Cadiz, the beautiful port city along Spain’s southern Andalusian coast, is sometimes called “Europe’s oldest city”, but we have a hard time trying to figure out how to verify that claim. Maybe Neanderthals grouping together didn’t really have what we would call a city, but that’s OK, Cadiz certainly has enough history behind it to justify them calling themselves whatever they want. Islam and Christianity battled it out here, as well as various civilizations more interested in Cadiz’s port and strategic trading position, over the centuries. But today, the Christians are on top and there was no better way to illustrate this than on our Easter Sunday visit. The statue of the Virgin Mary was paraded through the narrow streets of Cadiz, accompanied by brass bands and the various Catholic brotherhoods in their hooded robes. It was an unforgettable experience.

Besides witnessing the spectacle of this annual religious observance, the maniac duo of Jay and Tanya walked for hours through this gem of a city, stopping for beer and tapas for lunch and savoring the overall beauty that is Cadiz.