As you travel to the cities of southern Spain, there is always something to remind you that civilizations have flourished here since antiquity – some so old as to be lost in time and take on near legendary proportions.
CADIZ
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.
SEVILLE
This is Andalusia, and to many, Andalusia means just one thing, i.e, Seville. Who can fail for the charm of this city on the banks of the Guadalquivir river, especially during the season when its hundreds of orange trees are in flower and in the nights are full of magic? Once Spain’s largest city, the gateway through which the riches of the New World poured, today the capital of Andalusia is a prosperous hub of commercial and industrial activity, the centre of a rich agricultural region, yet such is Sevillians’ easy going attitude to life, such is their capacity for fun and fiestas, that visitors are left wondering how they ever get anywork done.
The city puts an enormous effort into the lavish Holy Week processions in spring, a celebration that manages to combine religious solemnity with Andalusian flair. No sooner is that finished than it is time for the April Feria, around-the-clock party that last a week. Seville will pull out the stops for any occasion, be it international sport event, a world fair, or a royal wedding. It could be that Seville learned to enjoy the finer things in life in the days of the Moors, when it was the capital of King Al-Mutamid, known for his love of poetry and music. The Moors left behind marvellous examples of their architecture, such as the Giralda, at one time a minaret and today part of Sevilla’s cathedral. Christendom’s third largest.
