After a summer that consisted of a dream job gone horribly wrong, a weekend getaway to Mallorca with new friends, and a trip back to New Hampshire (affectionately coined “New Hampshit” by one of my dear Spanish friends–thanks to him, I can no longer think the same about the name), I’m back in Madrid and have somewhat settled into a new routine, one that hasn’t looked at all like the past two years. This year, I’m studying a Masters in Global Higher Education, teaching private English classes, and continuing my Spanish language studies. After a mentally and physically draining year, this new freedom to schedule and plan out my day, and having an end to waking up at 6:00am, has been most welcome. With that being said, I’m not really any less busy than I was last year, so for the first long weekend of the month, I took advantage of not having class on Friday, and went to Cádiz with my roommate.

Cádiz is located in Andalucía, in the southwest of Spain. Famous for its celebrations during Carnaval, it’s an otherwise small, quiet, beach town. It’s one of the oldest European cities, founded by the Phoenicians, and being a port, was the launching point of many ships that traded with the New World (that includes Columbus’s voyages). Two days would be just enough time to see everything important in this town, but three days was the perfect amount of time for us, as we were able to lounge on the beach every afternoon, and try almost all of the restaurants that came most recommended, without feeling like we were rushing. We took a bus that left Madrid at midnight, and arrived in Cádiz before 8:00am. After checking into our AirBnb (conveniently located just 3 minutes walking from La Caleta beach), and meeting our host, we took siestas before enjoying the city.

One of my favorite restaurants in Cádiz was La Tabernita. The food was very cheap, with tapas starting at €2, and the waitstaff were friendly. We tried different variations of fried fish and seafood, eating very well for a low price. We ended up eating there for lunch on our first day, and dinner on our last day. Another great spot was Casa Manteca, known for three things: Its pricier meats and tapas, good wine, and its bullfighting decor. The walls are plastered with pictures of famous bullfighters, and gives off a very “Spanish” feel, especially if you are a tourist. It’s a cozy and fun atmosphere to take a drink, but the street was already lining with people thirty minutes before they opened. My roommate and I began to feel stressed that we wouldn’t get a table, as there were multiple entryways, and we didn’t know which one would be opened to us. As the doors were flung open, I peeked in, and happened to catch the eye of the bartender who winked at me and jerked his head slightly forward in the direction of where I should go. I wasn’t the only one who noticed this sly action, but I was guaranteed a front row seat at the bar.

We saw the touristy highlights in about a day, the main two being the Roman theater ruins (a pile of really, REALLY old rocks), and Cádiz Cathedral, climbing to the top of its bell tower to see a beautiful view of the city. We also visited the famous Mercado, that has everything from fresh fish and vegetables, to cheese and bottles of sherry. The city is very walkable, and while it felt like summer, there was a breeze from the ocean, making the days pleasant, and the evenings chilly.

Our train journey back, which should have only taken four hours, turned into a dreadful six hours, as the train was having some sort of mechanical issue. That aside, my weekend in Cádiz was a success, and while I can’t see it as a city that I would want to live in, it was just what I needed in terms of good food and beach time!