Mostly pottery, with occasional wars and floods.

 


We are heading towards Chiclana de la Frontera, which appears to be one of those places which you live if you can’t be squeezed in to Cadiz.  They aren’t the only ones. 


The Phoenicians and their descendants seem to have moved in.   Being on the river and within reach of the sea it seemed to be an ideal place for buildings, cisterns, silos and ovens and all the other things discovered by archaeologists in 2006.


Fast forward to 1303. When the  Crown of Castille gave the place to Alonso Perez de Guzman  Guzman was Moroccan born and may have been a Muslim.  It is suggested his origins were smudged to fit in with the religious intolerance of the 16th century. The place boomed, along with Cadiz, during the Early Modern - interrupted by the tsunami caused by the Lisbon earthquake which killed dozens of people. In 1811 the French turned up to siege Cadiz. An Anglo-Spanish army turned up, under Sir Thomas Graham. They did for the French but did not manage to break the siege.



Chiclana was producing pottery in the ‘olden days’ and was still doing it in the 19th century.  They also made linens and sherry - and why not.  Mineral baths helped bring people in - and tourists flocked in there after.  The Novo Sancti Petri resort, which is close at hand, was described in ‘The Rough guide to Andalucia as "a complex of hundreds of identical avenues lined with featureless tile-roofed dwellings, ugly lamp standards, over-manicured gardens and a golf course designed by Severiano Ballesteros.’  You may be able to copy and paste this and apply to taste.


We are going to dash into town and across the river Iro. We are near the Museo de Chiclana. https://www.museodechiclana.es/  It gets 4.5 stars from over 500 reviews.   A week ago Sandra wrote ‘The Chiclana Museum is a cultural gem well worth a visit. Housed in a beautiful 18th-century building on the Plaza Mayor, it offers a comprehensive overview of the city's history from antiquity to the present day. The exhibits are very well organized and feature clear and detailed information panels. The scale model of the city and the art collections, spread across several floors, are particularly noteworthy. The staff is very friendly and always willing to answer any questions. Admission is free, which is a major plus. Without a doubt, it's a must-see for anyone wanting to learn about Chiclana's history and culture.’


We are crossing back over the Iro we can nip into the Panaderia La Espiga de Oro. Seven people gave it 4.3 stars and two years ago Mari said ‘It has very good bread. I like it.’


That’s it for today. Tomorrow we continue our Cadiz ramble.










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