Cartagena

I was woken at 6.30 this morning by Sylvia describing the magnificent morning light on the mountains as we entered Cartagena harbour.

Once up we had an early breakfast and watched the ship pull into it's berth and took in the glorious views of the town from the upper decks.

Cartagena has a wealth of history from being the base for Hannibal in 200BC, through the Roman occupations to the glory years of 16th century Spain. Remarkably many buildings from each of these periods are still visible today including many fine examples of Roman architecture.

Although we had left the ship some time before Win and Jim we came across them in the amphitheatre which gave a perfect photo opportunity.

And to prove that Sylvia and I do travel together.

In addition to the amphitheatre the town boasts some Roman baths and several large churches with magnificent altar pieces, but the amphitheatre is probably the most photogenic.

We walked around the town for around two and a half hours, up many steps and down again, stopping occasionally to take in other sights such as this tree in one of the large squares.

On a hot and sunny day Cartagena was a beautiful city to visit and I am certainly looking forward to returning here next year. Poppy & Joseph will love it.

Tomorrow is our last stop, just a morning in good old Gibraltar, and then back across the Bay of Biscay and home.

 

Posted with Blogsy