Cartagena

It is so beautiful!!! Today it was in the sixties and absolutely sunny: a perfect day for a day trip to Cartagena.  In the language class, the teacher mentioned Cartagena being full of history and sites to see; so, I looked up the bus schedule and sent out an invite to my friends on Facebook: over 13 people showed up!  Only 45 minutes away by bus, it was the best way to spend a Saturday in Spain.  The day began with a trip to the tourist center where the woman there mapped out a tour for us.  This was a trick we picked up in Lorca: the people that work at these places are good resources.  You tell them, “We’re students, and we don’t want to spend a lot of money.” Then, they tell you where you can get discounted rates and free entry!  The first attraction was a castle on top of a hill where there were great panoramic views of the Mar Menor and marina below.  An added bonus was that there was an elevator so we didn’t even have to climb the hill!  After that, we walked down closer to the water where there was a museum of shipwrecks and artifacts that had been found nearby.  It was really educational, and it had English translations so we weren’t completely lost.  By that time, we were hungry for lunch.  This tends to happen early because of the amount of walking required when you do not have a car!  We sat at a table that overlooked the harbor while a street performer played the Spanish guitar.  We sipped cafe con leche and had bocadillos (sandwiches) with tortilla.  Tortilla in Spain means something different than in the US.  It is a dish with mashed potatoes and eggs: kind of a potato omelet.  The lunch reenergized us so we headed to the main attraction: the Roman Theater.  The entry was steep at 4 Euros, but it was worth it! The views were breathtaking, and it was mindboggling to think how hold the structure that we were standing in was.   Afterward, we were able to catch a 4:00 catamaran ride out to the sea.  This was absolutely the best part of the day.  The views of the mountains and crystal blue waters were awe-inspiring.  We got back to shore just in time to take the 5:30 bus back to Murcia.  I am so glad that these weekend trips have been such great successes!  It is encouraging us to venture out more.  School starts Monday so it was good to have such a fun beginning to the weekend.

See my pictures from Cartagena here:  http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/album.php?fbid=1560205010671&id=1401660433&aid=2067338