¡Bienvenidos! The first week was a success!! Cádiz is so incredible as the week went on, I just fell more in love with the people, food, and the beauty of everything. I love how everyone here is so close to one another, you can walk everywhere, and just the whole vibe in general. As you (reader) are following me on my journey via your electronic devices, let me try and break down my week for you. I must warn you, however, if I told you everything and every experience I had we would be here for days. I guess you’ll just have to come to Cádiz and experience this incredible place for yourself. And here we gooo!
If you are looking at your calendar right now and or just know that it’s July; then you can guess what that means for us Americans. That’s right, Happy Independence Day America it’s the 4th of July!!! Although being in America to celebrate the 4th of July may sound ideal, don’t worry. Whether I am there or in Spain, I will always find a way to celebrate! Honestly, my day was so much fun and better yet, I got to enjoy it with the rest of my friends.
Whereas the rest of the time I try and blend in with the crowd and seem as though I’m not just some tourist, today I embraced my “Americanness” like no other. Of course, my outfit was red, white, and a denim skirt (like the colors of our flag). One of the main highlights of my day was my first photography class! I’ve taken photography for a little over two years at my school and just bought a new Canon camera! We went all over Cádiz admiring the architecture and all of the beautiful colors of the buildings (pinks, purples, greens).
On top, the weather was perfect and I had so much fun. Just for that hour, I think I took over 150 pictures! Below are just two of the many I took. ¡Qué bonito!
Càdiz
After my photography class, we had typical American food for dinner-hamburgers and fries. Our crazy, fun group was so loud I’m pretty sure everyone around us immediately knew we were Americans haha. Oh well! We ended the night by going to the beach at midnight and listening to music while eating “American” candy (Reese’s, jelly beans, and whatever else we found in the “American store” in Spain. Like I said “American” haha. Anyways, you could say it was a day very well spent- “lleno de orgullo” (full of pride)!
“ Vamos a la playa a mi me gusta bailar”! Haha sorry, I just had to :). Can we just stop for a minute and take in these breathtaking pictures? I mean… wow! Drop dead gorgeous Am I right?! All of taken by yours truly:). We went to Bolonia, a little over an hour away from Cádiz. The bus ride was chill, aka an hour of me sleeping. Before we went to the beach, we actually went to the archaeological site (cash only) and learned about the history and ruins of the city. Don’t get me wrong, those were still very cool to learn about but let’s be honest, the beach wins!
A view from the top! Simply breathtaking! The whites from the building with the contrast of the many blues of the water were incredible!
As you can see, the beach is… well… just stunning. The weather was perfect and the day couldn’t get any better. Everyone was out with their families and dogs I just loved it! Not having any beaches in Kansas City I am very jealous of the people who live near one. As I mentioned above, the water was many shades of blue all the way from teal to almost a navy (as you went further out). When there is a beach, you know there are shells- my favorite! I collected so many I didn’t have any more room in my hands they were all beginning to fall. I recommend that you (or your host family makes you) “un bocadillo” (sandwich) to take with you. My host mom Isabel made me one with ham and cheese as well as some fruit and a juice box. A perfect picnic!
I love having photo shoots everywhere I go! We played some beach volleyball, tanned, and swam in the water (which was so refreshing after practically baking in the sun! Make sure you apply sunscreen, trust me). One difference from the beaches here versus the ones in America is that this was a nude beach. Everyone here is very open and comfortable in their own skin. I never wanted to leave! However, once doing so I just hung out at home with Isabel. We watched X factor until 1:30am!:) It was so fun hearing the artists sing in both Spanish and English and how they compare to each other. It’s the little moments like these- spending time with my host mom that I will never forget.
It’s Friday everyone’s favorite day! I had my first Spanish class today. Our group was separated into two groups depending on your level of Spanish. We went to the market(I really want to return I didn’t get to spend near as much time here as I wanted) and conversed with the locals. I will admit, this was a little bit intimidating at first because we had to walk up to strangers and ask them questions in Spanish. Some of the people were very friendly and loved helping us, but others not so much (probably thought we were crazy tourists).
Anyhow, there were hundreds of flowers, food, and people selling trinkets. I would say the coolest thing I learned while conversing with the local people is that most of them have lived in Cádiz their entire life. One guy has lived here for seventy years! Additionally, their favorite part of Cádiz is the market. The people there and just the interactions they have with other people are what make the town very close-knit and worth waking up every day to go to work. That’s what I love about here, everyone genuinely seems happier and they all love what they do.
Okay so really quick, there are hundreds of “plazas” here. This one is “Plaza de San Antonio”. All of the kids were playing fútbol and just had to stop and take a picture. Instead of sitting on your phone inside your house, (as many people do in America (okay I am a little guilty of this)) everyone is outside playing soccer and enjoying the fresh air I love it! Thanks for joining me once again on my journey! I can’t wait to share with you whatever comes next! Until then, ¡adiós amigos!
