Cartagena
After having calm seas on our nearly two day voyage from Sicily, our first stop was Cartagena. This city has been a major naval station in the region of Murcia since the 18thC. It has been inhabited for over 2000 years and was founded by the Carthaginian Hasdrubal the Fair as Qart Hadasht. During the Roman Empire, it was known as Carthago Nova (the New Carthage).
The ship docked exactly as predicted at 1 pm and our position was quite close to the town so our walking tour began right at the port. No being herded onto buses today! I was impressed with the long, palm-lined promenade leading into centre. The streets were clean – not at all like Palermo – and paved with marble. Most of it was a pedestrian zone.
We began by walking through the Roman Theatre museum and taking escalators up to the recently restored Roman Theatre which had a capacity for 6000 people. Our guide explained how the lower levels were reserved for men – nobles and citizens. The middle layer was for women while the upper seats were available to foreigners, slaves and free men (former slaves). Built in the 5thC BC, the theatre was eventually covered by a new market in the 3rdC AD. Years later when some excavation was being done for a new building, the ruins were uncovered.
After having calm seas on our nearly two day voyage from Sicily, our first stop was Cartagena. This city has been a major naval station in the region of Murcia since the 18thC. It has been inhabited for over 2000 years and was founded by the Carthaginian Hasdrubal the Fair as Qart Hadasht. During the Roman Empire, it was known as Carthago Nova (the New Carthage).
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| My first glimpse of Spain |
The ship docked exactly as predicted at 1 pm and our position was quite close to the town so our walking tour began right at the port. No being herded onto buses today! I was impressed with the long, palm-lined promenade leading into centre. The streets were clean – not at all like Palermo – and paved with marble. Most of it was a pedestrian zone.
We began by walking through the Roman Theatre museum and taking escalators up to the recently restored Roman Theatre which had a capacity for 6000 people. Our guide explained how the lower levels were reserved for men – nobles and citizens. The middle layer was for women while the upper seats were available to foreigners, slaves and free men (former slaves). Built in the 5thC BC, the theatre was eventually covered by a new market in the 3rdC AD. Years later when some excavation was being done for a new building, the ruins were uncovered.
Following our visit to it, we walked to the Roman Forum (more ruins). This was once the bustling city centre of the ancient city. We saw the curia (senate house), baths and walked on an old Roman road. Unfortunately, the amount of time dedicated to the tour left us only about 20 minutes to explore the main street before we had to head back to the ship.
As this was the first Spanish town I’ve been in, I was impressed. The buildings were very pretty and a lot of them have the facades of old buildings while behind are more modern interiors. Interestingly, often when people have decided to rebuild their homes or renovate, they have found their property sits on some sort of archeological site. Apparently, then their properties can be appropriated in order to explore the area. That happened once parts of the Roman Theatre were discovered. Much of the residential around the site was needed to expand the dig so houses were bought and destroyed and the citizens relocated. It was unfortunate that we had only an afternoon here. I would love to have explored it more.
Malaga and Alhambra Palace
Next up was the town of Malaga where we docked Saturday morning. We docked there about 9 am and shortly after that, we were cleared to disembark. Because our tour to Alhambra Palace wasn’t scheduled to depart until 1:30, Daphne and I decided to spend the morning exploring Malaga. Getting there was easy: there was a shuttle to the port terminal and then another shuttle from there to the town centre. Once again, the promenade along the seafront was lined with palm trees and paved with marble. We crossed the main road and walked into the centre which, again, was a pedestrian zone. The buildings were lovely and lots of high-end stores were located on the main street. We walked to the cathedral which was massive and in varying styles. Apparently it took about 300 years to build which explained that. It was All Saints Day so most of the shops were closed and you couldn't visit the cathedral.
Malaga is the southernmost large city in Europe and lies on the Costa del Sol about 100 km east of the Strait of Gibraltar. North Africa is only 130 km away and there were car ferries in the harbour which make hourly trips there. There were also 4 cruise ships docked. Busy place! Malaga’s history spans about 2800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It was founded by the Phoenicians as Malaka about 770 BC.
Our afternoon/evening excursion was to Granada and the Alhambra Palace. Leaving the port about 1:30, we drove about 120 km through Andalusia to get there. Initially, as we left the city, there were lots of almond, avocado and olive trees. Further, as we approached the Sierra Nevada mountains (some with snow on them), the countryside became more barren but still covered with olive groves for as far as the eye could see. It was very arid (reminded me of the parts of the BC interior).
A couple of hours into the journey we stopped for a tapas lunch at a roadside restaurant – what I would call hacienda. It was called La Borraya, Torre del Rey. The food was okay – different cured meats, cheeses, crackers, salads, a summer Andalusian soup, and croquettes filled with chicken and béchamel sauce. They were tasty. After that, they served us paella but it was so salty most of us couldn’t eat it. It was all accompanied with a Rioja wine – yummy. We finished with melon slices. Then it was back on the bus for the rest of the drive through Grenada to Alhambra Palace.
The palace is an outstanding symbol of Spain’s Moorish heritage and was a palace, a fortress and a home for the Nasrid sultans of the Kingdom of Andalusia. The name comes from “Alqala hamra” meaning red castle. There are several palaces within the complex. At the Serallo, the official residence of the Sultan and the Harem, we saw the famous Patio de los Leones, a fountain feeding water through the mouths of 12 lion statues which represent the 12 months of the year. As we left, around 7:30, the setting sun on the sandstone buildings made for some pretty spectacular photos. We then had the nearly 2 hour bus ride back to the port in the dark.
Cadiz
Sunday morning, the 29th, we reached Cadiz on the Atlantic coast. During the night we had sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar. Apparently we went by the Rock of Gibraltar around 4:30 but I missed that. Even if I had been awake, it would have been on the starboard side and my cabin is on the port. I did see a lot of lights in the distance around 5 am but I think that was northern Africa.
Cadiz (pronounced kah’-dees) is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain and one of the oldest in western Europe. It has been the principal port for the Spanish navy since the 18thC. Situated on a narrow peninsula, it is a typical Andalusian city with a wealth of attractive vistas and well-preserved historical landmarks. The older part of Cadiz has narrow winding alleys connecting large plazas and there are numerous parks where exotic plants flourish. Cadiz has always been a centre for pirates, traders and explorers. It was here that Columbus departed on his second and fourth voyages. When the Guadalquivir River silted up during the 18thC, Cadiz overtook Seville as the centre of Spain’s trade with the Americas. Its Catedral de la Santa Cruz de Cadiz (Catedral Nueva) is decorated with precious metals that came from Spain’s Latin American colonies.
Our excursion to Jerez de la Frontera began with about a ½ hour drive inland. We drove over the town’s Constitution Bridge (it looks a lot like the new bridges in Vancouver – although this one wouldn’t have the problems with ice dropping on cars!). The bridge commemorates Spain’s 1812 Constitution which later became a model constitution for other European countries. As we drove inland we passed lots of salt flats, some with flamingoes standing in them. The terrain was very reminiscent of the landscape around Ile de Re and Arcachon in France – flat and marshy with sand dunes.
Jerez is home to dozens of sherry companies and we visited the famous Bodega Gonzalez Byass. It produces some of the most delicious sherry in the world. We learned about the blending process and then sat for a sherry tasting accompanied with various tapas. It was amusing to watch some of the people at our table pour the sherry in portions as if it was wine!
After we returned to the ship, Daphne and I decided to have a bit of a wander around the town. As the ship was docked directly opposite the entrance to the Old Town, it was simply a matter of crossing a busy boulevard and we were there. There were lots of locals strolling the streets in the warm evening. We had a quick glass of wine with Martyn and Pat whom we found sitting in the square in front of the cathedral and then wandered around for about an hour before returning to the ship for a late dinner.
Tomorrow (Monday, the 30th) we head for Seville where I will disembark. So, that will be the topic of the next blog.
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| Part of the Roman baths |
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| Part of an ancient Roman road |
As this was the first Spanish town I’ve been in, I was impressed. The buildings were very pretty and a lot of them have the facades of old buildings while behind are more modern interiors. Interestingly, often when people have decided to rebuild their homes or renovate, they have found their property sits on some sort of archeological site. Apparently, then their properties can be appropriated in order to explore the area. That happened once parts of the Roman Theatre were discovered. Much of the residential around the site was needed to expand the dig so houses were bought and destroyed and the citizens relocated. It was unfortunate that we had only an afternoon here. I would love to have explored it more.
Malaga and Alhambra Palace
Next up was the town of Malaga where we docked Saturday morning. We docked there about 9 am and shortly after that, we were cleared to disembark. Because our tour to Alhambra Palace wasn’t scheduled to depart until 1:30, Daphne and I decided to spend the morning exploring Malaga. Getting there was easy: there was a shuttle to the port terminal and then another shuttle from there to the town centre. Once again, the promenade along the seafront was lined with palm trees and paved with marble. We crossed the main road and walked into the centre which, again, was a pedestrian zone. The buildings were lovely and lots of high-end stores were located on the main street. We walked to the cathedral which was massive and in varying styles. Apparently it took about 300 years to build which explained that. It was All Saints Day so most of the shops were closed and you couldn't visit the cathedral.
Malaga is the southernmost large city in Europe and lies on the Costa del Sol about 100 km east of the Strait of Gibraltar. North Africa is only 130 km away and there were car ferries in the harbour which make hourly trips there. There were also 4 cruise ships docked. Busy place! Malaga’s history spans about 2800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It was founded by the Phoenicians as Malaka about 770 BC.
Our afternoon/evening excursion was to Granada and the Alhambra Palace. Leaving the port about 1:30, we drove about 120 km through Andalusia to get there. Initially, as we left the city, there were lots of almond, avocado and olive trees. Further, as we approached the Sierra Nevada mountains (some with snow on them), the countryside became more barren but still covered with olive groves for as far as the eye could see. It was very arid (reminded me of the parts of the BC interior).
The palace is an outstanding symbol of Spain’s Moorish heritage and was a palace, a fortress and a home for the Nasrid sultans of the Kingdom of Andalusia. The name comes from “Alqala hamra” meaning red castle. There are several palaces within the complex. At the Serallo, the official residence of the Sultan and the Harem, we saw the famous Patio de los Leones, a fountain feeding water through the mouths of 12 lion statues which represent the 12 months of the year. As we left, around 7:30, the setting sun on the sandstone buildings made for some pretty spectacular photos. We then had the nearly 2 hour bus ride back to the port in the dark.
Cadiz
Sunday morning, the 29th, we reached Cadiz on the Atlantic coast. During the night we had sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar. Apparently we went by the Rock of Gibraltar around 4:30 but I missed that. Even if I had been awake, it would have been on the starboard side and my cabin is on the port. I did see a lot of lights in the distance around 5 am but I think that was northern Africa.
Cadiz (pronounced kah’-dees) is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Spain and one of the oldest in western Europe. It has been the principal port for the Spanish navy since the 18thC. Situated on a narrow peninsula, it is a typical Andalusian city with a wealth of attractive vistas and well-preserved historical landmarks. The older part of Cadiz has narrow winding alleys connecting large plazas and there are numerous parks where exotic plants flourish. Cadiz has always been a centre for pirates, traders and explorers. It was here that Columbus departed on his second and fourth voyages. When the Guadalquivir River silted up during the 18thC, Cadiz overtook Seville as the centre of Spain’s trade with the Americas. Its Catedral de la Santa Cruz de Cadiz (Catedral Nueva) is decorated with precious metals that came from Spain’s Latin American colonies.
Our excursion to Jerez de la Frontera began with about a ½ hour drive inland. We drove over the town’s Constitution Bridge (it looks a lot like the new bridges in Vancouver – although this one wouldn’t have the problems with ice dropping on cars!). The bridge commemorates Spain’s 1812 Constitution which later became a model constitution for other European countries. As we drove inland we passed lots of salt flats, some with flamingoes standing in them. The terrain was very reminiscent of the landscape around Ile de Re and Arcachon in France – flat and marshy with sand dunes.
Jerez is home to dozens of sherry companies and we visited the famous Bodega Gonzalez Byass. It produces some of the most delicious sherry in the world. We learned about the blending process and then sat for a sherry tasting accompanied with various tapas. It was amusing to watch some of the people at our table pour the sherry in portions as if it was wine!
After we returned to the ship, Daphne and I decided to have a bit of a wander around the town. As the ship was docked directly opposite the entrance to the Old Town, it was simply a matter of crossing a busy boulevard and we were there. There were lots of locals strolling the streets in the warm evening. We had a quick glass of wine with Martyn and Pat whom we found sitting in the square in front of the cathedral and then wandered around for about an hour before returning to the ship for a late dinner.
Tomorrow (Monday, the 30th) we head for Seville where I will disembark. So, that will be the topic of the next blog.
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