Final days in Cadiz

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Well thats 5 weeks of Spanish school complete. The quality of the teachers at the Melkart school was very good andI feel I have learned a lot. Only thing is I need to keep it going before I forget it al! Living with the Spanish family (or a crazy old woman!) was a great experience, although quite tough at times. Not sure if I would do this option again although it really does force you to speak Spanish.

During my last week I went to see Spain U23 v Mexico U23 at the new Stadio Cadiz. They have recentley done the ground up at a cost of 60 million Euros...not bad for a segunda B side! Makes you wonder how they can afford this though with everything that's going on. Cadiz is suffering big time right now with the economic downturn, in particular the construction and shipbuilding industries. Most young people are being forced to leave to the bigger Spanish cities or further afield to find work. They still have the playas and over 300 days of sunshine a year so its not all gloom and doom.

The constitution of 1812

Turns out I picked a good time to visit Cadiz as they were celebrating the 200th annivesary of the 1812 constitution.

The Spanish Constitution of 1812 was established on 19 March 1812 by the Cádiz Cortes, the nationallegislative assembly of Spain, while in refuge from the Peninsular War. This constitution, one of the most liberal of its time, was effectively Spain's first (see Constitutions of Spain), given that the Bayonne Statute issued in 1808 under Joseph Bonaparte never went into effect. It established the principles of universal male suffrage, national sovereignty, constitutional monarchy and freedom of the press, and supported land reform and free enterprise. The constitution provided a model for a number of south American countries following they're independence from the Spanish.

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Photos

Simon Bolivar
seen this fellow before somewhere...