Viaje: Cádiz

Last Sunday (sorry for the delay in this post--I'm a little behind!) I took a day trip to Cádiz with my study abroad program. (about an hour and half bus ride)

The only entrance into the city by land

Cádiz is the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the Iberian Peninsula and possibly the oldest in Europe. It is located in the southernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula and is almost entirely surrounded by water.

We spent the day walking around the city on a guided tour (in Spanish, of course). Our guide told us about the history and culture of the city and pointed out many historical sites such as the Cathedral.

 If you look closely at the Cathedral, you will notice that it is made with two different colors of stone. That is precisely because they started construction on the building during the 16th and 17th centuries in the Baroque style with a material that was popular at that time. Then, some years later, the building was finished in the Roccoco style with a new architect and material. 

Cathedral

And then, of course, we climbed to the top of the tower!

Amber and I at the top of the Cathedral

Friends from the program enjoying the Cathedral steps

Cádiz is also home to many beautiful churches such as this one:

 Our guide told us that it has been tradition for women  to show their bra to a statue of one of the Catholic saints in this plaza. Tradition has it that if they do so, they will then find a good boyfriend. But I don't know about all of that....sounds like a sneaky little trick to me.

Something else of note in Cádiz is that it is home to possibly the largest Roman theater in the world. Part of it has been excavated from underground, but the rest of it is unable to be discovered because it is believed to rest under some of the cities most important and historical buildings such as the Cathedral (in other words, they can't uncover the rest of the theater without destroying other buildings of great importance too). And so, alas, we will never know for sure if Spain holds the oldest Roman theater in the world.

Also of note are the beaches of Cádiz. 

My "study" abroad program had the fortune of spending a good part of the day lying on the beach and playing in the ocean in one of Europe's oldest cities. Sigh. Life is tough, no?


*To see more photos from my trip to Cádiz, check out the "Photos" page to the left!