Monday, May 1, 2023 – Day 131
Cartagena, Spain our docking spot for the day.
Happy May Day! Here in Spain, it is a religious holiday.
We are in Cartagena, on the southeastern shore of Spain in the western Mediterranean. It is about the size of Thousand Oaks, CA. At their last census, Cartagena had a population of 213,943; Thousand Oaks, 213,986. Can’t get much closer than that!
There are several cities that have the name Cartagena (in Colombia for example) but this city in Spain was the first, having been inhabited since 227 BC.
A random art installation at the seaport.
The Naval Museum at the harbor.
Cartagena’s harbor has been an important defensive port from its beginning. The location, one of the most important in the western Mediterranean, has changed hands over the centuries as different groups sought to control trade routes in the area. It is still an important naval seaport and home to a large shipyard.
The Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines and the Moors have controlled this strategic harbor over the centuries. The city reflects their presence in the varied architecture and archeological remains found here.
In the early 1900’s the mining industry took off in the hills around Cartagena. The people and money drawn here during that time created some beautiful Art Nouveau buildings like the Grand Hotel above and the City Hall below.
As we passed the City Hall, we came upon a group of people dressed in period clothing. The ladies looking particularly lovely! Our guide told us there is a society that holds regular events, this time likely taking advantage of the holiday to gather in a park near the harbor.
The group gathering in the park, reliving days gone by.
As we walked further into the city, we came across a church where families were gathered for first communion celebrations.
We continued our walk around the city looking at the changing building styles.
I don’t know who the architect for this building was, but they were most certainly inspired by Gaudi. This building would be at home in Barcelona.
Lots of beautiful iron work on the buildings all throughout the town.
Even the tiles paving the streets were certainly pretty.
Our tour guide mentioned to us that we should try a particular coffee unique to the area. We didn’t have a chance to try it, but I captured a billboard with the recipe. Later I Googled the drink and found out that while it may not be unique to the city, it is thought to have originated here in the tradition of the fishermen of Cartagena who would carry poor quality coffee, brandy and milk with them out on their boats to help keep them warm. Today it’s made with condensed milk, Magno brandy (cognac), Licor 43 and coffee. It is garnished with cinnamon, lemon peel and two coffee beans. If you try the recipe, let us know how it is!
Our next stop was to visit the ruins of a Roman Theater right in the middle of the city. It was built between 5 and 1 BC. Eventually, the stage area became a marketplace and then in the 13th century a cathedral was built on the site. The cathedral was destroyed in 1939 during the Spanish Civil War. In 1988, during a construction project, the ruins were discovered. The restoration was completed in 2003 and the museum opened in 2008.
As we came out of the museum we were near the top of the seats of the theater. You can see the modern city that has grown up around the site.
We were able to walk down the restored aisle steps to the stage.
Standing on the stage looking out at the seating. Probably not a bad seat in the house, but not a very comfortable seat either!
Leaving the ruins, we somehow got separated from our group and one another. For about 10 minutes I walked around trying to find our guide, not knowing the guide had left behind Jeff & some others also. I finally found the guide and the group coming out a gate into the city, but Jeff wasn’t with that group. Our guide wasn’t worried, she thought the rest of the group was waiting for her a few streets over. Well, she was mistaken, she’d left them without telling them to wait or where to go. Jeff did find us, I’m not sure what happened to the others. It all worked out, but there is nothing quite like thinking you are lost, in a town with few English speakers, and a boat that is leaving in a few hours!
As we drove out of town towards our next stop, we encountered a number of roundabouts. Europe seems to be crazy about their roundabouts! The town we grew up in, and learned to drive in, had one, just one traffic circle. Here, they are everywhere! I guess they do away with the need for lots of traffic signals.
The roundabouts we saw here in Cartagena were used to display art and artifacts. I don’t know if the arts are more valued in other parts of the world, but we have found lots of public art nearly everywhere we’ve gone. Not just in government and tourist areas, but in regular neighborhoods as well.
On our drive outside the city, we passed lots of fields, like this one, ready to be planted. It made me think of driving through Camarillo/Oxnard. We were told that this area is considered the ‘fruit & veg basket’ of Europe. This part of Spain is at nearly the same latitude as the Central Valley of California, so I suspect the growing conditions are very similar.
Our next stop, Cabo de Palos. We arrived to see this historic lighthouse high on the hillside overlooking the waters of the Mediterranean. The point where the lighthouse is today was once a temple to Baal and in Roman times, a temple to Saturn. In 1554 the entire coast was under constant attack by Barbary Pirates, so a fortified lookout was constructed on the site. Did you know, I didn’t, that the Barbary Pirates were mainly Muslims from North Africa, the Barbary Coast (part of the Ottoman empire). They plundered the European Mediterranean countries and the North Atlantic all the way to Iceland. Attacking on land and merchant ships at sea, the pirates and privateers took their treasure and enslaved the men, women and children. Barbary pirates were active from medieval times to the 1800s.
By 1865 this lighthouse was constructed and remains in use today. The light can be seen 23 nautical miles out to sea.
No filters used with this picture, the colors were spectacular!
From the lighthouse we looked down on the crystal-clear waters of the marine reserve of Cabo de Palos. While we were watching, some divers came up to a boat just out of the picture. Once a fishing village, it is now a popular place for summer homes and has some of the best diving in Europe. We can see why it would be a popular tourist site, it was beautiful here.
Arriving back to port to reboard our ship and head out to sea. We dropped our things at our cabin and went to the back of the ship to watch our sail away.
Still tied to the dock, we got to watch a group of young people practicing their paddling. They were really moving, making tight turns as they did many laps without resting. I got tied just watching them!
Jeff ranks Cartagena as one of his top cities to return to. There is plenty to see and do and the city seems easy to navigate. I’d certainly be happy to come back too.
Tomorrow, we will sail through the Strait of Gibraltar. We’ll move from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. The home stretch toward London, one week from today!