This is just not a dilemma we face in Southern California. But it was a very real one for the ancient city of Qart-Hadast, you know the place, founded by that Punic Hasdrubal in 229 BC? These parallel Punic walls surround the city of Cartagena Spain. They are 10 metres high and were built to protect the ancient city.
They were breached though, twenty years later, by that pesky Roman Publius Scipio. You could ask Winston what to do……
I named him this. His real name is probably Hasdrubal. I imagine he is as clueless about this dilemma as we are, even though he is a proud citizen of Cartagena, despite his English origins…..
This is the more modern crypt of St. Joseph built in the XVI and XVII centuries, excavated in 1987 and 2003.
*
Here is the Roman theatre. A woman who was hanging out her laundry in her apartment that shared a wall overlooking the theatre took us in for free after I explained to her that “nosotros no sabemos nada,” (We know nothing.) This is always a useful thing to say, and in our case, it has the added benefit of always being factually accurate.
Cartagena has such wonderful walking streets, similar to its beautiful sister city in Columbia.
I can’t wait to catch up with all you and your blogs next week when the internet is functional!
Cheers to you from sunny Espana!
I’ve struggled with this for years…
Poor man!!! Must be tough for you….all that pesky old stuff hanging round! Such a source of untidy dust……..
Arf! Welcome back, Cindy.
What a colorful street on the last photo! I love history and i can’t believe how intact the ruins are.
I agree and completely uncrowded as well!!
Love that 🙂
Colorful stories in a colorful place. Your photos are perfect.
You are very kind!
Buenas nochas, senora. Que es,Cindy? Looks like you made the continent at long last, and are having a good time exploring the local sights and culture. Cartagena looks wonderful.
Paul
Today is going to be my first night on land!! Glad to be back in the land of computers!! We are in Roma, in a quiet, leafy, suburb for awhile!
Love tagging along on your adventures!
I love having you come along! 🙂
Great to see the pictures ,Cindy.thanks for sharing.
Ranu
You Ranu and your blog are a true joy!
Lovely memories of Cartagena my sister has a house not far from there. So I know of what beauties you speak!
Oh, lucky sister and you because you get to visit regularly. Cartagena is one of my most favorite cities….so beautiful and interesting!
Yes it is a lovely place . I hope you are still enjoying your stay, or are you home?
Wow talking to you in real time from Rome right now in a suburb is an old villa hotel with four windows looking out over the leafy quiet rooftops, tippy-typing on my laptop…..not a tourist around!!
Thanks. Great shots. Isn’t history interesting? To bad they didn’t teach it in high school instead of that date/memory course that they called World History.
Black and white movie reels in celluloid that always broke and the AV nerds would be called to fix it. The teachers picked their noses in the dark and read porno or something white newsreels did their jobs for them…but that was mostly in private school……..
🙂
PS- Those AV nerds were so smart. They never had to go to class. They just hung out in the AV closet cuz the teachers couldn’t run the projectors without them…..They are probably CEO’s now……
Another fabulous introduction to other worlds! Thank you!
Thank you for the appreciation!
that last image is a stunner! i’d like to bask in that spot for a very very long time! was it hard to leave?
I have a similar shot that is actually a bit better because the street is strung with flags from every country. Yes Cartagena is special and I would have liked more time there…….
people who visit the sister city here in south america talk of how lovely she is and how beautiful the women are!
Absolutely true. It is gorgeous in Cartagena Columbia………
Truly, the light is a haven for appreciation.
Beautiful. There is a shot of the old church that is pulsating this amazing interior golden light…..When I get more time I will try and remember to post it. You are right about the light…
It is an interesting place.You must be around the time that not many people were that and that is great.
Yes, crowds ruin a place for me…….
Beautiful! I love visiting places like this…so much history.
Cartagena is unusual with it’s pre-Roman ruins. Remarkable…….
beautiful !!! *Cynthia
Thank you!
That last photo of the street looks fake it is so colorful and perfect!
I took a more colorful one with international flags that I forgot to post…….Are you leaving soon for the Baltic with your new camera????
3 weeks!
WOO HOO!
I adore your pics, especially the last one, so vivid!
So glad! Thank you! Makes it worthwhile to post~
Love the texture in the photos of the crypts. Great post.
Those crypts were amazing with original dyes still clearly visible!
Cheers to you too 🙂
Ah Cindy! You do throw temptation in our paths. Merci beaucoup!
And to you!!!
I went there, 12 years ago, very good place…and your photos too, as always! 🙂
So kind. Thank you and I am very glad you have been!!
Hasdrubal. Scipio. Punic Wars. My schooldays are spookily evoked by the names! Great pics. RH
You had better teachers than I !!!!! 🙂
Ask Winston! lol 😉 Fantastic photos of a beautiful place – you are so lucky to be visiting these wonderful places, have a totally amazing time on your great travels 🙂
Thank you my friend. Wolfie and Winston might make fast friends!
The walking street is beautiful — I love the color! Sometimes you say things that absolutely slay me, Cindy — your paragraph about telling the lady hanging her laundry that you knew nothing had me in stitches! I’m so glad you are having a fun, eventful and educational time!
I feel the same about you!! Your posts are full of wonderful humor!
Pretty remarkable to see traces of paint still left on the building blocks. Gorgeous photos. Ken
Yes. We were pretty stunned! Thank you both~
When I originally commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox and
now each time a comment is added I get three e-mails with the same comment.
Is there any way you can remove me from that service?
Thank you!
Hello, you need to go back to your “blogs I follow” and uncheck the receive all comments box. It is terrible when this happens, but only you can undo it!