Friday 21st April 2023

I am writing this when the day is not yet done. In fact, local time is 15:45, but we have done lots.

This is our last full day in the city, and my main aim today was go visit the Cathedral. I would have gone yesterday, but I was so hot and bothered and there was too many people.

So, put it off to today.

We were awake before seven, but lay in bed listening to the amazing silence that we enjoy here, despite being in a city. Each city block in this area looks onto a flattened area, not sure that the building is that our room looks onto, but it does mean we are isolated from the sound of the main roads nearby.

Which is nice.

We get up, shower and get dressed before going down for breakfast, which we time perfectly just before the stampede of the other guests. We have a prized table beside the window, overlooking the main road which had light traffic, for now.

Danes complain that the UK gets the best bacon and ruins it. In which case they should see what the Spanish do with bacon. Anyway, I had a small bacon roll, which did OK, but better was the three coffees which put a spring into my step.

I hoped.

Churches seems to open at half ten after the half nine Mass, meaning we had 90 minutes to walk the mile into the city, which we now know like we're locals.

My feet ache, 19,000 steps on Thursday meant that they had fewer miles in the tank this day. So, we ambled into the city centre, then took up a place looking at the porch to see when a queue might form. We had 45 minutes to wait.

We sat in the shade, and once I saw more people milling around outside the cathedral, we went over and took front place in the queue, with just 15 minutes until it opened.

I was indeed the first inside, once we paid the €9 entry fee, and so I was able to get shots with few people in them.

The Cathedral is home to the Holy Grain/Chalice. Or the one with the longest provenance, dating back to circa 2nd century AD. It's not well signposted, and seems to be in the old Chapterhouse, and is set in the middle of a dozen fine carvings. I found it by going into the museum, which exits into the Chapel.

The rest of the Cathedral is splendid, though not with the Baroque details of St Nicholas, but I go round to most of the fabulous fixtures, icons, statues and paintings, though we did not take up the offer to climb the 208 steps up the tower.

Not with these legs.

We went back outside, sat some more, and pondered what to do with the rest of the day.

Jools wanted to go swimming. So, we walk back to the hotel with the aim of picking up her costume and heading out after a half hour lay down. All was going well, but though of ice cream and/or breakfast came to mind.

A café door was open, so we went in for a drink of orange juice. But that turned into a plate of Iberian ham and fresh bread. The ham, was sensational, served with a tomato pesto, and went down very well indeed. So satisfied I was tempted to have a coffee too.

Then back to the hotel for a shave, as I could not find the razor I got out, so we had to search out a chemist to buy one. So, in ten minutes, I was shorn and lovely, then smothered in after shave.

Outside, we flagged down a taxi, and Jools explained we wanted to go to the beach. And the driver lurched off, at warp factor eight.

A twenty minute drive took us the other side of the port and marina, there was a wide beach, with a promenade and bars, restaurants.

I sat on the sea wall, while Jools went to the shore to have her swim. I was entertained by a guy with a guitar and his girlfriend on sax, murdering holiday favourites, turning every genre into muzak.

Once Jools had come back and changed into t shirt and shorts, we walk down the row of places to eat and were tempted into the second place, which offered three courses for €16. Baked cheese, followed by pork in a pepper sauce and rounded off with a coffee.

Not bad.

Not great either. But it'll do.

We walked to the main road, flagged a cab down to take us back to the hotel.

And here we are.