Oosterdam European Adventure, Cádiz, Spain...

Once again, it was out early for our sail into beautiful Cádiz, Spain…  Cádiz lays claim to being the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe – the Phoenicians settled here in 1100 BC. Located on a narrow strip of land surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, Cádiz has lots to offer – including rich cultural heritage, well-preserved landmarks, parks, watchtowers, dramatic architecture and beaches. Today, we mapped out a walking tour of the city to take in all the must-see attractions. We left the ship first thing and our tour began in front of Plaza de San Juan de Dios, which is down the street from the cruise ships terminal. While Cádiz doesn’t exactly have a main square the Plaza de San Juan de Dios is a major meeting point. The grand plaza is flanked by a statue of Moret Cadiz and is home to the beautiful neoclassical city hall building, large fountain and palm trees. Leaving the plaza, we walked towards the water passing by the ruins of the Roman Theater approaching the Cathedral from behind the Plaza de la Catedral. The cathedral was also closed... Finding, the Mercado Central, this 19th-century neoclassical market is the oldest in Spain and is full of fresh food and tapas stalls. We were early to arrive so very few stalls were open yet. Next, we made our way to the Torre Tavira. This tower was built in 1717 for spotting ships and is still the highest one in Cádiz. This has always been one of my favorite stops for photos of Cádiz from above.  The first available appointment to climb the tower was 11 am so we moved on to find the Gran Teatro Falla…Notable for its richness and color the exterior of the theater building has a Moorish-style of alternating red and white archway stones. Then it was off to find the Castillo de Santa Catalina and it was also closed for renovations. We followed the water along the traffic free seafront promenade passing Genoves Park, Alameda Hermanas and Alameda Apodaca Gardens. Our last stop before returning to the ship was at the beautiful Plaza de España dominated by the Monument to the Constitution that commemorates the centennial of the signing of the Constitution in 1812. A very pleasant surprise today was having lunch and spending a couple of hours with our friend Peter Janssen. Peter retired a couple of years back from Holland America and is now doing corporate work for Scenic and Emerald Luxury Cruise and Tours. It just happened that Peter was in Cádiz as a Scenic ship is in dry dock. It was a grand day all round and with the weather being so beautiful, I was able to get in a couple of hours of sun time. We have been to Cádiz many times and it does not disappoint…  Loving our time of this Oosterdam European adventure!