A Beach Juxtaposition

During my time in Sevilla I have often been told that it is the “hottest city in Europe.”  People say this proudly and with great satisfaction, as if it is a desirable credential.  As a temporary inhabitant of this great city, I ask myself daily “why did I leave the Pacific Northwest?”  However, an anticipated part of living in the so-called hottest city in Europe is constant beach-going.

I love the beach.  I was raised on the Puget Sound with the incredible blessing of getting to wake to the smell of the bay every morning.  That being said, the beach where I come from is an entirely different phenomena than the beaches in Spain.  On the beaches of Washington and Oregon, people spend their days flying kites, throwing sticks for their Labradors and kayaking.  Here, beaches are a place to siesta, tan (or sunburn, as the case may be), and drink cervezas while playing an occasional round of a game that looks a lot like badminton (no volleyball on these beaches, folks).  Spaniards do not own Labradors.

Despite these stark differences, I have come to love the Spanish seaside, although I have also learned that not all beaches are created equal.

Two weeks ago, my girlfriends and I went to a beach called Matalascañas.  When Keely and I informed our host mom of our plans she said (in Spanish), “Oh. Well that will be nice… it is the beach of Sevilla.”  Little did we know that this meant every single Sevillan spends the summer weekends at Matalascañas.  Still, the bus ride was only 14 € and I wanted to see the Atlantic Ocean, so off we went.  Matalascañas was crowded, filthy and teeming with salespeople who ran up and down the beach yelling, “Coca-Cola! Cerveza! Patatas fritas!” while pushing a handcart filled with their wares.  I was unfazed by these blemishes on my coastal excursion until I found myself swimming with countless cigarette butts.  Not okay.

Matalascañas, the beach of Sevilla

 Keely, Kelsey, and I- as posed by a Spanish passerby

In addition to this, we ended up eating at a cafeteria for lunchtime tapas, which was fairly disgusting.  I ordered calamari and fried fish, which included heads and tails.  Keely and Kerry ate a pasta dish that seemed to be the least offensive of the lot, but that I did not sample because it contained beef.  Fast-forward eight hours to the worst food-poisoning I have ever witnessed, and you can see why I am not the biggest fan of Matalascañas.  However, Keely and Kerry survived (barely) so I will do my best not to hold a grudge.

escaping the heat with some cervezas and tinto de verano

Kerry and Jess, enjoying the cigarette butts

The next weekend, we ventured to another nearby beach called Cádiz, this time without Keely (she said she wanted to go to Granada, but I’m fairly sure that her fear of beach cafeterias may have played a part in this decision) and with the addition of two guys named Alex and Ryan, some other friends from the program.  Cádiz was everything that I had hoped for in Matalascañas—beautiful white sand, clear water, and room to breathe on the beach.  The clear horizon line points to northern Africa and the white washed cathedrals set against cresting waves make the town postcard-perfect.  Swimming in the ocean in Cádiz was like being in a salty wave pool at Wild Waves, only without the screaming children and lifeguards.  Fantastico!

Plaza in the center of Cádiz

near the cathedral

cheesing on the waterfront

Cádiz shoreline

 We stayed the night in Cádiz, so we were able to spend the first day touring the area.  Kelsey, Adam, Ryan and I took the 2€ catamaran ferry to nearby El Puerto de Santa Maria for a sherry tasting.  El Puerto is one of three towns that make up the Sherry Triangle, the only region in the world that produces sherry.  The other points of the triangle are Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda, however our guide explained that sherry from each of these places is very different.  We were able to tour a bodega and taste several different sherries, which was really enjoyable.

Sherry tasting in El Puerto de Santa Maria

My photography, Jess' gymnastics

Cádiz sunset

When we took the ferry back to Cádiz we watched the sunset and found an amazing tapas restaurant, so I was beyond pleased.  All in all, it was an excellent trip that restored my faith in Spanish beaches.