Blogs from Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain, Europe - page 6

While looking up things to do in Cadiz, I came across a pamphlet in the tourist office entitled "Four walks through Cadiz". These were details of walks around different areas of Cadiz that are relevant to different parts of the city's history. Cadiz claims to be the oldest city in Europe, reportedly founded in 1100BC by the Phoenicians, and has played a central role throughout Spanish history. I knew that Cadiz had a lot to reveal. So one free sunny morning, I took myself off with my map and camera on walk number one: through the medieval district and Puerta de Tierra. Cadiz, as a city built out on a narrow peninsula, has always had a strong maritime history. One of the more famous, or infamous, events was the "singeing of the King of Spain's beard" ... read more

Unfortunately, Carneval was not all that I had hoped it would be. I ended up getting a pirate costume with my roommate Kia, for only 10 euros. I thought that was a pretty good deal, and the best part is that I can wear it again next Halloween if I want to. Anyway, we went to Carneval through a travel agency called "We Love Spain". The trip was only 10 euros and included a sandwich, a soda, and a shot. A pretty good deal. The only problem was that everyone from my program was put on the very last bus, bus 14, which also contained the man who was in charge of the other 13 buses. This meant that we weren't able to leave until all the other buses had been taken care of. We were ... read more

One of the excursions in my program is to take weekend trips to neighboring cities. This was Cádiz, and no you probably won't be able to pronounce it correctly. The beaches sparkle with a glisten that carries a more blunt silver sheen. Rather than the typical white-sand and clear water combination, it has that subtle vanilla cream sand with the bold, platinum waves. The most city most south of Spain. Where Halle Berry and Pierce Brosnan filmed that one James Bond movie. I am not going to waste another sentance sounding like a tourist. During far historical times when French were the conquestors, Cádiz was the only untouchable city that resisted Napoleon's powertrip tantrum on Europe. The constitution by Franco was written there as was the updated version once his reign ended. It is a political ... read more

Wow, talk being thrown in at the deep end!! My first day I went to the main building in El Puerto at 10:30, expecting to spend the morning in training, heading to Cadiz in the afternoon to get my social security number, and then preparing for my class at 19:30. So imagine my surprise when after spending an hour waiting for people to turn up, the manager comes in and announces that I have a new class starting earlier in the afternoon and that I needed to get my lesson plans sorted asap! I had the books thrust into my hands and sat down with a sheet of paper. I hammered out two lesson plans as best I could before lunch. Then I was off with a teacher to Cadiz which is a half hour drive ... read more

Day 4 Finished last night by drinking a copious amount of beer with the american eric stating in the same room as me. Beer was only 99c so 4 litres each cost 8 euro. Not too bad at all. Went to bed at 1 and were the first 2 to head to bed in our dorm of 8 people. Slowly adjusting the body clock to spanish time and speed. Woke up at about 9 and after brekkie, weather not so good today very cloudy and cold, headed off to the bus station and got rained on en route. Nice. Bus more expensive than was advertised anywhere but the journey was very pleasant, nice and warm about 32 hours to dump me in the middle of Cadiz at a rather delapidated bus station adjacent to the train ... read more