Tuesday 23rd April 2013 - Thursday 25th April 2013

Quarteira, continued....

Yesterday when we were chatting to the two English chaps in the bar, one of the questions they asked was, "do you not get on each others nerves, in a small campervan, for several weeks".

My answer was "well, I sometimes manage to get in the way".

Tuesday morning, I seem to have excelled myself. It is not even 09:00 in the morning yet and I have managed to:

• get up too early
• not close the lid on the kettle correctly when making tea for breakfast
• fill the kettle too full

Not bad going eh!

Wednesday 24th April 2013.

Today, we leave Quarteira, and indeed leave Portugal.

We call at Fonte Santa on the way out, it is Market day again.

Kathleen cannot resist going back to buy some of the things she should have bought last week, but, for some reason, did not.

Surprise, surprise, that stall is not there this week.

We are heading for El Puerto de Santa Maria, which is across the bay from Cadiz. The site is Playa Las Dunas, (N36 35' 15" W6 14' 26"), an ACSI site, so 16Euro/night. 

One of the attractions here is to visit Cadiz.

Thursday, we walk along to catch the ferry to Cadiz.

This proves that the first bit of information we were given is wrong! It is not a 10 minute walk, more like 20 minutes, and that is at Kathleen's route march pace.

Best to take your bike and leave it (locked up of course), at the ferry terminal.

Two Euro fifty each, for a twenty minute boat ride across the bay to Cadiz, all very painless, but, surprisingly choppy.

All appears calm here, but, that is before we have left the river!

Once in the actual bay, there are a few green faces around.

Quite a magnificent place Cadiz, as you can see from the approach to the harbour, complete with Italian Cruise ship berthed.

The cruise ship's name is "Costa Fortuna", I wonder if it does?

Once off the ship, we head for the Cathederal, and, we arrive to a little military display of marching and music.

I do not think this was especially arranged for our arrival, but, I like to think it was.

The Cathederal itself, inside, is rather austere, unlike most Spanish churches / Cathederals we have visited.

There is also an entrance fee, which always annoys Kathleen, she says, "you should not have to pay to visit God's House".

There is an very extensive (and echo filled) crypt, which is very impressive.

The quality of the stonework, even down here, where it will be seldom seen is excellent.

Although most of the Cathederal is rather bare and austere, as I have already said, there are some display cases containing what look like very valuable pieces of regalia.

As a good Catholic, Kathleen often has little attacks of conciensce about her "good fortune", ie basically, being born in, and, living in a developed country in Northern Europe, which means she does not go hungary and can afford some of the pleasures of life.

Well, I reckon there is enough gold and silver in these dispaly cases to feed a few hungary mouths, without plundering my pockets!

Overall, Cadiz reminds me very much of Barcelona, but, sort of more relaxed, and not quite as "quirky".

Lots of lively street scenes with plenty of good bars, restaurants and interesting squares to wander through.

There was even a C and A, where Kathleen was able to have a "shopping fix".

One of the things which always facinates me about cities such as Cadiz, Barcelona etc, is, the streets seen so "alive", and my initial reaction is that I would not like to live there, because it all seems a bit frantic, but, if you peep into the courtyards of the houses along the street, you see they are an oasis of calm and peace. Not only that, they are all beautifully kept and spotlessly clean.

I spent the evening searching El Peurto de Santa Maria for a mobile phone shop which could sell me a data only SIM card.

I knew this would probably not be an easy task, this area of Spain is not typical English tourist land, and most locals do not appear to speak much English. My Spanish is limited to buying beer and food, a vocabulary which I did not expect to be much use when trying to discuss 3G internet tariffs.

It is 7:00 in the evening, but the town centre appears to going full swing, with most of the shops open.

I find the a shop of the local Spanish Network (Movietel). The young lady assistant is not helpful, her boyfriend is waiting in the wings, and I think she is more anxious to shut up shop and leave than waste her time with me, so, no joy.

An international network Vodaphone shop is just along the street. the young lady in there is more helpful (no boyfriend hanging around perhaps), but, no joy, she directs me to Orange! 

The young lady in the Orange Shop shows great initiative, although she does have a boyfriend hovering in the background, who is presumably anxious to proceed to the next phase of the evening, since, he occasionally steps forward from behind her and kisses her neck as the transaction proceeds.

Not only could she sell me a suitable SIM card (40Euro for 1 month unlimited downloads), but, although she does not speak English, she employs Google Translate to "talk" to me on her PC.

Full marks to her, she should go far.

I have always said, Google has the answer to everything!