Cadiz by night

Though Cadiz charmed me with all its light and colour, it's quite possibly even more beautiful by night.

That's when its run-down charm really comes to life in a magical way.

Because Cadiz does not have an airport, many of the tourists that come here are cruise ship passengers. About 300 ocean liners top here for a day, bringing with them about 400 000 tourists. As the evening falls they will have returned to their ships and continued their journey and the locals start populating city's  cafes and tapas bars.

The narrow streets of old city are completely empty and one gets to explore them all by themselves. A laughter echoes in the air from one of city's many squares, where people gather until late at night.

Grandmothers catch up with the latest gossip from the wrought iron balconies from opposite sides of the streets. Somewhere laundry is being hung. Over there someone is deep in his thoughts, smoking the last cigarette of the evening.

Imagination starts racing on the dimly lit cobble stoned alleys. There's something about the ambiance that echoes 1920's Paris. Any moment one would expect a Ford A-model pull up from around the corner, emptying a decadent bunch of people on the street in their search of a speakeasy. Gentlemen in their dapper suits carrying bottles of Champagne, giggling ladies with curly hair and long pearl strands.

Cadiz is magical. 

At the end of one street there's a shop that's still open. A Chinese group is comparing the prices of bottles of whisky. I turn around. I'm not ready for this spell to be broken; to join the rest of the world. I want to stay in this moment and hold on to this feeling of having all this all to myself. 

I emerge from my thoughts smiling and continue my expedition. Ooh, I wonder what's behind that corner...!

* The trip was organized in collaboration with Cadiz Tourism *

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