Cartagena, Spain 卡塔赫纳

July 14, 2024: Cartagena is a port city on the southern coast of Spain, boasting over 2,500 years of rich and diverse history. Our ship docked near the city center, and our tour began with a visit to the city hall and the plaza.

The city was ruled by Muslims at one time. In 1988, a Roman theatre was discovered buried during the Moorish Period under a ruined house during demolition. The tour we joined took us to see the Roman theatre and climb to the highest point in the city (350 ft up) for panoramic views. However, more than half of the group quit before reaching the summit. Then, we visited a bomb shelter cave used during the Spanish Civil War, during which much of the city was destroyed. Although Spain didn’t participate in World War I and II, the Civil War saw brothers killing each other, leading to a dictatorship under Francisco Franco.

New and Old Amphitheater

After three hours of walking under the scorching sun, we were exhausted and decided to go back to the ship for a break. We returned to the city for more exploration after a quick lunch. Away from the tourists, we wandered through the narrow streets to see a more authentic side of the town. We also visited more archaeological sites and museums.

Dinner was at Taste Café, and we watched the European Cup final in the Hollywood Theatre. Many Spanish fans were very happy.

2024年7月14日：卡塔赫纳(Cartagena)是西班牙南部海岸的一座港口城市，拥有超过2500年的丰富历史。它曾经被穆斯林统治过。1988年，在拆除破旧房屋时发现了一座埋在地下的罗马剧场。我们参加船上组织的岸上游带我们参观了这座罗马剧场，并爬上城市的最高点（350英尺）欣赏全景。然而，因为要走很多台阶，超过一半的团员在到达山顶之前就放弃了。接着我们参观了西班牙内战期间使用的防空洞，当时整个城市几乎被摧毁。虽然西班牙没有参与第一次和第二次世界大战，但在内战中兄弟相残，最终还导致了弗朗西斯科·佛朗哥的独裁统治直此1975年他的去死。

在烈日下上上下下走了三个多小时后，我们感到筋疲力尽，决定回船休息。简单吃过午饭后，我们再次下船自由行。远离游客，穿梭在小巷中看看这个城市更真实的一面。同时也参观了更多的考古遗址和博物馆。

晚餐是在船上的国际餐厅Taste享用的。之后我们俩一个听音乐会，一个观看了欧洲杯决赛。今晚是西班牙对英格兰。白天自由行时在一个广场上看到为了今晚的足球比赛而设置的户外大屏幕以及排得整整齐齐的椅子，估计晚上那里应该是人山人海了。我们船上西班牙球迷不少，除了影院，船上还在其它地方都安排了大屏幕实况转播，大家非常开心。