Cartagena, Spain by Margot Justes

A breezy day in Cartagena, located in the Murcia Region in Spain. It was not my first visit there, and last time I toured the relatively recently discovered Roman ruins, this time I decided to spend the day sightseeing on my own, and discover many of the delightful nooks and crannies.

The ship did not dock within walking distance of the city centre, but the town graciously provided a frequent and free shuttle service.

A long maritime past and many cultures have left an imprint and a rich heritage that the locals are very proud of, and are hoping the rest of the world will continue to discover. It is a city with a spectacular waterfront, the recently discovered Roman ruins that date back about three thousand years, potential digs for more treasures, friendly locals, and better marketing, makes Cartagena the perfect place to visit.

Since my last visit, the town has been discovered and has become a tourist destination. My first time there, there was one wonderful souvenir boutique, the Submarine Shop, that sold local wines, local pottery and other wine related items. There were a couple of the the obligatory flamenco dolls, ashtrays, all the touristy trinkets, but the Submarine Shop stood out in their offerings.  

This time as one entered the main square from the waterfront, there were temporary boutiques set up all along the street, and many other shops peppered the main street, along with many shoppers.

The Roman Theatre is a must see, along with some terrific Art Nouveau architecture, like the Grand Hotel, the Casino and City Hall to name just a few.  The ruins have seriously put Cartagena on the tourist map, and that is excellent news.

Funds are needed for additional architectural digs and discoveries. As recently as 1987 they found remnants of the Punic wall, and other treasures that date back to Hannibal.

The question of further digs to discover more ruins is twofold, there are houses, businesses, and parks that rest on top of potential archeological treasures, and many who live on those sites would prefer to continue to do so, while others want the excavations to continue. It is not so easy to start digging, yet the sense of history and preservation is desirable, and besides ancient ruins tend to bring tourists in, and of course that builds the economy, but as always there are many sides to every issue.

Along with the recent discoveries, fortunately for Cartagena, they have a wonderful moderate climate, reasonable prices, and lovely beaches to motivate the tourist industry. 

I joined the locals in a glorious paseo, the wonderful Spanish tradition of a leisurely stroll on the boulevard. The plaza is just down the street from the beautiful waterfront, after logging a few miles, I sat down in a cafe and enjoyed my obligatory coffee and the view, even a bit of rain did not mar the wonderful day.

The problem with sitting down after walking a lot, is the getting up part. Reluctantly after a delicious cafe con leche,  I made it back to the shuttle stop, and by the time I boarded the ship even dinner was an effort, but I persevered.

Happy travels, wherever they may take you.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Blood Art

A Fire Within

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www.mjustes.com

Gibraltar, UK by Margot Justes

My first visit to Gibraltar was fantastic. I took 2 tours; the morning one was given by an Italian expat, who has only lived in Gibraltar for less than 3 years, new to the job, but knew her history rather well. She had a hard time keeping track of her people. At one point, she said. “I can’t keep losing tourists.”  Among other things, she originally counted herself and the driver in the mix, where in reality, she only had 13 tourists, but still hard a difficult time keeping us all together.

We drove by the British and Spanish border, a rather busy place, many people cross the border daily to go to work in Gibraltar. The economy is booming, real estate is quite expensive, and it is much cheaper to live in Spain and commute. 

On the way, we crossed the runway for the airport, and when a plane is scheduled to land they simply close the road, and all traffic stops. It is also one of the most dangerous airports in the world, runway is about a mile long, and after that it is a wet landing.

We visited the Kings Bastion, a fort that unfortunately has been converted to a modern entertainment center, and little remains of the original fort. My first thought was it could have been converted using the resources already there, and to keep the integrity of the building. It would have been a far more interesting place.

We also visited Europe Point, it is the southernmost point of Gibraltar, and the views include the Strait of Gibraltar, and North Africa’s tip.  “I can see Morocco from here.”…and indeed I could.

The walk down main street, and Casemates Square was filled with tourists and locals alike, the place was bustling, and a few British pubs advertised fish and chips, and by then the smell was mightily delicious, along with many of the usual souvenir shops.

The one thing about touring like this, the appetite tends to increase. I would have loved to stay in town, but had to get back and pick up the 2^nd tour. Would love a repeat visit to see more of this bustling and vibrant place.

This tour included a visit with the Barbary monkeys, the delightfully curious and friendly creatures that live up the hill. They are always looking for food and are quite brazen in their search. We were warned not to feed them, and not take any food items with us; they seem to be better at finding food than the customs agents.

The monkeys don’t object in looking in your shirt pocket if something smells particularly delicious to them.  They are protected and receive fresh water, veggies and fruit daily, that is in addition to the food source that is naturally available on the upper rock. They are friendly, but we were warned that they are wild animals and will bite if frightened and provoked.

We visited St. Michael’s Caves, I haven’t seen too many caves, so have no basis for comparison, but these seemed spectacular to my untrained eyes. The colorful lighting added to the wander.

Then we trekked up, and up in the Great Siege Tunnels, and then we made the return journey down. My knees haven’t been the same since. These tunnels were dug in the late 1700’s, by the British from solid limestone,  an incredible accomplishment given the tools used, mostly sledgehammers and crowbars were used, with the help of gunpowder, under horrific conditions. The siege was an attempt by both Spain and France to wrestle Gibraltar from the British.

Gibraltar is one of those places that is still on my bucket list for a return visit, given the history, and the fact that it is a huge inhabited rock adds to the mystique and uniqueness of the place.

By the time I was back on board the only thing I wanted to do was sit, not move, and watch us sail to the next destination.

Happy travels, wherever they may take you.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Blood Art

A Fire Within

A Hotel in Paris

A Hotel in Bath

A Hotel in Venice

www.mjustes.com