Italy and Med Cruise Day 12-Cartagena, Spain

The next day was Cartagena (car-ta-HAY-na). We had a beautiful day. We had signed up with others from the ship for a private tour. We rode the bus about 40 mins away to Murcia (MOOR-see-a). We visited a very small but exquisite Sanctuary to the Virgin Mary and then went to the town. The guide walked us through the town pointing out older buildings with interesting architecture. We toured an amazing Cathedral and the little town of Murcia was really cute (better than Cartagena really.) We had a little free time for a snack only even tho it was noon and then back on the bus to Cartagena.

There we walked some more, past some buildings and to a fairly recently discovered Roman theater and past other excavations they are currently working on. By this point we were very near the ship (no need for a shuttle today) and some people were just hungry, hot, thirsty and tired. She kept telling us the plan was to give us free time from 2 to 3 to get lunch, like they do in Spain, but some folks were done. So about 6 of 15 left. Then at 2:00, Dad left to eat on the ship. Me and Mom tried to find something but there were no quick places, only sit-down and we didn't think there was enough time. Mom finally grabbed a burger at a Burger King. We had a very hard time finding bathrooms. The guide told us we were going up to the high point of the city in the bus at the end so we got back on at 3 but he just made a circle of the city center without stopping. If we'd known, we'd have left too. There were more interesting things to see in Cartagena and if we ever come back we will just see those on our own.

Back on the ship, I finally ate a late lunch (about 4pm) and Dad kept me company and Mom grabbed a quick shower before our Concierge Class special event to watch us sail away on the helipad. It was supposed to happen in Gibraltar but it was too windy. It was fun and an interesting sailout. Then it was more showers and the show for some. It was formal night, or excuse me, Evening Chic, or Chick night as our waiter pronounced it. We had excellent service every night from Peter (India) and Dirk (St. Vincent) but some of the appetizers and entrees just didn't come up to par, we thought. They did several really interesting things up in the Buffet, both for lunch and some dinners, either special food, like frying Sea Bass or offering peeled boiled shrimp at lunch and a giant cake among the desserts. Of course the one night we ate up there, there was nothing special.

Getting a little tired of traveling but at the same time not ready to return to reality-next up last port of Ibiza!