Sevilla - Cadiz and Boats

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Cadiz and 28 degrees on the paseo maritimo.

I have been to the ferry office and have got my boarding card and can go on board just after 16.00.Its only 12 now so a coffee and then lunch should kill a bit of time.

Lets pick up the story yesterday in Ciudad Real. After a great nights sleep I got out on the road just after 09.00 and headed south leaving the motorway and taking another of the roads recommended for bikers. This road goes south through the Sierra Morenas range of mountains and i can only say that if you are in this area take the road from Puerto llano to Montoro. this is a fast stretch of road with a super surface and some of the best curves I found in all the journey . No police were to seen on the whole stretch and going from one curve to another at 140 - 150 with the music on was incredible. I am sure that had I been on a sports bike I could have reached some even MORE illegal speeds. Beautiful road !!

From Montoro on it was just motorway and it was hot hot hot. The temps were about 35 and I was dressed in full kit which is ok when you are moving but is very hot when you stop for petrol or have to go through a town slowly. This was an easy run today and I reached Seville early afternoon after just one stop to eat.
I had reserved a hotel in the old quarter of Seville and it was easy run in using the GPS and satnav. Without it in Seville you would be LOST !
The streets and alleys are old and narrow and twist and turn without rhyme or reason. charming but concentration is needed as many are cobbled and two Goldwings would not be able to pass each other. The hotel that I had reserved was a Best Western Chain hotel in the Calle Cervantes. Charming and comfortable with the all important garage under the Hotel.A long cold shower and it was off to have a quick look around the area. I needed to get some clothes washed and had to buy a new beard trimmer ( the other one I left in Vielha ! ). Some new headphones were on the list because the others had given up a few days ago.

The main shopping streets were not so far away from the hotel and i soon got everything sorted out. Seville is a city full of tourists and people from all over the world. There are so many famous cultural landmarks here and I am afraid to say that I did not see a lot of them. I shall return to spend a few days here seeing the sights but this time it was just chilling out in the local plazas and walking around.

By late afternoon I was back in the hotel and went out again at about 21.30 to walk around and get some food. Tapas of every type and variety are to be had in every bar and certainly at the end of the evening I was full and could not have eaten a thing more.I returned the hotel at 00.30 because I wanted to wake up at eight and get on the road by nine.

The alarm went off at 07.59 and I showered and checked out by nine,just in time to hit the Seville rush hour . The traffic was intense and it took a good while to get out and on to the open road. Moving a fully laden Goldwing through rush hour traffic is not something I would want to do every day. About 30 Kms outside of Seville I stopped for breakfast and to fill up and then got out on to the motorway again for the last stretch in to Cadiz. This is the second time arriving in Cadiz with a bike. The last was with the Triumph 900 in 2009. I found my way to the harbor and got my boarding card. I now have to wait until about 16.00 before they let the bikes on. We are the last to be loaded which should mean we are the first off.

The bike is now parked just across from cafe where I am sitting and writing this. I have changed out of biker kit and just have jeans and a T-shirt on. The boots and leathers are strapped to the rack so I cannot let it out of sight.

Cadiz is quite an amazing city with water on all three sides and it seems like that everybody drives a scooter or a motorbike. I have not seen so many bikes in any other city in the whole of Spain. The beaches are all around the city and it reminds me a bit of Las Palmas. The only thing I don't like so much are the many cobbled streets which are not the best for driving a bike over.

So , the waiting is over and I am on the boat. The bikes were the last to be allowed on and we had to wait in a broiling sun. There are only about 8 bikes in total which is a lot less than the ferry going up to Huelva. The boat that we are on is an old looking boat and sounds and feels old. Facilities can not be compared with the Armas boat . This one vibrates and has cars out on the deck in the open. The bikes are however in a closed garage although the method of securing them is very primitive with only a small nylon rope provided to tie them to the side of the boat. This is a big difference to the Huelva ferry who provided thick straps to go over the saddle. I had brought extra tie down straps and have secured the bike as best I could. The actual area for the passengers is very small and has limited facilities. I have found a plug socket and have plugged in the phone and laptop so that at least maybe later I can watch a film.

Still out on the high sea and about 6 hours before we get into Arecife. Yesterday I had a good chance to look over this ship and It is going to be the last time I travel on this boat.
The food is adequate apart from the breakfast which is bit limited.No choice and not very appealing. The cabins are hot and we have the full complement of 4 persons sharing. This boat reminds me of the old ferries which used to go between Ireland and England about thirty years ago and its possible that this boat is also that old.
The Public toilets are a disaster. There are two and one of them has out of order signs since the first day. The wash basins in both of them are full of vomit which has not even been cleaned over night. Thank goodness we have a shower and toilet facilities in our cabin. In the restaurant there is a security guard who is always present at mealtimes and makes you wonder what has happened or could happen. The staff are not as professional as on the Armas ferry and you get the idea they don't have much interest in the job or the passengers.

More will follow.

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