I have news for all you weather buffs (anoraks?). Hurricane Sandy started here in Puerto de Santa Maria, or possibly just snuck over for a visit on the quiet. It is soaked to the skin in under a minute weather. The site is called Camping Playa Las Dunas and is close to a lovely big sandy deserted (but note weather) beach, and a short ferry trip away from Cadiz. Unfortunately the ferry does not take dogs, and in any event was closed due to “mal tempo”. I thought this meant bad weather, but Nia pointed out it more likely meant the captain was in a bad temper.
However it was a good site, friendly, good restaurant on site and very inviting cycle ways, which we would have tasted was the weather not so inclement. Good dog walking on the beach.
There is a large population of feral cats here, living in crevices in the breakwaters, and popping their heads out from time to time to see whether the rain had stopped.
We walked in to Puerto old town, in search of a bar. This is an old Castillo. Note my less than careful positioning of the boss, who seems to be sprouting a lamp post from her hairdo.
This is a plaque commemorating Christobal Colon, a citizen of Puerto in times gone by, and a bit of googling confirmed that this was Christopher Columbus. Apparently he was born in Genoa, and subsequently moved to Spain from where he ambled over to the New World, just a while after Leif Ericson. Anyone know why he left Italy? Perhaps the Spaniards had faster boats? Prettier girls? Better drivers?
Rambling about Europe with the Kray Twins (Colin and Penny).
Travels with Mavis 
Thank you for your enjoyable posts from Spain Pete and Nia – I am excited that you have arrived in El Puerto de Santa Maria now. My daughter Freya and I lived near there for a year. Cadiz is one of my favourite places, a very ancient port. Shame that the captain of the ferry and the weather was in a bad mood. Could you disguise the dogs?
Autumn is the time for roasted chestnut sellers in the streets, not to be missed. We worked out that the local accent is like a Yorkshire version of Spanish!
Adios amigos, looking forward to hearing some more from the region, Sue from Holmfirth. p.s. Noel is having a hip replacement operation tomorrow – and retiring soon after, so no excuses for heading off in our motor-home next year!
He left Italy because people kept laughing at his surname which is why he changed it as soon as he got to American immigration.
Hi P&N! V. entertaining blog! Colon aka Columbus got about a bit……!
Columbus first took to the sea when he was 14 years old and this continued throughout his younger life. During the 1470s, he went on numerous trading trips that took him to the Aegean Sea, Northern Europe, and possibly Iceland. In 1479, he met his brother Bartolomeo, a mapmaker, in Lisbon. He later married Filipa Moniz Perestrello and in 1480, his son Diego was born.
The family stayed in Lisbon until 1485, when Columbus’ wife Filipa died. From there, Columbus and Diego moved to Spain where he began trying to obtain a grant to explore western trade routes. He believed that because the earth was sphere, a ship could reach the Far East and set up trading routes in Asia by sailing west.
Val XX