Our little trip from Brazil to Portugal is coming to a close.
I have visited Cadiz, Spain twice now. It is an odd city. Perhaps the oldest city in Europe. Rich in history, it was made richer by gold plundered from Montezuma (or, more properly, Moctezuma) and his American kin -- and marginally less rich by Francis Drake on one of his pirate ventures in Spain.
Geographically, it is almost an island, sitting on the end of a very thin, hook peninsula that juts into the Atlantic Ocean. As a result, the city has the same island feel of Madeira or Tenerife -- just smaller.
It is impossible to visit Spain -- and especially Spanish cities with a direct connection to Spain's colonial past -- without constantly noticing the family resemblance to Morelia, Guanajuato, and Mexico's other colonial cities. Spain left its cultural mark throughout Mexico. And Mexico made that heritage its own.
When I took this shot, I realized I could have been standing on the ramparts of the fort at Veracruz -- or Havana.
One of Spain's most lasting legacies to Mexico can be seen on the same faces you will see in Puerto Vallarta or Mexico City.
This Spanish couple caught my eye just as they were walking out of the frame. What could be more symbolic to end this summary of Cadiz?
On to Lisbon.
