We took a trip out to Agost, a small town near Alicante. This town is known worldwide for its excellent handcrafted pottery.
We went to a family operated pottery facility which has been in the same family for two hundred years. They provided us with a tour throughout their entire process of making handmade pottery.
We started outside and the guide explained how they select the soil, clean and treat it in preparation to make it into clay.
Guide, explaining the process of selecting the soil for clayFlatbeds for drying the washed soil for clay
We then headed inside the factory to see the next stages of the pottery being created.
The filter process of the soil used for clayThe guide demonstrating the pump system used to get clay
We went into a work area where we watched a potterer create pottery from clay.
A worker making clay pottery and demonstrating the process
We enjoyed the tour and learning about the art of pottery making. We then visited the showroom where there was some very neat handcrafted pottery.
Pottery showroomSome of the finished pottery on display in the showroom
There is definitely an art to making pottery and it was a very interesting process.
We went to Busot, Spain which is a small mountain town 18 kilometers from Alicante. The views were amazing on the way up the mountain on our way to see the Caves of Canelobre.
View from the entrance area of the caves in Busot, Spain
The entrance to the caves is on the northern slopes of the mountain ridge known as Cabezón de Oro.
Entrance to the Caves
We went to buy our tickets to go and see the caves but discovered that they just closed for the day. Our friend Felipe who is also a tourist guide spoke to the manager. He did his magic and the manager opened up the caves just for us. We went down a long hallway to the entrance of the caves.
The hallway to the “Coves del Canelobre”
When we reached the end of the hallway we came to an open cavern area. There was a platform which you could see the large cave area.
Ray in the Caves of CanelobreThe main platform area in the caves
We were able to go to the edge of the platform where we could see all the main areas of the cave. We looked at the main cave area which has a height of 70 meters and is shaped like a cathedral ceiling.
The cave which has many stalactites and stalagmites and is similar in shape as a cathedral ceiling.
It is amazing to see the caves, which were formed millions of years ago. There were different size stalactites and stalagmites throughout the cave. They only grow about 1 cm every one hundred years. Stalagmites are formed by calcium salt deposits formed by dripping water and often unit with stalactites.
Stalactites and stalagmites throughout the cave.
It was neat to be the only ones in the caves and able to see them without any other people around. The main cave area is the candelabra formation, which is the official name of the caves.
Stalagmites formed over many thousands of years.
The caves are a true natural wonder and an amazing site. We enjoyed our visit to the caves and were very thankful to have a private viewing of the caves.
We went to Cartagena and explored this wonderful city. Located on the coast of the mediterranean sea, it has a long and rich history. We walked through the streets in the old quarter of Cartagena and admired some of the unique architecture.
Architecture in the old quarter in Cartagena
What was very different was the walkway itself which was covered in beautiful marble and was polished smooth.
the polished marble on the walkways in the old quarter of Cartagena
We walked along the streets and came across city hall which had nice architectural features.
City hall in Cartagena Spain
We went into city hall and checked out the lobby area. There was security at the door and we were not able to explore the remainder of city hall.
Shelley and Ray at the base of the main stairway in city hall in Cartagena
The ceiling had beautiful features and was stunning to see.
Ceiling above the main staircase in city hall in Cartagena
The outside features of city hall were also impressive.
above the main entrance of city hall in CartagenaA section of city hall in Cartagena
The building was attacked repeatedly over the centuries and there are remnants of damage from cannon balls hitting the building.
Damage caused by a cannon ball visible on the wall at city hall
We then walked down towards the waterfront and admired the views from the boardwalk.
Boardwalk area near the waterfront in Cartagena, Spain
We came across a sailor and decided to get our picture taken with him.
Ray and Shelley with statue of sailor near the waterfront in Cartagena, Spain
The views from the waterfront were great and we walked the full length of the boardwalk.
The marina area in Cartagena, Spain
We saw many beautiful boats and the view of the mountains was spectacular. Overall a very enjoyable day in Cartagena.
One of our favorite sites in Cartagena was the Roman theater. When we first walked to the top of the hill and saw the theater for the first time it was spectacular. It was located on the hillside which made it quite large and impressive.
View from the top of the Roman theater in Cartagena, Spain
The theater was much larger than we expected and it could hold up to 7000 spectators. The theater was in use between 5 and 1 BC and it was in excellent condition considering how ancient the structure was.
Ray and Shelley with Roman Theater in the background.section of the Roman theater
We were able to freely walk throughout the majority of the theater admiring the architecture. The design of the theater was similar to a modern theater with exit aisles and divided into sections to accommodate the spectators.
Aisles divide the theater into sections for the spectators
We walked to the lower section of the theater and could see some of the marble columns which held up the wooden sections of the structure.
Columns in Roman theater in CartagenaColumns at the outer wall of the theater.
The entire theater was well designed and had spectacular features. The stone stairs were even cut out and designed.
Stairs carved out of stone in theater
We walked throughout the theater for almost an hour enjoying the beautiful historic site.
Section at the base of the theaterCorridor to the section behind the seating areaRay in section at base of the theater
It is truly hard to imagine the amount of history that occurred in the theater since 5 BC. It was a great experience and a very enjoyable time
We went to check out the Cartagena Punic Wall Interpretation known as “El Centro de interpretacion de la murall Punica”. The Punic wall interpretation center was built to the same dimensions as of the wall height and width of the original wall. The center highlights the recovery of remains from the ancient Carthaginian wall which was used as a defensive wall system in Cartagena.
The design of the wall is known as the Hellenistic model. It has two parallel walls constructed with large sandstone blocks. The walls were 10 meters high (33 feet) and inside the walls, there was space divided into different sections. Each section was used for a specific purpose, horse stable, weapons storage and living quarters etc.
View from above of the ancient wall
We walked through the center looking at the remains of the wall. It was hard to imagine that the walls were built around 200 BC.
Punic wall build approximately 200 BC
We then came to the stairs which led to an area that was discovered to contain a funeral crypt. The crypt belonged to the hermitage of Saint Joseph and was built during the XVI and XVII centuries.
Stairs to Roman catacombs
We went down the stairs and saw the crypt which contained actual remains from that time period. At the base of the stairs, the crypt was opened on one side and it was sealed on the other side.
Funeral crypt built during the XVI and XVII centuries
Inside the open crypts, there were remains from that time period.
Crypts dated from 16th and 17th centuries
The one side of the crypt was intact and was not opened. The original wall along with a painted image which was slightly visible.
Painted image visible on the crypt wallThe original sealed crypt section
The wall and crypt were very interesting and something we enjoyed seeing. There is an amazing history of Cartagena and it was an enjoyable visit.
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