U3A trip 31st March to 2nd April 2026
Over 40 U3A members set off early in the morning for our trip to Cartagena and we arrived midday in glorious sunshine. Our Hotel was modern, comfortable and very conveniently situated in the town centre, within easy walking distance of all the visitor attractions.
Our first afternoon was free for us to explore the city, and there were a lot of sights for us to take in. Cartagena is a city with a rich history – occupied by the Romans, and virtually destroyed during the Spanish civil war. The local council decided to clean up the city and rebuild, and in doing so when houses were demolished, Roman ruins were found underneath the houses. As recently as 1988, they discovered the amphitheatre and the forum and they are still working to uncover and restore what has been buried for so many years. Cartagena was also an important naval base and port, and it is still a key military base. We chose to take a trip on the tourist bus which gave an excellent overview of the city
On the second day we had a guided tour of the city by a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic young Spaniard. The tour lasted three hours ( with a very welcome break in the middle ) and gave us a taster of the sites we might wish to visit in greater depth on our own. We did go to the Roman amphitheatre and could see some of the work that is still being done by archaeology students. The architecture of the city is very interesting as during the rebuilding of the city they have retained some of the original facades of the buildings.
Our trip leaders, Eileen and Ian Brown, had booked seats for us to see the famous Holy week parade in the evening. When I say evening, the parade starts at about 10.00 p.m. and finishes roughly four hours later ! It is spectacular. It tells the story of Easter, and there are groups of penitents dressed in flowing robes and pointed hats which cover their faces. It is a tradition which goes back centuries. It is all done with military precision accompanied by bands and huge floats depicting the narrative, festooned with flowers, are pushed through the streets. It must be exhausting for the participants. During the day you can see them working on these floats and arranging all the flowers in one of the churches. The smell of the flowers as you enter the church is quite intoxicating.
Talking of intoxication, on our final day day we had some free time in the morning and then set off to visit the Licor 43 factory just outside Cartagena. The factory is modern and very eco friendly. Cuarenta y tres is a liqueur made from 43 ingredients, hence its name. The recipe is a closely guarded secret and only one person at a time ever knows it. We were treated to a tour and tasters of the liqueur. Our very good looking guide showed us how to mix a cocktail using the liqueur which we then sampled.
We arrived back in the evening after a thoroughly enjoyable trip. Our trip organisers, Eileen and Ian Brown, deserve a very special mention for all the hard work they did organising the trip and dealing with any issues in a warm and friendly manner. Many thanks Eileen and Ian.
