DAY 5 Sun Princess
Port Stop 2 – Cartagena, Spain
Have you ever felt a connection to a place you’ve never visited?
While I have been to Spain before – a very brief stop in Barcelona in 2022 – I’ve never been to Cartagena.
Stepping off Sun Princess to explore this port city, I was immediately overcome with a sense of déjà vu.
There’s something about Spain that deeply resonates in my core.
It’s as if I’ve lived here in another life, another time.
It’s as if I’ve lived here in another life, another time.
The air tastes familiar, the faces feel intimate and the rhythm of the country beats in time with my heart.
Walking in Cartagena today felt as if I’d come home.
As I walked, dream-like through the buzzing square, my senses were overloaded. Everywhere I looked, everything enthralled me, capturing my imagination. The architecture, food, culture, history, religion and beauty. I felt immediately at home.
Star Wars Storm Troopers posed for photos as an angelic harpist plucked the notes of ‘Hallelujah’. Families laughed and ate at local cafes while a Catholic group danced in unison as a young priest strummed his guitar flamenco-esque while singing the praises of the Lord.
This city was alive, and I wanted to absorb every sound and every breath. I wanted the city to absorb me and make me a part of its life.
My camera snapped random moments. A millisecond of time capturing the essence of a situation, telling a story, never again to be repeated. I was besotted, mesmerised, entranced.
Minutes turned into hours, the sun began to set.
I didn’t want to leave, but the shining Sun Princess beckoned, the dying days’ rays bouncing off the ship, creating an aura of light.
Next, a show of swashbuckling proportions, Vallora, A Pirate Quest, in the Princess Arena had me spellbound. The stage production and unsurpassed audio visuals were fabulous.
I can now understand the hype about why the Arena has been touted as the most technologically advanced Princess Theater design in the fleet. The stage moved, rising and falling, transporting actors around the stage.
Goodbye Cartagena
Despite all the excitement on board and the delicious food, I couldn’t help but feel a little melancholy as the ship pulled away from Cartagena.
I whispered goodbye, hoping my wish to return would be carried back to the city where I hoped one day I’d be reunited.
