Cartajima to Cádiz 6.7.2007

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After a lovely morning fig and bread,
Botz has no reservations at El Refugio for the next few days
and closes the hostel to join us and drive us to Cádiz.
  A fond farewell and “See ya soon!” to Cartajima.
We will dearly miss the Refuge.
 

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The Cartajima bus stop.

Sleepy kitty under the bench.

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Shooting out the back window in Botz’ van.

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We make a quick stop across the street from

the Plaza de Toros, the Ronda bullring.

The Plaza de Toros was designed by Martín de Aldehuela,

 

 who also contributed to the completion of the Puente Nuevo in 1793 just blocks away.

The famed Romero and Ordóñez bullfighting families

are historically associated with the Plaza de Toros.

The Plaza is said to be the home of “modern” bullfighting…

where the matador, Francisco Romero, got off his horse, and fought the bull on the ground.

Bronze statues of Cayetano Ordóñez (left) and son Antonio Ordóñez (right) reside at the gate.

Ernest Hemingway was a family friend of the Ordóñez family.

Cayetano Ordóñez and Pedro Romero served as models for the “Pedro Romero” character

in Hemingway’s novel, The Sun Also Rises,

and Antonio Ordóñez was the model for Hemingway’s novel, The Dangerous Summer,

which chronicles the rivalry between Antonio Ordóñez and Luis Miguel Dominguín.

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One final stop, we deliver Paco to Ronda for his shopping.

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Adios amigo!

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After a two hour drive West to the Atlantic coast,
the influence of the medieval Islamic North African Moors remains evident
in the famous architecture of the “Old Town” of Cádiz.

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Cádiz was founded in 1100 BC by the Phoenicians,
ancient peoples from the coast of present day
Lebanon, Syria, and northern Israel.
Some say Cádiz is the oldest city in Europe!

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 Leave the packs in the car to wander about and locate a room for the night.

After not much luck, y una cerveza stop, Botz locates a questionable locale.

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An unmarked, unremarkable entrance to a worn atrium

complete with a taxidermy bull’s head (toro taxidermia),

and a blind, deaf lapdog urinating on the checkered floor.

A decent price, and the whole place to ourselves!
 

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Clash of the Patterns: bedspread with the ceiling, ceiling with the wallpaper-

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The institutional green hue and long white hallways
with the ever-present checkerboard floor were an aesthetic treat.
 

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Courtyards and soft smoothed marble stairs lead to empty rooms.

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With some exploration we find a bizarre pencil drawing behind the sink mirror.
 
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Acaso yo estoy loco? (Maybe I’m crazy?) Que me pasa che? (I passed that?)

 

After a rest, we head back out into the streets and to the Atlantic!

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 Huge cement cubes are piled upon one another for the surf break.
A closer look reveals the home of hundreds of feral cats.
Food and water are provided by kind animal lovers.

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We enjoy a beautiful dinner array of grilled fish: swordfish, mackerel, and tuna.
As we finished, it was getting dark and people began to arrive
for their typically Spanish dinnertime at 10pm.

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Zona Peatonal (Pedestrian Zone)

and a sweet checkerboard moto.

 

Carousing the old town, we find some drinks, music and people watching!
Return to the room late, the door is locked.
With persuasion, the owner awakens to let us into our beds.

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Back in the room, Botz enjoys an evening smoke in bed with a grand view of the ceiling.

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And so we say, goodnight…

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