WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 5

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH

At the end of the Plaza de la Aduana, is the Plaza San Pedro Claver.

Here is the Church of San Pedro Claver – crowned with its signature clock tower – which was founded in 1603. It takes its name from Father Claver, a priest considered a human rights pioneer for his compassion for African slaves brought to Cartagena’s notorious slave market. 

Father Claver cared for many sick slaves and ministered to the marginalized and down-trodden.

The church houses a small museum with paintings and items commemorating Father Claver, who was canonized in 1888. 

 

But the centerpiece is the cloister courtyard with its level walkways and famous well where the priest baptized thousands of slaves. 

Enormous, shady trees provide a place for reflection, plus a pleasant respite from the tropical sun. 

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 6

 

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 4

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH 

The grande dames of the street peddlers are the Palenque women who wear brightly colored dresses and balance impossibly huge bowls of exotic fruits on their heads.

Sample some tart and/or sweet offering you’ve never seen at your local supermarket, such as a nispero, also known as a sapodilla or naseberry. 

These little orange delights come from a tree related to the rosebush family. 

Maybe you’d prefer a guanabana or soursop, a spiky green fruit tasting like a combination of strawberry and pineapple but with sour citrus flavor notes, coupled with a subtle creamy flavor.

Although the city’s people are friendly and engaging, the eye is constantly drawn to the streetscapes and buildings.

The grandest examples of Cartagena’s architecture – besides the cyclopean wall – are the cathedrals, and they are generally accessible to wheelers.

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 5

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 3

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH  

Stop for a moment and close your eyes to the riot of color. 

Tune your ears to the symphony of the street: the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages, the deep peal of cathedral bells, the laughter of school kids and the cries of street vendors.

The vendors themselves qualify as street performers with their variety of wares.   

Besides the typical items such as sun hats and T-shirts are whimsical, exotic sweets and massive blocks of ice that somehow don’t melt in the sun. Stop and have your shoes shined. 

If your Blackberry is on the blink, look for one of the hand-lettered signs advertising “llamadas.”

For a reasonable price, you can stand on the sidewalk and make a call on a cell phone handed to you by the owner. 

Keep it brief or you’re liable to get some dirty looks from the line of folks behind you waiting their turn.

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH4

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 2

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH  

The old town is truly the heart and soul of the city, much like New Orleans’ French Quarter. 

This is where we spent the majority of our time. 

When you arrive, have a peek at a tourist map, then fold it up and just explore.

Built as a Spanish colonial city, old Cartagena is sprinkled with level outdoor plazas perfect for open-air dining or people-watching. 

The architecture is on a human scale, with few buildings more than three or four stories. In the evenings, many of the streets are closed off to vehicular traffic, allowing for safe, comfortable wheeling throughout.

What strikes the eye first are the Cerulean blues, mango yellows, mamey reds, and emerald greens. 

Cartagena is an artist's palette of exquisite tropical hues. 

Around every corner are visual details that captivate: terra cotta tile roofs, balconies bedecked with cascading flowers, cool garden courtyards, Old-World style gas lamps, stuccoed walls. 

STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH3

WHEELING BEHIND THE WALLS OF CARTAGENA -- PART 1

THE FINEST SPANISH COLONIAL CITY ON EARTH 

Everything around us was awash in a pale, golden light, like some magical city in a fairy tale. 

Evening had turned the intense, tropical sunlight to a soft glow, and we drank it in, gazing across rooftops of the city to one side, and out toward the Caribbean Sea on the other.

It’s more than a little ironic that the massive stone wall that surrounds the old town of Cartagena, Colombia -- a wall built to keep out marauders, pirates and the likes of Sir Francis Drake – is wheelchair accessible at points. 

We had sought out one of the makeshift ramps to climb atop it and take advantage of the vista, perfect for snapping photos.

But Cartagena is like that; it defies expectations. 

The city was founded in the 16^th century, yet is surprisingly wheelchair friendly. 

It feels half a world away, yet can be reached in less than three hours by air from the States.

It is as exotic as a North African souk or an Asian mountain village, but is far more affordable.

Although some consider Colombia a slightly dangerous destination, this port city is safe enough even for cruise lines to use it as a regular port of call.

 STORY CONTINUES TOMORROW -- MARCH 2

CHER MUSIC REVIEW BY HEIDI JOHNSON-WRIGHT

BELIEVE, CHER (WARNER BROS.):

Sometimes low expectations are a good thing.

For example, take the holidays.

Any occasion for a family gathering necessitates planning for the worst.

Then, if by luck, everyone is still speaking and no one winds up welcoming the new year from the pokey, it’s all good.

Same goes for a new Cher release.

Granted, her ‘70s variety show with Sonny Bono remains a TV classic.

Her acting talents are considerable.

And her old songs, with their patina of camp, are still fun to listen to. (Dark Lady being my personal fave.)

But these days Cher is more a celebrity than a formidable musical force.

With that in mind, Believe is a pleasant surprise.

Vocally, she’s the same old Cher: the strong, resonant, sometimes deep voice with the occasional little flutter from the back of the throat.

Her material, though, has a contemporary sound – thumping beats and electronic textures.

The title track/opener grabs attention with its upbeat feel and mantra, “Do you believe in life after love?”

 Cher’s cover of Amy Grant’s The Power delights with its energy and elegance.

Strong Enough is a retro-sounding disco anthem in the vein of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive.

Spanish guitar flavors the beautiful, exotic Dov’e L’Amore.

The disc’s best tune, however, is Taxi, Taxi with its monster hook and poetic lyrics.

Though Believe is little more than fluffy ear candy, it’s still a tasty morsel from an ever-radiant star.

                                                                                     

--Heidi Johnson-Wright

AMEN, PAULA COLE BAND

AMEN, PAULA COLE BAND

(IMAGO/WARNER BROS.):

The title of this album is the expression of approval listeners are sure to utter.

Singer/songwriter/musician/producer Paula Cole has created an artistic masterpiece, a collection of nine songs with melodies beautiful enough to bring tears and lyrics provocative enough to fuel contemplation.

Cole wrote and produced all tracks, imbuing them with what appear to be highly personal takes on spirituality, love and social consciousness.

Graced with her soaring songbird vocals and the succulent, seductive elements of R and B, funk and hip hop, Amen emerges as a defining work from an artistically confident performer.

 Listening to the sweeping, symphonic strains of the opener, I Believe In Love, is akin to body surfing on tropical, aquamarine waves.

The ballad is grand but not pretentious, ‘70s funky but fresh.

The title cut plays off a story of a very human heroine searching for meaning in life and an eclectic laundry list of cultural icons, including Marilyn Manson, Bettie Page and Gandhi.

 Equally eclectic but effective is the combination of string quartet, harp and hip hop scratches by Gang Starr’s DJ Premier.

Cole addresses feminism and femininity in Pearl in which she fires scathing salvos at her chosen profession: “There are no role models in rock ‘n’ roll/No women who could have it all/The long career, the man, the happy family/And here I stand and God I do demand it.”

--Heidi Johnson-Wright