BACK TO SCHOOL

I like Cadiz, the southern coastal town where I am now trying to learn yet another language.  This is the view one block from where I'm doing another home stay with a Spanish woman very close to my age who is a retired teacher.  The school is also just a short block from the beach, so at breaks I walk along the promenade and take in the sun and the fresh sea air.

The weather has been so warm that young people are still surfing.

The school had first put me in a residence house with 6 other students, but the oldest of them was 40 years younger than me, and I felt a bit out of place.  So I changed to this home stay, where I get two meals a day and my laundry done.  It feels strange having someone take care of me every day.  It's very much like staying with my Italian friends who won't allow me to lift a finger to help with meals or clean up.  

I'm in a class with only two other students this week....both young Frenchmen who are very sweet.  They invited me to go on a tour with them tomorrow to the mountain town of Rondo, and I think I will go because the train service from here isn't that great.

The port city Cadiz is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain.  It sits on a narrow stretch of land surrounded by the sea.  I got lost yesterday because you can't use water as a reference point here--it's in every direction.  It's a small city of around 125,000, which means you can't be lost for very long.

The old town, where I was at first is very charming, with narrow streets that allow room across for one car and two people.

There's a large cathedral that has become my reference point--when I lose my bearings, I just keep asking where it is and head in the pointed direction.

There seems to be a cruise ship or two pulling in every day, but the streets don't get that crowded.

The temperatures have been warm this week--in the low to mid-70's, and there are still blooms on trees and bushes.

I saw this very interesting tree in a park yesterday--I have no idea whar tree is.  Can anyone enlighten me?

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There's not a lot to do here, but walk around the town, but I'm happy always to be by the beautiful sea where here I can watch the men fish......

And the sun set.