February has as a main protagonist, Carnival. For all of those thinking, myself just dreaming, Spring Festival still away, in take a break looking for a oasis of good weather and few days of climbing and fun...Cartagena is a superb destination. Cartagena's Carnival is one of the most traditional in Murcia and "El Portus" has the perfect combination...climbing and beach.http://www.elportus.com/en/
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| El Portus |
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| Climbing Area |
Routes by the sea in the unique Naturist climbing area in Spain makes climbing here different. Apart from climbing El Portus offers a great variety of activities for climbers and non climbers. Visit "Cala Aguilar" and enjoy this isolated beach and abseil down its "Neptuno Cave" is highly recommended, for me... The Paradise.
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| Neptuno Cave |
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| Cala Aguilar |
The Carnival of Cartagena is one of the
most tradition has in Murcia. It comes from the XVIII
century, though it was in the XIX century when the carnival reaches
its major rooting among the people.
The Carnival was meaning for the people,
forgetting for a few days the hardness of the daily life, as well as
the possibility of the rigid social rules skipping; this way, the
poor could imitate the rich ones and the rich ones to the poor, it
was possible to criticize openly to the government, to the
all-powerful Church, to the nobility; the men could dress of women
and the women of men … all this protecting for the anonymity that
the costumes were offering.
Traditionally the
day of “La Candelaria” was the moment chosen by the beginning of
the Carnival in Cartagena. This day they all were waiting for the
appearance of the “Tio del Bando” that garment in white shirt and
trousers and jacket of black velvet, it was going out to the street
announcing the beginning of the festival. Since it is in the habit of
being a premise in
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| Carnival Parade |
Carnival, the disproportionate and grotesque
thing, to exaggerate furthermore the figure of this personage people
made him to carry around an alarm clock as clock and a sheet as
scarf.
The town crier was the manager of
reading the decree that must be exhibited in streets, balconies and
squares every single day from February 2 till following Sunday as
well known as “Domingo de Piñatas”.
Also there were very popular Carnival
dances were celebrated on the streets, being these very crowded
events.
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| Carnival Parade |
It was said at that time that the marriageable girls as soon
as they were arriving there were given a card that they were tying to
the neck and writing on it the name of the men in that they had been
interested, and a number beside them whose meaning was the turn of dance
that would correspond to each one.
The carnival was on the verge of
disappearing due to after the Civil war, the new authorities
prohibited , and for fifty years, it did not return to be celebrated
until, with the arrival of the Democracy, again, the carnival
returned to flood the streets of Cartagena. Nowadays it has turned into one of the most known Carnival in Murcia, being declared Regional Tourist Interest, turning this way into a magnificent option for those who visit Cartagena in February.
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| "Chirigotas" Competion http://murciatoday.com/carnival-whats-a-chirigota_10536-a.html |
Progamme for Carnival and further information click this link: http://murciatoday.com/carnival-in-cartagena-2014_20122-a.html#.UwXbgYVng3A
