Hello Cadiz!

Spanish Birthdays are the best!

We arrived in Cadiz on a beautifully sunny September 5th. I got up before sunrise to watch the ship sail into the first of many exotic ports. The city of Cadiz, the oldest city in Western Europe, painted in the pastel shades of sunrise isn't a sight to be missed. Ancient city walls, cathedrals, and buildings in a stunning mix of Spanish and Mudajer styles reflected the light stoicly, proclaiming their resilience and hardiness in the moist, briny air.

My first activity was the city orientation tour, in which we drove through old Cadiz, and into the maze of cobblestone streets and urban canyons, streets so narrow that light could barely enter. Cast iron detailing added a familiar air and suddenly my heart was heavy with missing New Orleans. We visited the archeaological museum where we saw artificats mapping the entire history of the settlement of Cadiz, a once island turned isthmus on the Atlantic Coast at the gate to the Mediterranean, founded by the ancient Phoenicians, conquered again and again, partially destroyed but never defeated. There were even sarcophagi!

Next on to the main cathedral in Cadiz, a jaw-dropping architectural feat. We even went down into the catacombs underneath. I tried not to breath in that air, heavy with damp and decay. The body of Saint Victoria added a ghoulish element that had me skedaddling out of there after the minimum amount of time! Next we headed to the cathedral museum to see amazing artifacts donated by the devout and paraded through the streets during Corpus Christi or Santa Semana. It was a long walk through town, but worth it to soak it all in.

After resting up, it was time for the Andalusian Flamenco Night. the excursion was part of the classes for Professor Agustin Reyes-Torres, but through a mixture of charm and a pretty sophisticated whisper campaign (if I do say so myself) I had turned it into Danni's Birthday Party! It was a blast! We arrived to a small bullring where we were greeted by refreshments and seated for the flamenco ring exhibition and a cow exhibition as well. The ring was alive with flamenco dancers and prancing, dancing horses. The highlight of that portion was probably the cow exhibition, however. Far from being the bloody bullfighting sport we had spent the evening terrorizing ourselves with, it was a strange aggressivedance between two tweenies -- one an adorable Spanish teen matador and an adolescent bull calf. We gasped and gaped as they charged each other. What drama!

Next we skipped over to a restaurant for the flamenco dinner show as the sunset. Through a friggin cloud of bloodthirsty mosquitos. I went into ninja mode and didn't get bitten, although others were not so fortunate -- one friend counted 11 bites from the 3 minutes of walking!

It was worth it by the time we'd gotten to the tables, drapped in white, decorated with lanterns and candelabras. Fresh tapas were laid out on the tables, and there was sangria and wine. the ambience was perfect for the flamenco show that followed -- the venue intimate, the performance energetic and passionate. I was enthralled. I have no idea how many times I screamed Ole! (probably too many)

And then... the coup de grace. Agustin gets up and announces "it's someone's birthday!" And suddenly I am onstage (ok, I wasn't completely surprised) and everyone is singing. I am touched and blushing a bit. But then I am flushed with excitement when he shouts "And now she will dance!" And there I am -- doing my best to follow the movements of the dancers as we circle each other, wrists wringing, backs straight and proud, heels tapping synchopated, staccato beats on the ground. I guess I did pretty damn good, because they were impressed! Feliz Compleanos to me!

My adventure ended with another jaunt into Cadiz after we returned. We went to a late night joint and starving, ordered hamburguesas. I ordered mine in perfect Spanish, to my pride. And when the fried pink mystery meat on bun arrived and my fries were doused with mayonnaise, I only smiled and dug in. It was damn good too! :)