Murcia region: Murcia City & Mar Menor

Hello to our readers.  This post is about a couple of day trips from Cartagena - we don't stop long enough to let the grass grow!

Sunday 1 December - Murcia City
As you know we've been based in Cartagena where, today, we awoke to rain for the first time since Santiago de Compostela (which was an overnight shower).  Not that we deny Spain its very much needed rainfall but we didn't fancy a beach-based day at Mar Menor (as planned) so headed inland to nearby Murcia City, the provincial capital of the Murcia region, in case we needed to take shelter from the rain.  As it turned out it was sunny and warm there - perfect!

We started with the Lonely Planet's top recommended sight, the Real Casino de Murcia which first opened in 1847 as a Gentlemen's Club and later fully restored to its original splendour and officially reopened by King Juan Carlos II in 2009 - and it's a beauty!  Lowly visitors are only allowed on the ground floor whilst the first floor is reserved for the business of gambling and members.   A couple of adjectives spring to mind: opulent, resplendent, grandiose... combining a dazzling Moorish-style patio, a classic English-style library complete with 20,000 books (including some from the 17thC), a fabulous ballroom with glittering chandeliers and a lush tocador (ladies powder room) - a glimpse of a bygone age.

Moorish style entrance hall

The library

We also visited the Cathedral but it was so dark inside that we couldn't see much of its grandeur so here's a shot of the exterior.

Murcia Cathedral

And apart from a wander around town that wraps up our visit to Murcia City.  Not that we didn't enjoy it but, being a Sunday, quite a few things are closed and it wasn't that warm so we figured we'd head back to Cartagena for some tapas.

Monday 2 December - Mar Menor & Cabo de Palos
The sun was shining for a trip down memory lane.  My Dad used to live in nearby St Javier and ran a tapas bar on the La Manga Strip and we couldn't visit this part of Spain without checking out some old haunts.  The Mar Menor is an inland sea/lake created by the presence of La Manga (the sleeve) - a long strip of land that has been compared with Florida - the main drag being surrounded by hotels, holiday homes for tourists and Spaniards and lots of watering holes along the way.  One side of the La Manga is the Med - the other (inner side) is the Mar Menor.  You may have heard of it as this is where the fairly recent series of Superstars was played out as it is a warm, shallow inland sea which makes it ideal for the watersports events.  In fact, Dad used to help people learn to windsurf there.  La Manga is also famous for the nearby holiday and golf complex.

The stillness that is the Mar Menor

And the motion of the Med

Mick & I didn't expect Dad's Bar Utopia to be here after 25+ years but you never know!  My memories are a bit hazy as to exactly where it was - too much partying that week with Dad! - so I had to check with my brother as to which end of the La Manga strip it was - he never forgets!  Sadly we couldn't find it and on checking with a couple of nearby bars they didn't know where it was either.  We did, though, find some other old haunts - Jimmy's Bar and the Crazy Rabbit - those happy, if somewhat hedonistic days!

And after all that excitement we felt in the need for a bit of Spanish culture so headed to nearby Cabo de Palos, a quaint fishing village where we had a nice lunch and lifted a glass or two for Dad and his indomitable 'have a go' spirit - cheers Dad!

One of Dad's favourite places, the quaint Cabo de Palos

So, after a lovely day in the sun it was time to head back to Cartagena to prepare for the next leg of our trip to Malaga, a classy and very Spanish provincial city in Andalucia.  We decided to hire a car as the public transport options were far too long and drawn out!  Tune in soon for some Andalucian ambience!