It had been a busy night with a need
to turn down the AC accompanied with a lively pitching motion due to
some tall swells. I managed the AC and later Neptune toned down the
swells.
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| cabin view |
Again we made our approach before
dawn. This managed to be one of those Ah-HA! Days as dawn broke as we
tied up port side to town. Our view was quite magnificent as dawn
“walked o'er the dew of yon far Eastward hill.” Portside to the
pier we had a great view of the city and the pier. Cause for
celebration was the sight of 4 container trucks awaiting our arrival;
re-provisioning! This is not a walk-off pier this trip; a shuttle
runs us to/from the terminal. Once there it is an easy walk into the
best of the city. Cadiz was begun about 1,100 years ago by
Phoenicians. In 711 AD the Arabs invaded. About 1492 the Christians
began the re-conquest. Thus, the culture and architecture is a mix.
Anyway, the Costa Fortuna was in port with us again.
By 0900 we were aboard a bus again and
off in search of an adventure. Having been here back in '11 we have
elected to try something out of town. We headed toward Seville. 9:00
we were on the road with Sergio the guide for a one hour ride on an
excellent freeway. Being a Sunday there was very little traffic. Part
of the time the scenery was blocked by rain and fog which was
unfortunate as the countryside was most pleasant. Again we were to
spend the day with new friends Ray and Loren.
In Seville we unloaded and walked a
few blocks to the Cathedral of Seville (1492) which is supposed to be
the largest church space in the world. It also holds remains of
Christopher Columbus. A Bishop would later conduct a service on one
end of the church (where Columbus' remains are) and tourists were
denied access to that part.
A half block away we walked the
Alzambra Palace which dates to the Arab times. Supposedly Amerigo
Vespucci worked on maps off the courtyard.
We walked the narrow streets and ended
up at the Macarena Hotel for lunch. Aboard the bus we went to the
main grounds of the 1914 Exposition (like World's Fair). Now home to
government offices, this is a fantastic view.
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| the Exposition grounds |
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| Exposition |
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| incense vendor |
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| street scene walking |
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| The old walls back at the port in Cadiz |
That accomplished we were driven back to Cadiz, a quiet trip with some snoozing involved. At 1745 the ship left port followed by the Fortuna. This evening we received warning that the swells tomorrow may cause some motions of the ship tomorrow when entering harbor so we should remain in our cabins from 6:15 to 6:45 for safety.
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| Cadiz on our departure. |
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