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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was definitely as impressive as the amphitheater in Rome that I visited while doing studies in Roman history in college\u201450 years ago. It was a thrill to visit something Roman again after so many decades! \u2014 almost as thrilling as getting to Tarquinia when I visited Umbria the first time, in October of 2024. These moments returning to places so important to my past life are quite exciting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A beautifully carved capital on a column<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other capital carvings in the museum. I often imagine weaving tapestries of images that were originally carved in stone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Afterward we walked around the area where this excavation continues. The Roman forum is not open to the public because they are still working on it. Here is a beautiful garden and fresco in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some sights from the center of Cartgena<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n May 1 is Labor Day in Spain, and the Spanish know how to celebrate a holiday better than we do. The shops and museums are closed on May 1, instead of being open for big sales. Afterall, it’s a holiday to celebrate workers so they should have the day off! The entire city of Cartagena was turned into a giant festival with live music, including some famous bands and singers who performed on a big stage near the city’s promenade that runs along the edge of the Mediterranean. The festival lasts from Friday through Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were many women and young girls dressed in flamenco costumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n And here is a group of women ‘of a certain age’ dressed in Victorian costumes, enjoying cocktails together. Gloves and lace fans!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Saturday the Labor Day festivities continued, and another celebration took place as well. From what I understand the May 2nd celebration is specific to Cartagena. It is called “Gesta del 2 di May” and honors the soldiers who served in the war against Napolean, when in 1808 the Spanish succeeded in defeating Napolean’s forces and expelling them from Spain. But the parade and exercises seemed to honor more than that. There were speeches that seemed to cover the history of Spain, medals were given to soldiers from various branches of the military. The ceremony opened with the military band playing while a small corp gave a 21 gun salute on the four canons that had been placed on the parade grounds. Here are the canon guard before the ceremony started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n All the branches of the military paraded in to the site while the drum corp set the pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trumpets and drums playing for entrance march.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The final event of this ceremony was another gun salute on canons and the placement of a wreath on the black obelisk that honors those who served in the Spanish American war that was fought in Cuba. This ceremony was well attended by locals who heartily sang the two songs the band played that had lyrics. I don’t know which song was their national anthem, but surely the anthem was part of the ceremony. I also don’t know why this event only takes place in Cartagena each year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before this festive weekend in Cartagena, we took our friends to the airport in Alicante to fly home. Boy! Do we wish they could have stayed with us longer to experience this weekend in Cartagena. We dropped them at the airport in mid-morning and then used the rental car to visit Alicante, which has a castle dating from the Moorish middle ages through the Catholic renaissance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is Bob sitting at the highest point in the castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Castille de Santa Barbara (surely the name given to it in the Catholic period) has an interesting exhibit on the pottery shards found on this site. The first item on display is an incredible assemblage of shards from the entire time the castle was in use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While I love pottery, I can also imagine the beautiful imagery on these pots being used for a tapestry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The info on these pieces date them to the 1st century BC, yet they are so timeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n There was glitch to this visit to Cartagena and Alicante. While standing in line to pay my entrance fee to the Roman museum, I got pickpocketed! I had gotten out my very smal travel wallet, then put it away when my friends paid my entrance fee. The pickpocket probably saw where I returned it to the tote bag I was carrying, and I have to admit that I was not hugging the tote to my body as I should have done. Also, there was a cruise ship in port, which always brings out the skilled thieves. Within an hour there were charges on the two travel credit cards I carry, and also an attempted withdrawal on my debit card. The banks involved caught all the attempts right away and closed my accounts. While that is a burden, we are thankful that Bob has one credit card that was not affected, and I still have one card that does not have currency exchange exemptions. We’ll be fine for the next month on our continued travels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I returned to the Roman museum yesterday to buy a silk screened silk scarf that I would have bought if not for the pickpocket situation. It is designed and silk screened by an artist named Ron Torres. I have not yet found him online, but I will. Here is the unboxing…forigve me, but I was so smitten by the scarf and the presentation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n