World Cruise Day 69/152 - Seville (Cádiz), Spain - Figaro!

Cruise day: 69/152

Ports days: 21
Sea days: 48
Countries: 9
Continents: 4
Ports: 14

First, let me mention that we were excited to arrive in Cádiz.  Why?  Cádiz is where the replacement amplifier was supposed to be installed and our internet experience was supposed to get better.  When we got back on the ship, it seemed better, much better.  But, as I write this, we have sailed, and the internet sucks again.  Like really sucks.  So it doesn't look like the repairs did any good and we'll have sucky internet for the remainder of our voyage.  Based on comments I've heard from other passengers, people are not going to be happy.  When you deal with a world-class company, you have expectations.  In this area, those are most certainly not being met.

I learned about opera as a kid the same way many kids of my generation did -  from Bug Bunny in the classic Barber of Seville episode with Elmer Fudd.

Today, our port is labeled as Seville, Spain, but we are actually docked in Cádiz. Cruise lines do this all the time.  For example, a cruise stops in Orlando, Florida (Port Canaveral).  Obviously, you can't get a cruise ship inland to Orlando, but Orlando is the larger attraction for ships docking in Port Canaveral.  So, again, today, we are in Seville, Spain (Cádiz).  For the purposes of this example, I'm calling it Seville.  This morning, Arlona gave me a haircut before breakfast.  This means that Arlona is quite literally...wait for it...The Barber of Seville!  I know, it was a long way to go for a bad gag.

We opted for the included three-hour walking tour of Cádiz, today.  It was a lovely, sunny day with crystal clear blue skies and temps in the high 50s to low 60s but feeling much warmer due to the brilliant sunshine. As we were waiting to leave, someone asked the tour guide if the three-hour walking tour would involve walking for three hours.  Hmm...let me think about that...hmm...that's why the tours are labeled with a difficulty/exertion level, just sayin'. Of course, we had the rest of the cast of characters that forgot something and had to go back to their room and others that forgot their QuietVox headsets.  You'd think that at nearly 70 days into this cruise, people would have their act together, but I guess I'm expecting too much for people to read the Viking Daily and their tickets, listen to the port talks and daily announcements, come prepared, and respect the time of every other person on the excursion.  Wow, I'm getting crotchety now that I'm over 60.

Anyway, off we went to walk around the old areas of the city of Cádiz.  Our tour guide explained that Cádiz is an ancient port city in the Andalucia region of southwestern Spain and was founded by the Phoenicians in 1104BC. It has more than 100 watchtowers that were used to watch for and signal trade ships coming in from the Americas.

The city certainly feels European with a mix of architectural styles including neoclassical, baroque, and Isabelline Gothic styles.

The top of the local newspaper building

Narrow European streets

Archways to the old town area

More archways

San Antonio church

Five of the city's many iconic watchtowers are in this one building

Cádiz is almost an island with only a narrow strip connecting it to the mainland.  Water can be seen from just about anywhere in Cádiz.

The remains of a Roman theater are fenced off in the city.  These theater ruins were discovered in 1980.  The theater dates back to the 1st century BC and was the second-largest Roman theater in the world, behind only the Roman theater in Pompeii.

One of the principal attractions in Cádiz is the Cathedral de "Santa Cruz Sobre el mar" or "Santa Cruz Sobre las Aguas", known locally as The New Cathedral.  This Cathedral was completed in 1838 after 116 years of construction. It is, in a word, huge, and in another word, opulent.

Beneath the chapel, the church has a crypt that is actually below sea level.  Church dignitaries and other notables from the area are entombed here.

Another very European feature is the city's market. Meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables are all fresh and available daily.  The market was bustling on a Wednesday morning.

We thought this was an interesting-looking tree across from the cruise terminal.

We completed our tour and returned to the ship around 1PM, ready for lunch. We enjoyed lunch with friends and of course, that whittled away part of the afternoon.  A little blog writing for me, and reading and a nap for Arlona took up the rest of the afternoon. 

We went for an early dinner and wound up spending three hours in the World Cafe, talking with friends, and that made for a nice end for a nice day.

Tomorrow, we will be in Gibraltar.