Cadiz, March 2004. Click on images to see enlarged version.
All photographs © Detlev Fischer, 2004–2005
Why name this city? I am not a DMO and I am not a travel agent. I know about the progession from secret to atrocious tourism-infested joint. So why use my photographs to promote this destination? It is the paradox that the tourist wants to trod the untrodden paths, turning them into well-trodden morasses in the long term. Proud of what he fantasizes as "his" discovery he wants to pass on the secret to the deserving and shield it from the likes of himself, projecting his self-hatred onto others. He can't even stand his reflection with pushchair in the shop windows. He is conscious that he is the only one wearing a hat, the only one believing that he will get sunstroke without. On the other hand I have been searching for information and be grateful for things like this.
(1) Plaza de la Cruz Verde in the poorer part of the old city centre, with faces not pleased to be photographed.
(2) Lottery booth. At many corners you have people selling tickets in Spannerton's lottery to support the blind, aptly named 'once' (like in "once when I could still see").
(3) Citizen. I should not really include pictures like this, they verge on the pitturesque in a nasty way (look how authentic he looks). I would like to have a close-up of the tatoo on his left arm.
(4) Students at beach. Cadiz is a university town. The students have the luxury to walk down to the beach, sit down in one of the boats, play guitar, and smoke something.
(5) Tourists. Here is a rare species, the tourist: in typical pose, armed with map, glinting at novelties, typical gait, typical dress (no one else wearing shorts), and at typical location (beach).
(6) Avenida Doctor Gomez Ulla. Part of a street ring round the inner city. Vanishing point in a blue haze. The old city centre has few cars, its a pedestrian's city. Even here, traffic is modest.
(7) Playground in Parque Genoves.
(8) The main alley in Parque Genoves.
(9) Plaza San Antonio. Eve of the election for the national parliament and the autonomous regions. In Andalucia, the Socialist party will regain the absolute majority.
(10) Grief, and a gesture of grief. An optician couple observing a minute of silence for the victims of the Madrid bombing.
(11) City-cleaning. A machine for hoovering the street, trunk guided by the driver, in calle San Francisco. Driver looking not pleased to be photographed.
(12) Plaza san Antonio. Here, most of the squares are still for playing, strolling, resting, talking - not for driving and parking, or an asinine 'Stuttgarter Weindorf'. A lot of kid's football playing is taking place on city centre squares - many of which are much greener than this one.
(13) Parador Hotel Atlantico. The main gate. This was not where we stayed.
(14) Engraver's workbench in Calle San Jose. Remember "Yeguada infraroja."
(15) Sunday in the park (Parque Genoves). You get toy and sweet stalls, a railway for kids, a caroussel, and..