The fortress wasn't the only item we wanted to check out while in Almería. So after descending the fortress, we explored the town. And fortunately, the weather was very cooperative: it was sunny and not so cold, that it was a pleasure to walk outdoors. So at some point, we found ourselves by the Cable Inglés.
The Cable Inglés was an architectural fascination. It was built in the early 1900s to facilitate the loading of cargo on ships. Freight trains loaded with cargo would essentially drive all the way up to the water, and directly next to it were ships where the cargo would be transferred. It was constructed by a British construction company, and the installation simplified the loading of ships, shortening the amount of time one needs to load the ships significantly. This structure was used until 1970, at which point it was abandoned and slowly decayed. But in the 2000s, restoration work has happened, and now it's a great place to wander around outdoors.
The above four photos were just scenes we saw while we were on our way from the Alcazaba to the Cable Inglés. Almería has quite a few spots that look picturesque, and is a city worth exploring.
The entrance is via a ramp, which makes sense, as after all, trains used to climb up this ramp, all the way to the waterfront. It had to reach a relatively high location, in order to be on the same height as the ships that would take the cargo, and after all, the ships can only come to a certain distance to the shore. Nowadays, it's a place where people hang around, walk, chit chat, and simply pass time.
I really like the fact that cities find ways to revitalise their environment. Things change over time, industries come and go, yet there are ways to keep urban fixtures alive and prevent urban decay.
