16 oktober 2024

It was an early wake-up call for our DLE 3 pupils for their day in Cartagena, where our Erasmus+ Respect 4 Diversity project took us to learn more about the work that the Maritime and Rescue Coordination centre does there. A tour brought us into the heart of the centre with screens hosting the camera shots from around the harbour and a crew of staff standing by to jump into the lifeboats to head out into the Mediterranean.

We heard about a rescue mission just two days ago when a boat carrying migrants got into difficulty and the rescue mission managed to save 28 out of the 30 people on board. Whilst in the harbour, the harbour police launched their boat too, as a suspect boat was nearing, expected to be carrying some illegal substances.

One of the many lifeboats of the region was toured next and we learnt about the speeds the boat can reach; how they had recently rescued a cruise ship passenger suffering from a heart attack on the liner just outside the harbour. Armed with respect for the work that these harbour officials do day in day out, we headed into the picture postcard city of Cartagena that is steeped in history, architecture and year-round glorious sunshine.

Our walking tour took us to the Roman remains of an old Roman theatre that had been built upon from the 13th Century and only by coincidence was it unearthed in the 1980’s and excavated. From there, we discovered yet another recent discovery, an full amphitheatre, which had been built upon into a bull ring, which had since closed just before the turn of the millennium.

With the temperatures topping the late 20s and money burning in their pockets, some time was made for the pupils to go off and explore the city in their groups on their own.

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