Restrained in the Strait Jacket – Cadiz

Firstly – yippeee it’s high tide and we can get internet from the nearby bar, our only option, and only at high tide is our antenna high enough to get a sufficiently strong signal for blogging. Posting can take a few hours spread over a number of days. Far from being on broadband we are on ‘occasional if the wind is in the right direction, the tide is high, nothing massive has berthed in the way and the bar windows are open’ band. As it’s approaching spring tides our blogging window is getting wider.

So we are currently trapped holding to enter the Straits of Gibraltar. We are trapped in Puerto America with marina prices above Solent levels – but we are in the great city of Cadiz. It’s been blowing a south east 6/7/8 in Cadiz so theory has it that the Strait will be F8 to 10 on the nose so we have been hanging here for a few days.

We have been thoroughly entertained having met Gerry, Chris and Siobahn from the Cork/Kinsale area. Gerry is a professional poet, story teller, actor and singer – you can’t image the yarns. We are about to go separate ways. We all think Cadiz is fantastic and how amazing to walk an entire city which has virtually no cars whatsoever. Just tall narrow streets to get repeatedly lost in. There is an unemployment protest in town claiming 45% unemployment but the protest is small and there is no evidence of any of bored youth in the centre.

A cruise ship army descended on us today and suddenly everything is packed out. They have cycle tours 50 or more strong, Segways off the boat to run down pedestrians, and getting down streets is less pleasant than the usual amble so we will stay out of town during their 8 hour turnaround time. The ship iteself even blasts music across the town.

Pictures to follow.