The last port of call on our cruise was the Spanish port of Vigo, in the north west autonomous community of Galicia.
This is not the same Spain as many British people dream of, when thinking about their forthcoming summer holidays. Here in Galicia, the hills are lush and green with trees, and the coastline is rugged and rocky and resembles something more likely to be seen in Ireland or the west coast of Scotland. The temperature is much, much cooler than we have experienced so far on the cruise, and on arrival into port this morning, it was only 13 degrees Celsius.
Vigo has the largest fishing port in Europe, and fishing is not surprisingly a major player in the economy of this region. In addition, the port also facilitates the import of many goods into northern Spain including construction materials and motor vehicles.
After leaving the ship this morning, we headed out into the city and explored the central area close to the cruise terminal. Even though it is a weekday morning, the city has a calming, peaceful atmosphere and its very pleasant to walk around without experiencing the usual characteristics of noise, congestion and pollution which afflict many cities. Vigo is a modest city without the brash exuberance of some of its much larger counterparts such as Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. But nevertheless, this is a city that knows how to enjoy itself as the streets are lined with sophisticated restaurants and more casual taparias and cervecerias.
We did some shopping close to the port, before returning to the ship for some lunch. By mid-afternoon, the temperature had risen and the sun was starting to shine, making for a pleasant departure at 1600 back down the Vigo River and out into the Atlantic Ocean.
A final day at sea tomorrow, and possibly time for one last update, before signing off as we approach the United Kingdom. Our journey overnight and tomorrow takes us up the Iberian coast, round Cape Finesterre, and then diagonally across the Bay of Biscay towards the English Channel.
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