Always look on the bright side of life (or your parking spot)!

After our little hold up at Customs in Gibraltar, we went on to Tarifa. This small city is known to be the southernmost point of continental Europe and a favorite with for windsports. When there is wind. Which there wasnˋt. Sorry, guys! Here the Mediterranean and the Atlantic meet, which means the water on one beach, on the Mediterranean side, can be nice and warm, while itˋs rather refreshing on the next beach, on the Atlantic side.

Besides those facts, Tarifa is not, how shall I put this nicely, overly interesting. So after a few hours we left again, headed for a small town which was recommended to us by our French neighbors in Casares, Los Caños de Meca. 

On the way there we were overtaken on the highway by the Guardia Civil, seven or eight cars and a few motorbikes as well. Some kilometers down the road they were then blocking the way and pulled out some cars, including me, of course. By now Iˋm wondering if it has to do more with the proximity to Morocco, rather than with my striking appearance.  

Parking, it turned out, was a nightmare here. In the end we just parked right on the main road on a small strip of semi-firm sand. The place itself didnˋt do too much for us either, to be quite honest. The beach was OK, but with large rocks submerged in the shallow water, it wasnˋt the best place to get in either. 

Still, we spent the night there because we had no desire to go to another place that day. After eleven oˋclock the traffic died down and the night was actually rather quiet and pleasant.

Nevertheless, we were up and off rather early the next morning, headed for Càdiz. After checking a spot at the harbor and finding it full, we again parked next to a very busy road on one side, but a great beach on the other. Looking out through the windscreen - horrible! Opening the back doors - heaven! But this was at least a proper parking area and there were many other campers there already.

A bicycle road started just a couple of hundred meters from there and the 5km into town run alongside the beach all the way. 
You can climb the bell tower of the Cathedral to get a nice overview of the city. And itˋs a lot of fun watching the people who didnˋt read the "Beware, bells ring every 15 minutes"-sign. 

                                                           This whole thing is made entirly of silver

Cadiz used to be the center of Spanish exploration and sea trade in the 16th Century, explaining the more than 100 watch towers. Which seems a bit over the top for a city of around 7 square kilometers, but surely were useful for spotting ships approaching from all sides. 

Itˋs market area is quite nice, too, with a square set aside just for flowers, sitting right next to the small produce market. There are lots of little roads and alleys to get lost in, just to find yourself in front of yet another bakery. And sooner or later, you will go inside one!

The late afternoon was set aside for some more beach time and then we watched yet another beautiful sunset right from the comfort of our home. Guys, Iˋm still so stoked we are doing this. I wonˋt say that I love every day. That would be a lie. But I think 98% is about right! 

After a less than quiet night, my human got up at 7 am, because we were awake anyway, so she used the relatively cool early morning air to go for a good run along the beach promenade. Obviously she wasn't the only one, quite a few people were already out and about, running, walking their dogs and some cyclists as well.

One of them greeted my human as he passed, but she was too perplexed to answer and by the time she wanted to say "Buenos dìas", he was long gone. About 15 minutes later, just before she turned around, the same guy passed her again, greeting her again. This time she was prepared, though. And after another quarter of an hour, he came past again, now saying goodbye, hasta luego.

After a quick swim and a shower on the beach we were on the road again, headed for Seville. 
Seville is going to be one of the very last stops in Spain before we head over to Portugal. So I guess it's time to share some observations with you, wondering if they are Spanish things, or if the same is going on at home.

First: E-Scooters. They are everywhere, often in the way in the middle of the footpath, but also being driven by all kinds of people. Business guys and gals, kids on their way to school, delivery drivers, and so on. And soon there will be a book titled "100 ways to look cool driving an E-Scooter". 

Second: greyhounds. What is it about greyhounds? Personally, they are one of the few breeds that don't make me want to have hands to be able to pet them. And they are so nervous and seem scared all the time with their tail between their hind legs. And hungry, they look hungry. But they also seem to be the newest must-have fashion item. I see them all the time, often two or three of them together with one human. I feel sorry for them.

Third: A store called "Ale Hop". It seems to be the new "Subway", one on every corner. Naturally I've never been in one, but they seem to sell everything and nothing in particular. If it's only a Spanish thing at the moment, remember the name. It won't be long.