Life in Cartagena

We walked past the Tourist Information Office today. It was open. One thirty on a Sunday afternoon and open. Excellent, well done Murciaturistica. But then we realised that there was no obvious sign outside. I can see that, to a point. We don't want a nasty gaudy sign on the outside of the splendid modernist building that is the old town hall. But why not one of those simple little "A" boards? - sandwich boards on the street, "The end of the World is nigh!" Actually, if you look closely there is a board. On the blue/grey board to the right of the door there is an explanation about the town hall and the bottom third has the opening times of the tourist office We went to el Batel to see Elaine Ling's photos of baobab trees. If I hadn't know it was on we wouldn't have gone in. No information at all about the exhibition outside the building and only stencilled lettering on a glass panel inside. That's the sign in the photo. You need to look har...

We have house guests at the moment - some of Maggie's family and their lovers. Generally all we've done is to walk, eat and drink with the occasional museum stop to imitate cultural longing. Yesterday we boarded the Tourist Boat for a gentle tootle around the harbour. It's a while since I've been on the boat so I was a bit surprised when there was no recorded "to the left the such and such fort and to the right the old fisherman's quay" - commentary. It used to come first in Spanish and then in English but now all is silence. Anyway we stopped at Fuerte de la Navidad - Christmas Fort. Non Spanish speakers were directed one way and Spanish speakers another. We got to see an English language film extolling the virtues of Cartagena and then we were left to stroll the fort at leisure. As we walked and nosed I realised that the Spanish speakers were getting a detailed introduction to the fort. I joined in. Interesting stuff I thought. Lots about the de...

This is the Byzantine Walls Museum in Cartagena. It's a small, unremarkable place but I've been in much worse. It has an impresive facade don't you think? Not at all easy to confuse with a slightly run down block of flats. Do you see the sign that says museum or the board with the opening times? No, neither do I. It could have closed down of course. I haven't tried to visit it recently but, then again, it always was a discrete little spot

I went to the Naval Museum soon after we came to Cartagena. I remember having to ring the bell to get in. I remember the piles of artefacts without sufficient labelling. I remember it as being an interesting visit. When the University took over and converted the Cuartel de Instrucción de Marinería de Cartagena, the old Naval Training Barracks,  into its Business Faculty they left space for a new Naval Museum in the building. I'm not sure whether it's a replacement for the old museum or an addition to the cultural offer in Cartagena. Either way it's now open, I wasn't working today so I walked down and had a look. I was mightily disappointed. It didn't have the charm of the old place - where a scrap yard quality submarine battery would be displayed next to a model of some un-named 19th Century man of war - and neither did it have the whizz bangs of a modern museum. The rooms were a bit bare too and didn't show the building off to its best. Possibly t...