Day 4 of the cruise brought us to our first port stop  – the Spanish city of Cadiz. From here, it is possible to visit Seville but we had decided to just get off the ship and have a wander around.

As we were in no rush to disembark, we had breakfast in the MDR. We were seated immediately and the service was fast. Mr FFF and MIL both went for the full English option which was huge and looked much more appealing than when Mr FFF slaps all of the component parts onto a plate in the buffet! I opted for a ham and cheese omelette and a fruit salad, both of which were very nice.

We then headed down to the gangway and onto dry land. I had found a walking tour map from Cadiz tourist information online which I had downloaded onto my phone but as we left the terminal building, paper copies were being given out for free. There were 4 different coloured routes to choose from ranging from 1.8km to 7km. We decided to combine a couple of the shorter routes which would take us through a good portion of the city.

We hadn’t really known what to expect from Cadiz but we were impressed with it. Being 3000 years old, there were lots of historical buildings to view and it was lovely to wander around the streets of the old town. It also had a very ‘typical Spanish’ feel to it with lots of beautiful, shady parks and open plazas.

Our walking route took us to the central market which was a real spectacle. It was fascinating to see fishmongers cutting up whole tuna and swordfish and seeing the size of these; they looked very different to what comes out of a tin at home! Outside was a stall selling fresh churros with chocolate caliente which, of course, we had to sample and at €3 I felt it was a bargain.

We continued our walk stopping to buy some locally made crafts along the way before reaching Plaza de San Juan de Dios where we decided to take some refreshment whilst watching the world go by. It was surrounded by some fabulous architecture and we managed to grab seats outside a bar right next to some fountains. As the place we were at was a shop/bar which specialised in Iberico ham and local wines, I thought it would be rude not to try them and I can confirm they were delicious! Mr FFF had a small beer and MIL had a diet coke. The bill came to €15 and as the ham accounted for €9 of this, I thought it was pretty reasonable.

Rested and refreshed, we headed back to the ship and went to the buffet for lunch. I again managed to go for the healthy option by loading up on a variety of different salads including mixed seafood and a delicious shrimp, chilli and sugar snap pea combo (I’m definitely going to try making that at home). I also resisted the desserts opting instead for fruit salad which was the same as the one served at breakfast but was still very nice and refreshing.

Tired from all the walking and eating, we retreated to the cabin to relax, read and blog for a couple of hours before sail away. As we had missed the sail away party in Southampton due to the weather, we decided to go up onto the top deck to where they were celebrating once more. It was still really hot but we kept cool with cocktails as we waved goodbye to an excellent first port.

A quick change and it was time to eat again. We chose the MDR again and once again were impressed with our options. My dessert was the best I’ve had so far – Chocolate Mousse with a Pretzel & Chocolate Ganache served with Salt & Vinegar Ice-cream. I must admit, I tried it mainly because of the ice-cream as I was intrigued by the flavour and I’m pleased to report that it was delicious. It wasn’t as vinegary as a packet of S&V crisps, it was subtle but you could definitely taste it and it really complemented the rich chocolate. MIL chose an Oreo & Dulce de Leche Sundae. There seems always to be a sundae option on the menu and they always look gorgeous so I think I’m going to have to try one soon.

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For the evening’s entertainment, there was an Olly Murs tribute act in the Manhattan lounge and he was pretty good. Bed was calling then after the day’s activities but Mr FFF and I did manage to catch a glimpse of the lights on the coast of Morocco from our balcony as we headed through the straights of Gibraltar. We have another sea day to relax tomorrow as we sail to our second port.

Thanks for reading,

FFF