Murcia and Cartagena


Murcia and Cartagena

10/18

We awoke in Cartagena this AM to another beautiful, sunny day. We took a bus tour into the region of  Murcia, the rival city to Cartagena. It was quite a long drive though desert appearing countryside that is actually a well irrigated and very important source of agricultural products for all of Spain. We stopped near an area along the Mediterranean that is a popular resort area. Our stop was at a picturesque lighthouse. 
   

   
Then we went through an area of Murcia that historically was important for mines of zinc, lead and silver. The mines are now inactive but their effluents have damaged the bay below and there is a government project to try and repair the damage. 
After winding through the mining area we arrived back in the town of Cartagena for a walking tour and a visit to the archaeology museum that leads to a large Roman theater. The inventor of the submarine is from Cartagena and a model of a submarine is in the traffic circle of the main road of the city.
The museum is very impressive as are the well preserved Roman ruins. After seeing the ruins, we walked through town a bit before going back to the ship for lunch. 

The afternoon was devoted to doing laundry in preparation for our disembarking in Barcelona. before dinner we met in Barry and Sharon's cabin to drink the cider that Ira had bought in Honfleur. We all agreed that it was terrible and went to dinner.

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