On our second day in Cádiz, we thought we’d take the tourist bus for a final look round, so went out and waited. And waited. And waited. When the rain came on, we gave up, and went back on board for tea. Earlier, we’d watched one of the divers being winched out of the water, while the new propeller blade continued to sulk on the quayside. It turned out that the old one wouldn’t budge, so after two days of work, they just had to tighten up the bolts again and carry on unrepaired. We left shortly after midnight (instead of 18:30-ish), but made good enough time to Málaga to allow a decent day ashore.
It’s a handsome, prosperous city with many fine buildings and lots of well-tended green space. The pedestrian streets in the centre were full of interest (and fancy designer-label shops), but paved in very slippery, shiny marble or ceramics. I managed to stay vertical, but it was a nervous business. The tourist bus was no more reliable than that in Cádiz, but there was at least someone there with a walkie-talkie to tell us there would be a 40-minute wait (this after three had passed in quick succession while we were eating nearby - so it isn’t just London where this happens). But it’s a good way to see a lot of the city in a short time.
Our cabin is on the port side, so as we run into Gibraltar, I imagine the lights I see are in Tetuan, or perhaps one or other of the Spanish exclaves on the Moroccan coast. I’ve also seen the lights of several vessels passing in the opposite direction. Busy stretch of water, this. As we curve round to the right to enter the harbour, Orion is just visible above the bright lights of La Linea. And there’s a new moon.
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