It is said that Cadis was once a part of the fabled kingdom of Tharsis, a land rich in gold and silver, mentioned in the scriptures and the writings of Greek historians. What we do know is that Cadiz is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Western Europe. Three thousand years ago, Phoenician merchants established a trading colony on what was then an island (since joined to the mainland by a sandy isthmus). There is a textured, crusty quality to Cadiz. It has to do with the fact that the city is almost entirely surrounded by water, limiting its expansion, so that much of its layout has an unchanging character.
Wherever you are in cadiz, the sea is never far away. There is a special clarity to the air, and an ever-present scent of sea-salt to remind you that the city’s fate and fortunes have always been linked to the sea. It also has the effect of whetting one’s appetite in anticipation of some of the seafood dishes that Cadiz chefs are so proficient at preparing, and that are to be eaten accompanied by a good sherry from neighbouring Jerez.
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