Journaling:
Our excursion was scheduled for the evening, so we had the day to wander as we pleased. We took the shuttle from the ship to the historic center of the city early, and were able to wander around the narrow streets and alleys before they got crowded. We weren't actually intending to wander so much as to look for a post office, but I once again demonstrated my inability to recognize them as we walked past it three times. I kept trying to figure out why Google Maps was having me walk in circles.
Once I bought stamps, we spent some time searching out some of the important sites. I was most interested in the Roman Theater, but we also stopped at the cathedral and some of the squares. We looked at the Alcazaba, the Moorish fortress, but decided not to bother with that uphill walk. We did spend quite a while wandering through the Roman Theater, which was amazing. It's fanastic to think that people sat on those seats 2000 years ago. It was preserved because of the layers of building that covered it for centuries.
We returned to the ship by walking through a beautiful botanical garden full of subtropical plants. A quiet lunch and easy afternoon on board left us ready for the evening's adventure. Bob wasn't feeling well so he and Norleen didn't come with us as we boarded the mini-bus for a drive around the important sites, then we were dropped off for the walking tour. We visited several of the places we had seen on our own that morning, but this time we got stories and explanations from the guide. We ended with drinks at a rooftop bar overlooking the Roman Theater and Alcazaba at sunset, and watched the lights come on.