Monday, May 05, 2008

candide in cadiz




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.

6 comments:

Babs said...

Great photographs - love the people AND the architecture. You are so right - it DOES look like our area. In fact in one of the photos it looks like you are in Plaza San Juan de Dios from the sign and lo and behold we have a church and plaza with that name!
What a great trip........

Steve Cotton said...

Babs -- What a trip, indeed! I must admit that this trip to South America, Spain, and Portugal caused me to look at each of them a bit differently after I decided I was going to make Mexico my retirement home. Everything exists in context.

But the trip ends. One more installment and I can get back to the moving to Mexico details.

Babs said...

I was in the process of commenting to you when YOUR comment came in on the Rock and Roll Night! Mental telepathy.....but THEN a storm hit and I couldn't get my comment to go through.......I was wondering what the costs of meals on your shore excursions were like in Spain and Portugal. For instance the photographed fish dinner and ice cream dessert? I remember being in Paris and the meal costs were prohibitive.......and that was 10 years ago! YIKES.

Steve Cotton said...

The fish dinner was 12 Euros, I think. So, about $18. The crepe was not mine. I have no idea of its cost. But I do know that I could not afford to live long and well in Europe.

But everything has a context. I was talking with a colleague this morning about retirement. He could not imagine how anyone could retire on less than $10,000 a month. And he probably could not. I know that I can live on a fraction of that amount -- but, not in Europe.

Theresa in Mèrida said...

I have photos of a similar fortress El Moro (I believe) that I took in Puerto Rico, and the one in Campeche looks exactly the same too. I love the architecture here.$10,000 a month? Imagine all the traveling you could do on that pension!
regards,
Theresa

Steve Cotton said...

Theresa -- I agree with you. If I had a pension of $10,000 a month, there is quite a bit I could do, I also know my colleagye. Even with that amount, he would be worried that he did not have enough to live on.