HOPPING OFF AND ON IN CADIZ

April 9, 2017

We were late risers this morning.  Almost 9 o’clock when I got up and headed for the shower.  It was after 10 when we got to the buffet for breakfast and it was already closing.  It did not make my traveling companion very happy.  I got freshly scrambled eggs and coffee.  She had bacon and hash browns.  And then we headed off.

As indicated in the title, we bought tickets (18 euro each) for the Hop On Hop Off bus and rode it around twice, hopping off and on – which is, after all, what one does on a Hop On Hop Off bus.  Great way to see the city and to get acclimated.  They have similar service in many cities.  We did the one in Rome last time and are going to do it again.  That’s the beauty of it.

Our first hop off was at the Cadiz Cathedral, an incredibly beautiful house of worship that was filling up with Palm Sunday guests when we got there.  Palms were being passed out, but we didn’t take any, looking around instead and slipping out before the service started.

I have a tourist suntan from the bus.  We sat up on top in the fresh air, and my neck, on this beautiful Irving Berlin Day, is quite red.

There was a tower we wanted to see, but even with a map and directions, we couldn’t find it.  The streets are narrow and winding and we just walked along.  An outdoor flea market was in effect on several streets.  There were a number of vendors from Africa set up with blankets on the ground and Adidas shoes piled on top (ready for a quick getaway should the local constabulary appear – but none did).  “Of course, Mrs., these are genuine first quality Adidas shoes, or my name is not Hassim Al Kaboobie.”

Back on board we each took a two hour nap.  Very refreshing after a night of tossing and turning, and one quick trip to the loo for your correspondent – must have been the double serving of steak tartar.

Well, tomorrow is Malaga and we have tickets for the Picasso museum.  Looking forward to that.

Are the Pirates still beating up on the Braves?

Okay.  Heeeeere’s Bonnie
TTFN

Well, here I am having hobbled over to the stool to write my part. I have consumed my two small packages of graham crackers from the buffet and am enjoying some diet ginger ale which I brought from home.

Well, a rest less night but we did sleep in late. Awoke just in time to watch some as the ship moved sideways into the dock. Yes, I was not happy at breakfast, all I could get was 2 cold hash brown patties and bacon that was as hard as a rock. I did manage to get a tomato juice and a chocolate milk before they cleared all of those out. It was only 10:15 not 10:30 when the buffet is supposed to close. Grumpy start to the day.

Back to the room to pick up some euros, a hat, a jacket and our carry off bag. The ramp to get off was very steep and no rail at the end and the steepest part. But I managed to disembark. We stopped to do a photo for the photographer and he pointed and said  that way out. Well, we must have misunderstood be cause there was no way out they way we headed so we turned around and a sign pointing way out was right behind where the photo guy was standing. As we were trying to maneuver to go out my hat went flying off my head and David had to chase it, so the hat went into the bag for the rest of the trip. We finally got out onto the street, got in line for the bus, paid our 36 euros and got on to the bus. Riding on the top. The only way to ride. The wind was very strong today without the bus so it was even more so on the moving bus. One time the wind took David’s hat blew it off his head toward the back of the bus. Fortunately it went down the steps on the bus and not out into the traffic.

We did indeed ride around twice. Hey it was as much as you want all day. The bus was equipped with a narrator accessed by a headphone set they handed you when you got on. Turn to channel 2 and you heard it in English. It was quite interesting and since the first time around the hookup in my seat didn’t work part of the time I got to hear what I missed the second time around. It was scarey walking down the narrow streets with some many people but I made it. There were many people in the shopping area we went through and part of it was even an old fashioned flea market. We stopped in a little shop and bought a couple of things and a second shop where I got some postcards and made a smashed “penny” , though you had to use a 5 cent euro piece and a one euro coin. We got one of the church we visited.

At the church they were getting ready for the noon mass. It was very crowded but the church was beautiful. They had nets stretched across the building under the ceilings because much of the facade was falling. I do hope they repair it. There were many beautiful statues and paintings. In the very back was a huge pipe organ. It took up most of the back on the sanctuary. There was a fence surrounding the area and inside the choir was getting ready to sing. There were only seven singers, a keyboard player and a director. They all appeared to be young people in their 20's. I hope the keyboard was connected to the pipe organ but I doubt it. They started to sing as we were leaving.

When we got back to the beginning of the bus ride the first time we stayed on the bus. But the driver came up and said we had to get off and get on a different bus. I guess he was going to lunch. So we did, and off we went. We passed a huge bridge with immensely high cables holding it up. Sadly we did not get to cross it.

In the port was a large Costa cruise ship and 2 warships with guns and all. We watched and as we sat at supper  one of the war ships was towed out of the harbour.

Our dinner companions this evening were an elderly couple who often cruised as the on board bridge instructors. Great fun talking to them and hearing about their adventures. They are sailing on Victoria 2 when they get back home to Florida from this cruise. What fun.

The show tonight was a comedienne and he was very funny in a clean way. He told jokes and sang using a kind of electric guitar.  Well, the old man said I must be writing War and Peace so he must be ready to go to bed. We left port about an hour late so we won’t get to see Gibralter lit up when we go by at about 1 am.

Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie