07/04/2011, Cartagena
Love a bronze sailor...
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Comments [2]
thanks for reading the blog, it is good to know some one is reading it. It is as good as we hoped, currently at anchor in Torrevieja - best wishes to you and Sue
Best wishes Neil and Cathy
06/04/2011, Cartagena
The memorial in Cartagena to the victims of terrorism is a very poignant statue. However, Neil's hat was required to preserve the modesty of this blog!
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06/04/2011, Cartagena
Wednesday
Other yachties are starting to report mosquito bites. So far we've been lucky but both Isabelle and Wishbone have been plagued. So it's out with the mozzie net we created for the forecabin last year, looking a bit grey and patched now but hopefully it should still provide a place of sanctuary against the blighters.
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05/04/2011, Cartagena
Tuesday
Sleep was terminated again yesterday morning when the boat and pontoon were bounced so much the terrible surge in La Rochelle last year was brought to mind. Thankfully, this was by no means as dramatic. The Americans had arrived. Two huge cruise liners had docked alongside the marinas. Although flying a Dutch flag the American accent on the tannoy was a dead giveaway. The other ship, further away from us had an Italian flag.
The town seemed a lot livelier as a result of the visitors but swallowed them up without difficulty and they left mid afternoon minus the huge bow wave this time. The smell from their engines (left on throughout their stay) lingered for a while but they were soon forgotten when Lee and Joan invited us and their neighbours Jenny and Robert on to Wishbone for a few aperitifs and a little guitar music courtesy of Lee.
Another, larger liner arrived entirely unnoticed this morning.
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03/04/2011, Cartagena
Sunday
I think we're cultured out again. Having visited the theatre museum (very modern) and the Roman theatre itself (much restored but impressive) yesterday we were decidedly underwhelmed by the Decumano which is another strip of Roman road with remains of buildings that were possibly part of a bath house. It also contained a coach load of mixed ages and someone in period costume whose spiel we were unable to follow. Those that could seemed to be enjoying it, though. We went in search of Mercadona.
We're may also be feeling the effects of lack of sleep. Both Friday and Saturday night were disturbed by music way into the not so small hours coming from the shore. Having finally gone to sleep we were awoken at 7am on Saturday by a loud speaker, shortly followed by a gun fire from the nearby military ship and a brass band playing the National Anthem as the flag was raised. A loudspeaker countdown was accompanied by a police helicopter flying over the harbour and then gunfire which started literally thousands of people running or walking the Ruta de las Fortalezas (Route of the Fortresses).
It seemed better to join the crowds that night. We spent an enjoyable evening people watching as we sat in various bars lining the pedestrianised streets. Probably as a result of which we slept better.
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01/04/2011, Cartagena
Friday
We've really taken a shine to Cartagena. This is probably just as well as we may be here for some time if the approaching weather front continues as forecast. Wishbone and Sea Dragon both joined us here yesterday although Terry slipped his lines and disappeared into the big blue yonder before we were awake this morning. Thankfully he stayed long enough to give us the benefit of his experience of grotty fridge connections so ours is now functioning again. It caused a bit of worry, I can tell you.
The defrosting fridge followed on from the episode of the drunken autopilot. While we had Archie set on tracking, for no apparent reason, he decided we were going in the wrong direction and promptly turned us about 40 degrees to port! After that there was no persuading him that the little boat in his picture wasn't pointing in the direction of the waypoint. Neil eventually got it sorted by putting everything back to factory settings. We blame the military.
Time to explore and absorb some of the culture on offer in Cartagena. The city has recently started to make the most of its historical heritage. Some of the Carthaginian and Roman city still remains although much has now been built on. We got an overview of the history in the audio visual display in the castle (not much else to it, frankly) and peered at the last remnants of the Punic wall (famous in its time). We've also been into the air raid shelter which is the first time we've come across any museum dealing with the civil war.
For me, the highlight so far has been the remains of a Roman house. This itself wasn't hugely impressive but the excavations have revealed part of the street it was built on. I found this pretty awesome - to be actually walking on the original Roman street - although sad that so much has been built on in the not so distant past. We still have the Roman theatre to visit and hopefully find some local restaurants which have so far proved rather elusive.
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