OUR TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE – Day 5 - Cartagena

Okay, back to the cruise updates! Sorry for the delay, but things have been just a little crazy around here lately. Watch this space for an exciting announcement coming soon.

Our second Spanish port was Cartagena. For a little history of Cartagena click
HERE to read the post I wrote back in December, before we’d actually been there.


We knew we’d be able to walk right off the ship and into town, which was really nice. We knew the town itself would be smaller, and although cruise ships do stop here, it’s not over-developed.

As we disembarked we were handed samples of a local liqueur - what a great way to say welcome! We headed to the top first – to la Concepió Castle. We walked up the winding street and were rewarded with some great views – of our ship in the harbor, and of an old bull-fighting ring, which I later learned was built on top of a Roman gladiatorial arena. At the castle we watched a short film which told us about the history of Cartagena, which dates from 227 BC.

From our vantage point we could also see a Roman amphitheater, just one of the many reminders that this region was once part or the Roman empire. Later as we walked through town we visited the House of Fortune, which houses the ruins of the home of ‘ordinary’ Romans from the 1st century BC. We also visited the Punic Interpretive Center to see the remains of the wall built by the founder of Cartagena, Hasdrubal, in 227 BC. Also located at the Interpretive Center are the remains of the Hermitage of San Jose, or at least the burial vault of the Hermitage.

I don’t know why no one told us about a wonderful sheep’s milk cheese to try in Spain called Manchego. I would have loved to compare it to the pecorino cheeses we have here in Italy, but I didn’t know about this cheese until we were back in the states! Even worse, no one – NO ONE! told me about the famous thick hot chocolate and churros!!! When friends described this decadent treat to me I was soooo sorry we didn’t know about it when we were in Cartagena – it would have been the perfect place to try it! We did see quite a few delicious treats in the bakery windows, but resisted temptation, knowing that our six straight days at sea were rapidly approaching, and that eating would be one of the main past-times!

Rather than just showing a few photos, here's a slideshow of our day in Cartagena. Remember you can click the icon in the bottom right hand corner to make the photos full screen size!





There are more photos from the cruise and all the ports we visited on our FLICKR PAGE.

CRUISING - Day 4 - CARTAGENA SPAIN

If it's Friday it must be Cartagena!  We'll be here from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., and it looks as though there are plenty of things to see and lots of great views.  Here's a little history: 

The Phoenicians, Romans and Moors all used Cartagena for its natural deep-water harbor. The entrance from the Mediterranean is protected by rocky fortified headlands that act like claws, pincering enemy ships. Inside this perfect sea port, a walled city was built. The city walls remained intact until the beginning of the 20th century, creating a dense historic center.

Although there are some ruins from the Carthaginian ages, such as the remains of the Punic rampart (built in 227 B.C. with the foundation of the city), most of its oldest monuments date from the ages of the Roman Empire when Cartagena flourished.  The view from La Concepció Castle takes in great views of the old bull ring, built on top of a Roman gladiatorial arena, the 18th-century autopsy theatre and the interior of the old cathedral.

The 18th century la Navidad was built to protect the entrance to the port of Cartagena.  It was restored in 2006 as part of the ongoing project to make Cartagena more tourist-friendly. From the hill above the castle are wonderful views of the great natural  harbor and its city.

This sounds like a relaxing day without too much of an agenda and plenty of photo opportunities!