A Day in Cartagena

Flower stall in the new centre, near the plaza

Baroque (?) buildingsin wide streets

Teatro Romano

The port at Cartagena

Expensive Marine Life at Cartagena

The artists took the Monday off this week and headed to Cartagena, a port town north East of where we are staying, with an Historical Centre as well as modern additions. The newer area isn't much to write home about - the usual hectic Mediterranean mix of good and bad architecture, high rise box-like apartments and the occasional Plaza with some orange trees or play equipment. However, the port development itself is quite lovely, filled, of course, with restaurants and expensive marine architecture, lounging tourists and many Spanish students (it is also a university town). The Old Centre is beautiful, centering around a Baroque Cathedral and stately apartments, visually stunning shop displays in authentic stone buildings built a couple of centuries ago. A number of the plazas have been made pedestrian only and are of a triangular shape, so that people watching is fun, because of the wide angle view allowed. Also, one never feels overwhelmed by the buildings on either side, as the opning is wide at the end of the boulevarde.

There is also a Teatro Romano Museo, ruins discovered only 20 years ago under a church in the city. Amazing to think this was all buried at one time! There are Byzantine and Moorish influences in the subsequent building, as well.

Apparently I missed another part of the old city - so obviously, Cartagena requires more than a day's visit

We're off today to Granada for an overnight stay - I'll let ou know how it went.