Docked at Port Cartagena

Latitude 37.59 Degrees North and
Longitude 0.98 Degrees West

April 28th, 2018

Weather: Sunny in Morning With Light Breeze; Foggy in Afternoon With High of 67 Degrees With Low Humidity

Author: Don

Today we docked at Cartagena, Spain after sailing northwestward from Algiers on the Continent of Africa.  Cartagena is in the Andalusia region of Southern Spain on the Costa Del Sol.  It has a beautiful harbor and waterfront.  Since we docked within walking distance, it was easy to explore much of  Cartagena on our own.  Taking the Ascensor Panoramico (Panoramic Elevator) to the top of La Concepcion, a tall hill overlooking the harbor and city, we visited Castillo de La Concepcion (a castle built in the thirteenth century by King Alfonso X) as well as the Cartagena Center for History Interpretation located there to learn something of Cartagena history.  Unfortunately, when we arrived at the top La Concepcion hill, fog had suddenly rolled in and we could see practically nothing from the top of the hill.

Cartagena is a very old city.  Originally founded by the Phoenicians of Tyre in the 8^th century B.C., it went through subsequent domination by Carthaginians, the Romans, the Visigoths, and the Byzantine Empire for 1500 years, followed by 700 years of Muslim Arab dominion.  In the late 15^th century it was retaken by the Christians.  During the Spanish Civil War, Cartagena was bombed heavily by the Fascists and Nazis.  At the base of the Panoramic Elevator, in former actual bomb shelters, we visited a museum about the bombing raids.  It was a fascinating museum about a very disturbing time in the city's history.

We then visited the Museum attached to a 1^st century Roman theater that was discovered less than thirty years ago.  The museum displayed several artifacts from the various civilizations that had lived here since the Romans.  Through the centuries, the Roman theater was alternately used, ignored and built-over by subsequent inhabitants of Cartagena.

We found the current city of Cagliari to be filled with a pleasant mix of historical architecture, well maintained old buildings and new modern facilities.  It was a typical European city with many interesting sights, both old and new.