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In Which I Get On My High Horse

April 6, 2008 by Mike

Cartagena

I spent Sunday doing the museum thang. It's been a while: somehow, southern Spain, and the Algarve before it, for all its history and culture, doesn't suit the cultural tourist in me. I hope you'll forgive me, cultured residents of the Iberian peninsula.. but maybe you'll identify with my plight. Everything and everywhere is geared to a different kind of tourism. When in Rome..

.. and when in Cartagena, I was able to indulge: the pre-Roman walls constructed by the Carthaginians (hence the name of the city), an almost-complete Roman amphitheatre, defensive bastions on the five hills overlooking the bay and port, a museum set in the bomb-shelters constructed by Republican forces during the Civil War, another in the Moorish castle.

Hell, I even took the tourist bus to see how it all fits together. (I recommend it, if only to laugh at the pitiful 'English' commentary. "I say, look at the building on our right. What a marvellous example of a naval warehouse. I say, this is a beautiful city, what?"

They found an English woman to read out the words for them.. but there was a recurring spelling mistake in the script.. "dom" instead of "dome" every time we passed a church.. and the poor woman kept repeating it.. "The dom of this church is very high".. she didn't even notice that it wasn't a real word.)

Dangnabbit, I'm sounding mean and niggardly again. I like Cartagena - the pace and rhythm of the place are just right; the architecture is varied and interesting (just look at that naval warehouse); there's plenty to see and do; people read books here; and the setting, between the Sierras and the clear blue sea, a sprinkling of hills, very green, sheltered and warm, cannot be faulted.

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