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.
We went to the central market and decided that we would buy an Ostrich egg to try it. We went to an egg market stall called “Huevos Yolanda” that sold ostrich eggs. We asked for an egg and she explained that they are ordered and she would call when it arrived. We ordered one which took three weeks before we received it. We picked it up at the market and was surprised at the size and weight of the ostrich egg.
Ostrich egg being sold to us from the central market
We walked home carrying the egg like a football, being careful not to drop it.
Ray bring in the ostrich egg into the apartment
The egg was bigger than we expected and weighed 2.6 kilograms. Apparently, one ostrich egg is equal to approximately 2 dozen chicken eggs.
Ostrich egg compared to an extra-large chicken egg
We invited some of our friends over to enjoy an ostrich egg brunch. The brunch began with Champaign and orange juice and the breaking of the ostrich egg. I gathered up my hammer and a screwdriver to gently crack the egg. Everyone gathered around the table for the event. It was quite the adventure cracking the egg.
We put the egg into a medium-size stainless steel bowl.
Stainless steel bowl for the Ostrich egg.
We whisked the egg in the bowl and then cooked scrambled egg.
Cooking up the egg required two large frying pans.
Ray cooking up one scrambled Ostrich egg
After cooking the ostrich egg everyone enjoyed brunch. The egg was similar to a chicken egg but was a bit creamier in texture and taste. The one egg was big enough to provide enough scrambled egg for eight people.
Liz, Barbara, and Denise eating Ostrich egg brunchMike, Filipe, Ray and Mike having Ostrich egg brunch
Although the experience was very enjoyable and fun, I am not sure I would buy an Ostrich egg every week. The cost of one Ostrich egg is 33 euros or $46.5 Canadian dollars.
The town of Alcoy or (Alcoi) is known for their annual Christian and Moor Fiesta. It is one of the oldest festivals of this kind in Spain. The fiesta original began (it is believed) the year after the battle in 1277. It has been internationally known and declared of International tourist Interest, since 1980. The three-day event consists of parades, music, and reenactments of the battles between the Christians and the Moors. They wear elaborate costumes, ride horses and use replicated weapons and fireworks as part of the reenactment. The Alcoy festival commemorates the battle between the Christians and Moors which was fought in 1276.
We went to the Christian/Moors museum in Alcoy, it is situated in a modern three-story building. We went to the third floor and began our visit eventually going down to the first level. Our first stop was in a small theater to view a movie of the event. Below are a few images from the video depicting the activities of the Fiesta.
Images from the reenactment of the Christians and Moors Battle
We watched the video which had parts of the amazing reenactment of the battle and some history of the event. There were also mannequins in costumes situated in the theater.
Ray in front of the costumed mannequins in theater
We then walked through the museum admiring the exhibits and the ornate costumes. On the second floor, we came to a large room with costumes that were used in the fiesta over the years. There were costumes for the children of the fiesta.
Costumes used in the Alcoy Christian and Moors Festival
The displays were very impressive and each mannequin had an information plaque depicting the year it was used in the fiesta.
Some of the older costumes used in the fiesta1921 costume used in fiesta
There were also adult costumes on display from different years of the fiesta. There were rows and rows of very impressive and ornate costumes. We took our time and walked the rows of displays. Below are a few images of the costumes. There are even a few cameo appearances in some of the photos.
Adult costumes on display of the fiesta in Alcoy.Costumes on display from the Alcoy fiesta
The costumes were extremely ornate and very impressive.
We then went to the next level of the museum where we saw some of the exhibits on the making of the costumes. There is a very detailed and complex process for the creation of the costumes. Every year the “Boatos” which loosely translates to mean “the pageantry designers” create new designs for the important roles in the fiesta. They conceptualize the sketch, choose the materials and colors and coordinate all the artisans that take part in its creation. Then the new costumes is created for the fiesta.
Design images for the costumes of the fiestaSome of the materials and jewelry used in the making of the costumes
There was also a meeting room which is used for the organization. The room is also decorated with costumes and images from the festival.
Meeting room for the organization of the fiesta.
The museum also had on display artifacts and old books of the history of the Christian and Moor fiesta. The first recorded photograph of the fiesta is dated back to 1876.
Historical photographs of the Alcoy fiesta
There were historical books, art and other documentation depicting the long history of the fiesta.
Painting in the Christian/Moor museum in AlcoyPoster of a previous Fiesta
The visit to the Alcoy museum was very interesting. We enjoyed walking through the museum admiring the costumes and reading about the history of the fiesta. It is amazing to see how they maintain the history of a battle between the Christians and the Moors that occurred in 1276.
The visit to the Alcoy museum was very interesting. We enjoyed walking through the museum admiring the costumes and reading about the history of the fiesta. It is amazing to see how they maintain the history of a battle between the Christians and the Moors that occurred in 1276.
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