Poetic Bread and the past, well and less favoured

 It is a day that starts in the suburbs, passes a University Campus, goes through some post war mass housing and ends in the narrow lanes of old Puerto Real - so let’s start there.




Being a nicely sheltered place in the Bay of Cadiz various people have lived in what is Puerto Real. Some learned folk think it might have even been the Roman settlement of Portus Gaditanus, i.e. Port of Gades - Cadiz’s maritime ad-on. The current town was founded in 1483 as a base for privateering and royal raids against North Africa.  Much of the town was destroyed in 1823 when the French deployed a little white terror against the Cadiz Liberal Revolt against Bourbon Absolutism.  Things go back on track by the end of the nineteenth century, when modern shipyards and warehouses were made.


One thing of note is the ‘People’ section of the English wiki page. Of the sixteen souls named, fifteen are in the red ink of unlinked shame.  Only Francisco Fernández Rodríguez ‘Gallego’ gets a link, so let’s find out about him.  Born in 1944, a centre-back by profession, Gallego played for Sevilla during 1961-65 and 1975-80 - with the 248 games for Barcelona in between. He also played for Spain 36 times. Among his highlights were winning the League once, the Copa del Generalisimo twice and Inter-Cities Fairs Cup twice.


We are passing the University of Cadiz - which may explain all the young pedestrians we will pass.  It was founded in 1979 and specialises in medicine and - no surprises - marine sciences.  The medical stuff can trace its origins back to the Royal Naval College of Surgery, set up in 1748 and apparently the first in Europe to be a combined school of surgery and medicine.  https://www.uca.es/?lang=en/ 

We will go near a Roman kiln. It is, in the nature of these things, a few bricks in a circle which are stuck in the middle of an estate with no real care or attention - which outrages and excites various people.


Into old Port Royal. The Panaderia Fernando Damian gets 4.6 stars from almost 200 reviews. They have a facebook page- with a somewhat vintage photo on the cover.  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100053023314188  The last post was on 6th January, mostly to tell people they were closed.  Things, at this point, get strange. Well, more strange than usual. Two weeks ago Hakuna gave four stars and left this.

A sun-kissed ear of wheat,

worked for a while in the bakery,

now becomes a sandwich with ham,

chorizo, blood sausage, or salami.


Now becomes a sandwich with ham,

chorizo, blood sausage, or salami.


We share the same temptation:

fresh, unfrozen bread.

The oil drips, the crumb craves ham,

and breakfast becomes a religion.

The oil drips, the crumb craves ham,

and breakfast becomes a religion.


The Centro de interpretacion de la cultura de Puerto Real appears to be one of those little gems that gets passed by.  https://turismo.puertoreal.es/arte-y-cultura/centro-de-interpretacion-de-la-cultura-de-puerto-real/  It gets 13 reviews only - but 4.8 stars. Two weeks ago Cliff wrote:

‘A truly original and interesting cultural center dedicated to the popular culture of Cádiz. The exhibitions are beautifully presented, with multimedia and interactive elements that make the visit enjoyable for all ages. They explore the history of the Cádiz Carnival, local gastronomy, music, and traditions with great care and attention to detail. The center's staff is very attentive and passionate about their work, explaining each room with great enthusiasm. The facilities are modern and accessible. Ideal for understanding the cultural identity of Puerto Real and the province of Cádiz.’

We end at a less well favoured Campo de futbol and hope tomorrow will be another day.







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