Si and Jo Where the Frick are the Faux's: Cadiz and El Puerta de Santa Maria

Cadiz – El Puerta de Santa Maria

We parked up in the main car park area next to the ferry port, and went on recce to see if we could find the place we had been told about by other travellers, it had guarded parking and cost of €1.00 for 24 hrs. On our walk we saw all the sherry wharf’s where the huge barrels of sherry are stored, the air is mixture of the strong smells of the stored sherry and bad drains mixed in with a bit of dog do, then you get an overwhelming smell of the Orange blossom from all the trees lining all the pasada’s (squares) & pavements which smells like jasmine flowers in the summer ( the smell of the Med), but don’t let that put you off.

Igesia Mayor Prioral in the square at Santa Maria

Ferry to Cadiz,(day 2 in Santa Maria)

It is easier to visit Cadiz via the local ferry service leaving every hour or so from Santa Maria ferry port, where we had found the low cost parking place. It is very windy today and we were told there would be no return service by boat, as the weather forcast wasn't looking to good. On arrival in Cadiz we strolled around the city watching all the road & building works, it looks like the city is being eaten away by the wind and weather. We found a small bar to have lunch of beer and Montaditos (small bocadillos) (sandwiches) of Serrano ham and cheese. We continued our walk around the old city, taking in the sights and found another pretty plaza surrounded by orange trees in bloom and had a cool refreshing Caña (175ml of draft beer a small half with lots of froth, all beers mentioned in the blog are Caña’s, not pints, just in case it sounds like we drink a lot). Eventually we walked back to the port for our ride back to Santa Maria by bus. In the evening we decided to go out for a few drinks in a local bar, well it was Friday night. We arrived in the bar at the end of “early doors” this is where the office workers go for an early beer after work (the Spanish do always seem to be drinking maybe it is to keep hydrated?) about 7.30 ish, we sat at the bar on stools with our drinks I tried the Vino Fino Sherry (well all the men were drinking it there) and Jo ordered a white wine then a busker walked in and proceeded to play a popular flamenco number. Well everybody seemed to know the song and started to start singing and the ladies started dancing with their arms in the air and there was lots of hand clapping. I don’t think it was for our benefit, I think it was just a Friday night in Cadiz. We stayed in the bar and started chatting with the local Spaniards in our pigeon Spanish and their limited English, unusually our conversations improved the more beer and wine we all drank, we met some very nice people and thoroughly enjoyed the evening.