This week has been going by in a flash. Tuesday we finally got the opportunity to go surfing at La Cortadura, one of the best beaches in Cádiz. Surfing is one of my favorite things to do when in a beach town, so, despite the high winds and clouds, I had a fantastic time. The instructors were knowledgeable and made sure to get us in action as quickly as possible to ensure enough time in the water. Wednesday, we visited El Puerto Santa María and went paddle boarding and kayaking. This too was great fun for us all. Towads the end, we even got to paddle amongst huge sting rays in the shallows.
Today, we visited Jerez de La Frontera. Several towns, such as Jerez and Arcos, have “de la Frontera” attached to their names because, around the 11th century, the Moors occupied these areas, and “de La Frontera” denoted it’s location on the border between Christian and Moorish lands. There, we explored the great views and gardens of Alcazar de Jerez, an 11th century Moorish castle. Afterwards, we spent a couple of hours in the city streets and headed home.
Tonight, we had a tapas contest, in which each “team” of roommates cooked any type of food for the group. Originally, my roommate and I planned on enlisting the help of our home stay family to prepare a traditional Spanish tapa such as Carne al Toro; after we were notified that we could spend no more than 15 Euro, we altered our plan. Instead, we cooked up 30 delicious sliders for the group, and they were a favorite.
-Brendan O.