Cádiz is Calling

We awoke very early this morning, well before sunrise. The Epic had not reached our port for the day, Cádiz. I am sure our early rise this morning was partially tied to the amount of food and drinks consumed the day before. Our excursion in Cádiz would take us to another white village and then a tour and a Sherry tasting in Jerez de la Frontera. (Usually shortened to Jerez). However, since it was so early, Tom went to explore the ship and Janet to the gym for a quick work out before breakfast.

Since we have been on the ship there was one thing we had not located. It was the elusive elevator to 18th deck. There is only one public elevator on the ship which goes to the top deck. We had received directions from a couple that was staying in a Haven’s suite where the lift was located, but when Sally and Rich checked it out, it was a no-go. One had to have a Haven coded key for the elevator to work. Tom began his search for the elevator at the Haven elevator location. It only took a few minutes to locate the public elevator. It too is located on the 15th deck on the starboard side right off the Garden Café. The glass elevator has only two buttons – 15 and 18. Pushing 18, the elevator climbed the 3 decks quickly, and when the door opened the view was unforgettable. The Epic had just started the docking evolution in Cádiz. The cathedral, surrounded by the white city as a background, and the ship lit up like a pinball machine - it was a KODAK moment… with my phone. Being a camera proponent, I rarely use the camera feature in my phone.

Following another wonderful breakfast, we headed to the Epic Theater to begin the disembarkation process. This morning getting off the ship went very smoothly and quickly. We were excited to begin our day! As soon as we cleared the ship a surprise awaited us. There was a hint of fog about. This moisture is extremely important in the making of Sherry, but more on that later. We boarded the bus, crossed the bridge leaving Cádiz behind, and the fog grew thicker.

Our tour guide was a native of the Czech Republic, but had travelled extensively and has lived in Spain for quite some time. She was very reassuring that the fog would clear as we made our way to the white village of Arcos de la Frontera. Arcos, as it is usually called, was about a fifty-minute ride from the ship.

Arriving in Acros we had climbed above the fog. It was a beautiful day and the quaint white village was still a sleepy place. The streets were quiet with just a few people walking and even fewer cars. The cobblestone streets transported you back in time immediately and were still a bit damp and slippery from the morning fog.

The tour guide got us pointed in the right direction to head up to the town square. Then it was “all stop” as one person in the tour group made the statement, “I cannot walk up a hill” followed by a questioned directed to our tour guide, “How are you going to get me to the top?” She calmly replied, “I am not.”

At this point I feel obligated to take an off ramp! The excursion was clearly marked moderate to intense activity, and also had this caveat clearly printed on the excursion information: Note: Tour involves approximately 1/3-mile of walking on hilly terrain with cobblestones. If you happen to do a cruise in the future, please make sure you read the details on the excursion before you sign up.

Now, with the gentleman settled in a nearby café, the group began the hike to the top. There were lots of complaints, moaning and frequent breaks by the group along the way. We were just dumbfounded by the amount of grumbles, but continued on. Reaching the top, we found vibrant blue sky and no sign of the fog. The Basilica Menor de Santa Maria dominated the square. Construction on this church began in the 15th century, and was completed in the 16th century. However, the edifice was much older because it had not always been a Christian place of worship. The Basilica was originally a Mosque built in the 8th century and 700 years later a Catholic King demolished portions, remodeled some, and built the existing church on top of the mosque.

On the opposite side of the square is what we had come to see - the view! Climbing the steps to a viewing platform we wanted to see the Guadalete River and the surrounding countryside beauty. From our vantage point, at a height of over 1000 feet, the view was supposed to be endless and gorgeous. However, as we reached the wall the view was anything but…

There was nothing but fog. One could not see 100 feet in any direction. Oh well, at least the walk back to the bus would be downhill for the moaners and groaners who now started complaining about their knees. The Guadalete River is one of the rivers that has major impact on the production of Sherry. It also has significant historical importance to Andalucía. The river formed a natural border between the Moorish and Christian Kingdoms and for the most part was no man’s land for both. Many battles were fought along it’s banks.

Making it to the bottom of the hill, we milled around a souvenir shop waiting for the others to make it down. There were plenty of trinkets and sample food items to buy, but the one thing that caught our eye was a large picture on the wall. It visually put into perspective what we may have seen if there was no fog.

Huffing and puffing, the moaners boarded the bus and we were off to the next stop in Jerez de la Fonterra. The tour guide announced that it would be a short thirty-minute ride to Jerez. Janet grabbed her book and I settled in for a quick nap to make up for lost sleep. I awoke forty-minutes later and Janet immediately said, I think we are going the wrong direction. Then, I saw a sign saying we were heading to Rhonda - Uh Oh. The driver and guide were in an intense conversation where words were flying faster than we could understand. After consulting google maps, the guide announced that the driver had taken a short cut only to find that the road was closed, and now it would be another thirty minutes to Jerez. She smiled, but was not a happy camper.

Arriving in the city of Jerez, we re-entered into the morning fog. The fog, the winds, the heat, the rivers, and the soil in this area make it a unique terroir for producing Sherry. If one looks on a bottle of Sherry, you will see that it is labeled - Jerez-Xeres-Sherry. Jerez is Spanish, Xeres is French, and you guessed it… Sherry is English. In the 1930s when this wine region was officially established, the wine officials wanted to make sure everyone knew what was in the bottle. Today, the official label of the wine region clearly has all three languages on each bottle.

We were headed to Bodegas Gonzalez Byass. The bodega has been in operation since 1835, and today the 5th generation of the González family is still in control. In the mid-1800s the González family partnered with a British merchant named Robert Byass. Their relationship lasted until the new century when the González family took back full control of operations. This bodega is one of the biggest in the industry with tentacles that reach far passed Jerez. They are best known for Tito Pepe Sherry which is the number one selling Sherry in the world. Bodegas Gonzalez Byass also boasts of the largest working wind vane according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

Arriving late, we ended up with an abbreviated tour. There were so many things we wanted to see and ask about the production of Sherry. Last year when Tom completed his Spanish Wines Scholar, he thought Sherry would be his downfall. The process is so complicated with so many different variants of the final product. Albeit, it is Fino Sherry and the magic that occurs during biological aging under a veil yeast known as “flor” that has had Sherry in demand for centuries. For this process to occur everything must come together at once. Cool evening breezes, the moisture of the fog in the morning, the hot sun during the day, and a grape named Palomino creates a low alcohol and low acid wine which oxidizes easily. The wine goes through an aging process in stacked barrels that make up a criaderas-solera, where portions of the wine in one barrel is transferred to another barrel of a different vintage periodically. This high-level overview of the process just scratches the surface of the secrets of Sherry.

Bodegas Gonzalez Byass is a massive facility with the streets covered by non-producing grape vines providing the shade in the summer.

There is warehouse after warehouse storing the 600-liter botas (special Sherry Barrels) that are painted black to easily find a leaking barrel. The barrels also sit in a bed of sand to retain the moisture needed to create the humidity required for aging. These warehouses are known as “Sherry Cathedrals” and are specially constructed to keep the wine cool on the hot summer days. The cathedrals are large pavilions and normally have a sand floor. The wind blows through the structure easily keeping them cool, but still humid enough to create the flor growing in the barrel.

Unfortunately, the tasting was very rushed with no real educational component. We have never really been Sherry drinkers, but as time goes by it is slowly growing on us. A chilled glass of a dry fino with tapas is a great pairing, and it is pretty hard to beat a PX for dessert. This unique Andalucían libation, which has been created biologically or has undergone oxidization, offers such a wide variety of flavor and taste we are sure there is one that almost anyone would enjoy.

Arriving back in Cádiz with free time to spare, we headed to the old town to explore and grab a bite to eat. Finding a small square with a few restaurants we grabbed a table outside. Tom’s eyes show excitement when he saw Jamon Ibérico Bellota on the menu.

When most people see the Bellota ham in today’s diet conscious world, they freak out – look at the fat! One would be surprised to find out that it is good for you and recommended because it promotes high levels of good cholesterol. It is all about the pigs and the acorns!  (Jamon Iberico Bellota Info) We rounded off the snack with spinach croquettes accompanied by a soft local sheep cheese drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled in sea salt. We went with a cold beer to rehydrate. Some kinda of good!

Walking the streets of Cádiz after lunch was so enjoyable. So many small alleys, nice shops, and squares to explore. The sun had fully burned all the fog away and the colors had become vibrant in the sun’s rays.

There is one thing a traveler can count on in Spain no matter where they are in the country. In the center of town, there will be a large church. Cádiz is no different, and when we wandered into the major square of the city, the church stood before us. People were busy setting up kiosks for the Christmas market which would open the next week.

We bought our tickets to tour the church for a few euros, and it also allowed us to climb to the top of the bell tower. There were no steps to the top. Instead, it was one long ramp that wound around and around seventy-six times before reaching the pinnacle. The deep blue sky with just a few clouds as background provided awesome views from the top.

Another couple joined us in the tower and we each took pictures of ourselves with the city in the background.

It was then that Janet noticed the ominous sign saying, “The Bells Ring Every Fifteen Minutes”. Checking her watch, she discovered that we had seconds to flee down the ladder and back to the circular ramp. The sound created by the bells was so powerful! We were so glad that we did not experience them ringing in the tower. Wow, were they loud! Reaching the square, we looked up one last time knowing we will make that climb another day and return to Cádiz again. We slowly walked back to the boat through this historic city that jutes out to the sea.

Tomorrow we will experience our first full day at sea with no ports. Honestly, the last few days of back-to-back excursions have been a blur. It is our hope that a day sea will be relaxing and afford us the time to take more advantage of what the Epic has to offer.