Cartagena, Spain (500 Namesakes Around the World)

Cartagena was prized for its harbor.  It is one of the best in the Mediterranean Sea, and has been utilized as a military installation and a trade port through the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Moors, and the Spaniards.  In the past 25 years, the port has been revitalized and is attracting the tourist trade these days including cruise ships much bigger than the Ponant boat we arrived on.  

There's plenty to see and do.  There's an amazing Roman Amphitheater which has been excavated as an archeological site which can not only be visited and seen, but climbed all over.  It was interesting to see how the seats show what class of Romans sat where.  I read someplace the other day that the 'pecking order' we all deal with in human herds started over 10,000 years ago.  Social order and social climbing is way older than we'd like to believe.  

The gray tower is the elevator getting us to the top of the hill

At the top of the hill was a beautiful park.  It was on one of the hills that surround the harbor.  We were able to look down on the amphitheater as well as peek in on the gladiator area uncovered underneath the city's bull ring.  It's still being excavated.  

Stage to the right, seats to the left

This was a performance theater in Roman times.  In the picture above, it's easy to see how it functioned.  There was also a 'cover' over the stage held up by Ionic columns of marble.  The cover is long gone, but some of the columns remain.  There are plenty of pictures in the link below.

We hiked around the park for awhile, heading to the top which gave a 360 degree view of the city below including the Roman amphitheater we just toured.

Cartagena is also the home of the Spanish Navy.  There's a Memorial to the bravery of the Spanish who died in the Spanish/American war in the late 1890s.  Spain lost all its remaining territories in the 'new world' as well as the Pilipino Islands in that war.  Today, there's still debate as to how it actually started.  "Remember the Maine" was the initial rallying cry for war in the United States although the sinking of the battleship Maine has never been conclusively proven to originate with the Spanish.      

There are bronze statues honoring the soldier and sailors who fought in the war
around the sides of the monument

Cartagena is built around a series of plazas like you find in the Americas wherever the Spanish first conquered.  It's an attractive city which has fairly successfully redirected its graffiti artists to be adjunct decorations fresco style to the great Roman ruins of the city.  This one is across from the Roman Amphitheater.

 

When you're in a port for a day, you barely smell the icing.  At least I got a T-shirt!

The best part are the pictures.  Hopefully, you'll enjoy a set pix w/o formal paintings.

Cartagena, Spain

Welcome to Malaga, Spain

Centro Malaga, Spain

The bullet train from Madrid to Malaga was delightful.  I would always take a train when offered.  Time to get rail service with 200 mile per hour trains in the USA.  Can you imagine 2 hours between Dallas/Houston without the hassle of an airport?  

Malaga is a beach town.  San Diego crossed with Acapulco.  This coastal town has a laid back feeling you only find in Mexico.  It had delicious seafood, interesting buildings and a gorgeous Basilica.  The place to stay is in the Centro area.  This is the tourist area of restaurants, shops, the cathedral, and the Picasso Museum.  We stayed at Emily Suites which I highly recommend. Rudolfo and Emily are the owners of this delightful place which opens right onto the main plaza.  At the same time, the bedrooms are quiet, cool, with nice bathrooms and a nice common area with kitchen.  Plus, there's an elevator!   

Interior Courtyard of Picasso Museum

Malaga is also the birth place of Pablo Picasso.  This is a delightful museum of his personal pictures and sculptures.  It's run by members of his family.  The museum is also extremely popular.  It's easy to buy tickets, but you will have to line up to get in since they restrict the number of people inside the museum.  It was still pretty crowded.  I suggest you arrive well before noon.  You will still stand in line, but at least it won't be in the direct sun which was already hot in March.   And, yes, I took pictures.  Everyone is shocked, I know!  The museum covers Picasso's work from the beginning to the end of his career.  This artist was so prolific.  He worked from boyhood until the day he died.

The other major attraction in Malaga is their cathedral.  Building it was started in 1528 and completed in 1782.  There are several artistic styles beginning with gothic, continuing with the Renaissance, the Baroque and the Neo Classical.  It was utterly magnificent.  This is one of the two remaining Baroque Organs.  Everything with the exception of the bellows is original.  As with many Catholic Churches, it was extensively decorated with paintings, sculpture, carved wood, marble, and lots of stained glass.  It closely resembled other cathedrals I've seen in Europe, particularly the ones who took more than 150 years to build.  

Malaga is a beach town.  We didn't see the beach since we were only there for a day and a half.  This is where we got on the Ponant cruise ship.

As always, pix, pix, pix.

Malaga, Spain - Picasso Museum

Malaga - Basilica

Museums of Madrid

 The Prado Museum is the jewel of the art museums in Madrid. I was somewhat disappointed in this museum because while there were some fabulous paintings, it was all about Spanish artists.  I really expected something closer to the Met or the Louvre which are more broad spectrum of world art.    

That said…..  The presentation of the El Greco painting, and the Reubens paintings were unforgettable.  El Greco’s painting of "The Crucifixion" was haunting.  I also liked "The Annunciation".  [Since I took that Renaissance to Present Art History class, I've become obsessed with paintings of the annunciation which is when the angel reveals to the Virgin Mary that she is pregnant.]     Ruebens Three Graces was my fav of the chubby.  They also had a Caravaggio.  Usually, the pictures would tell it all.  However, The Prado Museum doesn't allow pictures, so you'll just have to take my word.  

"Guernica" by Pablo Picasso

Moving on to the Reina Sofia, the modern art museum, I truly enjoyed it more than The Prado.  First, and foremost, it holds "Guernica".  This is Picasso’s acknowledged masterpiece about the Spanish Civil War in the 1930’s.  Franco, a Fascist, seized power in Spain precipitating the Spanish Civil War in the mid 1930's.  Franco tested out Hitler’s new weapons and war strategies, taking three years to destroy the legitimate government.  Franco stayed in power as a dictator for decades.  

Picasso bequeathed Guernica to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC with the provision that when an elected democratic government was restored in Spain, "Guernica" would return to Spain.  It was obvious by the crowds of school children how this painting is regarded as a Spanish treasure.  Happily, Dali and Kandinsky were also represented. As an adjunct to Guernica there were photographs from the Spanish Civil War.  Flamenco was also celebrated here.  As always, the pix tell it all. 

Barron Thyssen

My favorite Madrid art museum was The Thyssen.  Think Frick or Morgan or Bass (Ft Worth).  This was a magnificent private collection with art from Medieval times to Modern/Contemporary paintings.  Surprisingly, artists from all over the world are represented. There were quite a few American painters including Western artists - Russell, Remington, and Bierstadt.  As a happy happenstance, there was a special exhibition from the art museum in Venice which displayed some real treasures. 

Madrid also has a Royal Palace.  It had all the gorgeous frescos, furniture, paintings and knickknacks along with a gilded chapel.  The King of Spain actually lives there.  The priceless items were a chamber set of Stradivarius instruments - two violins, one viola, and a cello.  It was the most  impressive palace I’ve ever seen.  [There's a separate blog entry for the Palace.]

The historical center of Madrid is filled with gardens, fountains, and beautiful  buildings.  We only spent a small amount of time in this city.  It deserves a return visit. 

Pictures galore with this blog entry. 

Reina Sofia Museum 

Thyssen Collection

Hello the Ship

The Ponant Ship docked at Cartagena, Spain

The Ponant company did not make a good early impression.  Their processes and procedures were lacking.  No one official was collecting the luggage at the dock to transfer to the ship!  Since most of their customers were collected at the airport in Malaga, we were the small minority boarding the ship on our own.  Then, when they finally located the luggage on the dock, someone misplaced the key to the luggage scanning machine.  It was like a keystone cop adventure to get our luggage.

They also insisted I hadn’t filled out all the ‘forms’.  When I showed my paperwork completed on their website, they shrugged and shoved a form in my face. Well….  we all know I don’t suffer fools gladly, and just because they were French didn’t deter me.  I was cutting and not shy about using some of my best (non profane) words.  The poor crew guy had obviously never experienced such a blast of displeasure about the vaunted Ponant cruise line.  

I realized the next day I had taken out my displeasure and anxiety on the poor guy, so I apologized sincerely to him.  I’ve tried to be super nice to all the crew since showing my ass on the embarkation because I know how hard they work and how long they are away from home.  Some of the crew, especially those on the bottom rungs of service, are away from home (usually the Philippines) for months at a time.  At least on THIS ship, I didn't feel they were overworked like they seemed to be on ships with more people aboard.

The boat is beautiful.  Windows are sparkling clean.  Elevators arrive instantly.  You never have to wait for anything.  Our balcony cabin is huge.  The food is magnificent.  At the last luncheon, they had a whole roast suckling pig!  I couldn't eat any although it looked delicious, because I felt sorry for the pig.  I can only eat meat when I can't see the face.)   The 'complimentary' alcohol is extremely drinkable.  You never wait to get on and off the boat.  That’s what you get when there are only 180 people competing for the services.  

This ship is small enough to get into some smaller ports.  That became very apparent when we were able to cruise the Corinth Canal.  (More about that later.)  The Captain and all his officers are around all the time.  Sometimes, I wanted to ask, "Who's driving the boat?"  Unfortunately, I became acquainted with the ship's doctor in the middle of the night.  I got tourista (that's usually an ecoli infection).  It took me about 36 hours to stop throwing up and having diarrhea sometimes simultaneously!  I finally got well.  At that point, several members of the crew were inquiring about me, and the bartender sent me (unsolicited) a special tea he concocted using ginger and lemon.  I did miss a couple of excursions - one of which I was really upset about - the trip to Olympia.  We will have to use Drake's pictures instead of mine.  

Of course, I took a million, zillion pictures during the entire trip.  Here's an overview of the trip:  Fredericksburg to NYC; weekend in NYC; fly to Madrid for three days; bullet train to Malaga (Spanish seacoast town); got on the Ponant ship; 11 days cruising the Mediterranean; Athens for three days; fly to London; six days in London; fly back to NYC; train back to Fredericksburg.

The Spanish Royal Palace

Spanish Royal Cathedral - across the courtyard from the Palace (above)

Spanish Royal Palace 
(to the right)

Crest of Spain

The Spanish Royal Family

I’ve seen many royal palaces, stately homes, and castles, but none can hold a candle to the Spanish Royal Palace which is still the home of the royal family. This place is a collection of art, objects, phenomenal decorations, and a chandelier collection second to none. We joked today that keeping them all clean would’ve been like painting the Golden Gate Bridge; once you finished, you get to start all over again.  The Royal Palace directly faces the Royal Cathedral.  It’s a face off between the earthly secular king  and the spiritual leader of Spain. This is a wildly popular tourist attraction.  It was crowded with tours but still enjoyable.  

We are discovering the ‘senior rates are a drastic savings in the admission prices.  However,  you must present documentation that you’re OLD to get the reduced ticket.  

As with all these types of attractions, the pictures say it all.  Be prepared for splendor.  Especially notice the Stradivarius collection.  It's the only complete collection of two violins, a viola, and a cello.  These are considered priceless.

Spanish Royal Palace

Thinking About Prayer

 Today I'm thinking about and praying for the people who have prayed for me over the years.  During roughly 50 years of my life, I've had people actively praying for me.  Of course, my zany side immerged and I thought about ranking them from last to first - like a TV sports show with swirling, twirling lights and other graphical dodads.  And that brought to mind one of my mother's favorite bible verses - The last shall be first and the first shall be last. [Matthew 20:16.  This is part of the landowner parable.  The landowner pays all his workers equally whether they worked all day or just part of the day.]  It means that in God's kingdom (such a medieval reference!) the insignificant will be important in the eyes of God.  More importantly, heavenly systems are not like the earthly systems. 

I know.  I never write so directly about religion, but it is Lent, and my Lenten gift this year is to read a devotional every day and try to reflect on it.  Today's was about people who have prayed for you.  There have been so many.  It started when I was a child, and my mother's friends prayed for me whenever I was sick or in the hospital.  Some were Marthas and some were Marys.  [For the non-Christian, I'm talking about the parable where Martha does all the work required to have a bunch of people in her home for a dinner party and meeting.  Mary, her sister, sits at the feet of the teacher and listens to everything he has to say rather than helping Martha.  Martha is outraged when the teacher chides her for her jealousy and envy and refuses to instruct Mary to help her sister.]  You can interpret this parable in two ways - there's more than one way to serve God, and it's important to prioritize our time spent with God.

The point is there are many ways to pray.  I try to become friends with the people I meet who have certain types of auras - for want of a better word - .  Well, just like some folks are great at gardening or cooking or have a creative talent, some folks just seem to have a direct line to the spiritual.  It just sort of radiates out of them.  Now, selfishly, THOSE are the folks you want praying for you.  And, those folks are also people to be emulated.  It's kind of an impossible standard, but it is good to strive for. 

If you're saying at this point, "You're crazy; I don't see ANY auras."  Here's another approach - memorize the fruit of the spirit [ love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control]  If someone seems to embody these qualities effortlessly, that's someone you want to pray for you.  

As I became a parent, people prayed for me and my child.  I was never in a hospital waiting room or in as a patient alone.  That kind of prayer is a great comfort.  Plus, in times of stress I've never been shy about calling in the troops when I felt in need of prayer.  

If the shoe is on the other foot and I try to pray for someone, if I can't get started, I just turn to the Psalms and contemplate one.  It usually brings the comfort of knowing people are about the same - same types of troubles and upsets as modern people.  Endurance is all.  The idea of Leaning on the Lord is another good starter.  Worry is unfaithful is another good starter I use on myself.  

So, if you are so inclined....  think about prayer (or whatever spiritual quality makes sense to you).   

My prayer for you is you find a blessing during your day tomorrow.  Keep your self open to the possibility.    Amen, Over and Out.  Later.  YF.  Yeah, I should probably throw in a few emoji's here for fun 📿💗😇.  You can figure them out.

Texas Rangers: Spring Training, 2025

 Well, Texas Ranger fans, I've written a Spring Training Blog eleven times.  Basically, the same 59 people read it.  (Weird, huh?)  This year I've been hesitant to write about Spring Training because I'M NOT IN ARIZONA.  The first week of Spring Training I was positive I couldn't write about it.  We were only getting audio, and the 'starters' played about one nano-second followed by a stream of prospective wanna be's - some of which are legitimate, and others are ones invited to Major League Camp as a perk for a good performance at the lower levels of Minor League basement (High A, AA).  Triple AAA players are looked at hard - especially pitchers.  Non-pitchers at the Triple AAA level are invited to see if their ability to hit major league pitching has progressed to the point of being seriously considered.  

Each year, there is usually a 'break out' player.  In 2024, it was Wyatt Langford.   He's on track, again, to make the team.  The position player who has broken out this year is the Ranger's Minor League Player of the Year, 2024.  He was invited to the American League Fall Stars games.  He's Alejandro Osuna, a 22 year old RF who bats/throws left.  He has been tearing it up in Spring Training:  Translation - he's hitting major league pitching.  However, because he's so young, and our out field is overrun with seasoned players, he'll probably wind up in Triple AAA (a big promotion for him).  Still, he would be poised to jump up to the "Show" in the case of injury.

Last year was a huge disappointment.  It started with the starting pitching being decimated.  Then Josh Jung, star third basemen, broke his wrist. That opened the way for Josh Smith to become an everyday player and to blossom.  There's no way he can be kept out of the lineup this year after his amazing performance last year.  Semien (2nd base), Lowe (1st base - traded to the Nationals in the offseason), Heim (starting catcher), Garcia (right field) ALL HAD DISAPPOINTING SEASONS.  Only Seager did well, whenever he played.  He had surgery in the off season.  Evan Carter was hurt most of last season.  We were a dismal team.  Josh Smith was the only consistently competent batter last season.

We couldn't buy a seeing eye single.  We couldn't get the timely hit, especially with people on base.  Our one run games were underwater.  Our pitching consistently gave up runs in the first third of the game while we were blanked.  It was an exercise in frustration. 

THIS YEAR:  Starting rotation:  LaGrom (finally healthy, an "Ace" by any standard); Evoldi (healthy, and doing well in Spring Training); Mahle (concerned that his arm is still a bit iffy); Bradford (sore elbow - not going to be ready for Opening Day; Dunning (hopefully will return to his 2023 form); and Jon Gray should be the workhorse of the starters this year.  

Bradford's injury is setting up a ten day competition for his roster spot between Jack Leiter & Kumar Rocker.  Both are young.  Both are homegrown.  Both have great stuff.  Whoever wins this short term shorting job, will have a baptism by fire in the early season since neither one is truly a 'pitcher' yet.  Both should be starting in Triple AAA to get more command, and to learn how to be crafty and work out of trouble.

Our bullpen is the big question mark this year.  Kirby Yates, David Robertson, José Leclerc, Andrew Chafin, José Ureña, and Owen White were all traded/or left as free agents.   The bullpen is the weak link in this team.  There's no way to tell which of the dozen of so pitchers duking it out in Spring Training can produce during the year.  Joe Barlow is back.  If he can maintain his form of two years ago, he's the obvious closer, but every other relief position is up for grabs.  

Semian, Seager, Garcia, (oblique, but very mild); Langford (slightly worse oblique, but still mild), Carter, Taveras (stealing lots of bases) all look much better this Spring.  If most return to their 2023 form, the play-offs are certainly possible.  We have a great defensive team.  Joc Pederson was added as a professional DH - he's got a magnificent bat.  Jake Burger, also a veteran, takes over at first base - also a great bat.  Heim is going to platoon with the solid veteran catcher acquired from the Padres:  Kyle Higashioka.  Heim is hoping to recharge his bat in the 2025 season.

The core of this team won the 2023 World Series.  Chris Young (top dog in the front office) is all about building a team year after year which is competitive.  I think we are going to see a much better team than last year simply because of the starting pitching.  The defense is solid.  We need the timely hit.  We need the relief pitchers to hold the line.  Because the team is led by Semian, Seager and Garcia, all veterans who know how to win, I'm hopeful that their performances in Spring Training will help the team get off to a fast start.  It's going to be an interesting season.  My 'homer' prediction is 85-90 wins IF the pitching does its' job - both starters and relievers.  

GO, Rangers.  FYI:  Opening Day is March 27th, yes, it's early this year.