There is a 10 day festival at the end of September called the fiesta of Cartaginesis y Romanos, which happens every year.
The day we arrived the town was full of Cartaginians and Romans in period garb, with spears, shields, and (usually) a tankard swinging from a belt or already in the hand. We blended into the crowd following a band that led us to the battle grounds.
We were too late to get tickets into the main area, but were able to follow the action on the massive screen that had been hung off the old wall. Apparently there were humorous critiques of local and national news (spoken too fast for us to translate!), along with the footage of the battle.
The following day, we hiked around the city and stumbled upon the Byzantine Ramparts and the Roman Theatre.
Cartagena is another favorite port where people spend the winter. It has milder temperatures and oodles of local charm.
We met some terrific fellow cruisers here, and spent some time trading stories and cruising guides. Sandy and Mike from Utah, Michelle and Steve from US/Sweden, Juan and Lisa from Sweden via the Caribbean and Canaries…an energetic group with different styles of boats and different ways of cruising, but all full of fun!
It was nice to have the extra time here to see some sights, meet some people and rest up. Tomorrow we head towards La Linea Spain which is within walking distance to Gibraltar, where we will prep for the passage to the Canaries.
Very cool! Enjoy the good life.
What a lifetime experience and achievement! Enjoy your adventure and be safe. I love the way you write Virginia.