”. This 108 mile section then connects to the 622 mile Via de la Plata in Seville, the latter being the first Camino I trudged April of 2017 (from Zamora though, the last 230 miles).

So Of Course I followed the markers!!! They took me to THE BEACH!!!! Surfers!! Ocean waves and sand as far as my eyes could see!!!

It was a last minute decision to visit Cádiz and frankly, I was not expecting that I’d be walking along the Atlantic Ocean!!! Plus the sun came out!!!! Pure bliss!!! I followed the markers for two miles with a smile on my face the Whole Time!!!

I made my way back mostly by the same route along seaside and sand -and then cut in via Plaza de la Constitución. And also by the Inglesia de la Conversiòn de San Pablo.

Ultimately I settled in for some seasoned tomatoes and roasted beef in a semi spicy sauce at El Meradio and besides the dish being delicious, the service was great! Another day in the books!

Friday, April 4th was mostly rainy. I was caught in three different downpours! The first I got really wet in the 10 minutes I hoofed it back to my place. The second I had the perfect eves to hang out under at the University, looking directly at the Beautiful Gran Teatro Falla – but that ended up being for 25 minutes!

The last one I was around the corner from my lodgings so only a bit wet.

So, even though I did get out and about, I had limited exposure to the sights. I took a walk just before sunset and through an area I had not been to before – Plaza España!