GOING A SAILING
A humour park? Prazo do Humor a square in a city that is guaranteed to bring about a smile and a chuckle or two however grumpy the mood. That's exactly What Prazo do Humor in La Coruna the Galician city in south western Spain did and does. It rounded up the cruise from Southampton in UK to Vigo in Spain, then Lisbon, Sinatra, Carcais and lastly La Coruna.
Seven nights on a ship, however humungous and 14 stories et al, wasn't exactly something that one was super excited about. On the last cruise ages ago from LA to Mexico, my best memories were getting lost (somewhat) in Catalina Island and smuggling in intense Mexican vanilla essence in crude bottles sans labels into the ship- how one got them past the security is a secret - and of course, the endless feasting. The cruise involved sailing two nights and one whole day before hitting the first port of call Vigo in Spain. Of course, there were entertainment, movies, shopping, games, banquets, binge drinking etc but soon one realised that barring the food it was all tailored to cater to the largely American cruisers. The ship had started out from there and it appeared that majority of them had opted to continue right through to the end. Some sturdy sea-legs indeed!
Talking of entertainment the quiz on 'leading lady' where snatches of songs were played as clues the favourite line of the female conducting it was, 'if I don't know then you won't know either'. Wow! The karaoke was a riot; somehow it seemed that people who can't hold one single line of tune were fighting for the mike.
The Ship has a few speciality restaurants where bookings had to be done prior boarding. we chose the Japanese restaurant Izumi. Our chef was a revelation - witty, adept at keeping the guests throughout the dinner. It was not just all talk and wizardry with the knifes and ladles, she turned a mean spread too serving salad, egg rice with choice of proteins - read beef, lobsters and scallops- and desserts going from matcha mango ice cream, chocolate and a piquant plate of sesame balls stuffed with red bean paste with strawberry sauce.
VARIEGATED VIGO
It felt so good to step on land in Vigo in Northern Spain. According to our guide the port city with its Atlantic coastline was initially quite a small one and gradually expanded to what it is today. A huge centre for fish and frozen seafood and is home to seven major international frozen seafood companies and naturally known for its rich seafood. It has a matching agricultural scene too. Then Jules Verne appeared, not in person of course but his statue seated on a giant octopus which seemed befitting for the author of 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, The Mysterious Island and Around the World in Eighty days among other. So what was the French author and playwright's connection with Vigo? Just that he visited the port twice and stayed over for long periods both the times.
One tried and sincerely tried, looked at it from all angles twisting the neck into abnormal angles but one found nothing, not a single redeeming feature about El Sireno (The Merman or the Man-Fish) at Puerta del Sol, the sculpture set on two high black granite pillars. The aluminium sculpture is considered one of the symbols of modern Vigo. Created by Galician artist Francisco Leiro the sculpture has a human face looking out to the sea and one part of body is scaled like a fish. The initial reaction was just how hideous it was and then realising that was a bit too harsh replaced it with positively ugly! It made one feel better to know that when it was installed in 1991 many of the locals found it ugly too. However, over the years El Sireno has earned some fans too one was told. But I still couldn't understand why the Merman had a scarf!
The tour included a short stop at a Cafe for plates of tapas of egg and potato with bread and beverages. The tapas was dead cold but the fun was in watching the pigeons patiently waiting outside for tables to clear before homing in on leftovers on the tables. They even knew to distribute the tables among themselves. Whatever little we could see and check out of Vigo walking through the cobbled paths and lanes, admiring the old buildings and houses especially the small cute balconies and the large square (ubiquitous it appears now to every European city) at Puerta del Sol, a cloth bag with the image of Ganesha imprinted on it caught one's eye, turned out that the whole shop was dedicated to everything Indian complete with a heavily ornamented pink and blue ghagra kurta, bangles et al. Felt good to find a bit of India so far away. Was quite tempted to walk into the cannabis shop too but left it at temptation level only.
Immediately commanding one's attention is the Colexiata de Santa Maria de Vigo or Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria at the Paza de la Igleisa in Vigo's old town. I had never heard the term co-cathedral before and learnt that a co-cathedral church shares the function of being a bishop's seat with another cathedral within the same diocese. The Co-Cathedral of Santa Maria is the largest Catholic place of worship in Vigo and it shares the cathedral sea of the Tui-Vigo Diocese with Tui Cathedral. It was built in the early 19th century on the same site where an old collegiate church was extensively damaged when a powder magazine exploded in the nearby El Castro Castle. The old church dated back to the 12 century. The architecture reflected neo classical design elements. There's something about churches and cathedrals that makes one pause and offer a prayer or two of gratitude. Walk through the entry into the church and the interior is simply stunning especially the lightning of Jesus Christ on the cross.
In 1930 Dona Carmen Rilo, wife of a sailor started a small seaside tavern to serve wine and fried ray tapas to sailor. She christened her tavern El Mosquito and believe it or not the pesky insect as its logo because apparently the wines served attracted hordes of mosquito! Two decades later the dining room was inaugurated and the tavern grew into a restaurant attracting clientele that included artists and well known figures. In 1956 it figured in the Michelin Guide but it was only in 1980 it received its first Michelin star and in the intervening period it had opened a second dining room, won several culinary awards and soon changed management too. Located in the old town of Vigo, the restaurant to those unversed with its history, could have been just another eatery but for its distinct name and logo of a mosquito drinking from a wine glass. We had no reservation---hmm.
But seafood lunch it had to be and it was, at a restaurant with outdoor seating. Vigo is renowned for its famous boiled octopus and oysters and not without reason, they are luscious and delicious, the oysters juice dripping. For some reasons unfathomable beer was cheaper than the lemonades and cold drinks! Spirited soul sister!
PICTURESQUE PORTUGAL
(LISBON, SINTRA, CASCAIS)
Many years ago in Goa one discovered Azulejos hand painted ceramic decorative tiles and fell in love with it. A young commercial artist Orlando de Noronha had gone to Lisbon to learn Portuguese guitar and discovered the art of azulejos. Naturally, he too fell in love with it; he did the next best thing, he learnt the art and revived the art in Goa and very soon the state made Azulejos its own. At one time Goa was under Portuguese rule and it fit right in. Since then, there was this wish that maybe one day travelling to Portugal would come true. It did! Approaching Lisbon, as the ship sailed into the port, much of the colours on the buildings and houses on the rising hills seemed familiar, yes so Goa again.
The first day however was not for Lisbon, driving through the city, we headed out for Sintra a Portuguese town on the hills of Serra de Sintra and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just a few kilometres away from the Atlantic Ocean and on the extreme end of the Iberian Peninsula, Sintra was the first centre of European Romantic architecture in the early 19th century. What little we saw -remember the ship was waiting- Sintra was all romance and charms galore - rising hills, dense forests, the colourful palace Palacio da Pena, castles, the imposing walls and ruins of the Castelo dos Mouros ( Castle of the Moors), mystical and romantic gardens, everything very fairy tale-ish. Thanks to the time constraint, our guide said there was no way we could make the steep climb up to the hill top to visit the palace and the ruins of the Moor castle. The palace in particular because its facade and interiors both have intricate azulejos designs. Sigh! So near and so far. Wishes can come true isn't it, so maybe another time and day again.
It was fun however, to do 'distant admiring', check out the really beautiful gardens and above all, walk up and down or rather huff and puff the meandering rising little alleys chock a bloc with cafes, souvenir shops, galleries and the works. Yes, few azulejos pieces too. Also possibly the smallest loo at a cafe complete with a pint sized latch! For the first time tried out ginjinha or ginja as it is usually called, the popular Portuguese liqueur made from the sour ginja berries. Give me any day Jerez or the Spanish sherry over ginja. The lunch is at a set place and the main course is veal with chips and rice. For non veal eaters there is mushroom risotto but no chips!. Surprisingly, it was quite tasty. Dessert was the travesseiro or the pillow like puff pastry stuffed with a mixture of almonds and eggs. One wouldn't go for it again.
As we drive from Sintra to Cascais a popular holiday destination right on the Atlantic Coast, our guide tells us that often when there is a fiery sandstorm in the Sahara desert some of the dusts blow all the way to the region we were travelling through. Considering that the desert is over 3000 plus miles away, well....
Cascais is a mix of the old and new. As it is bang on the Atlantic coast, it boasts of quite a number of beaches, some of them said to be stunning. Apparently at one time the Portuguese royalty holidayed at Cascais so it has bit of that old aristocracy air and a contemporary happening vibe. And discovered Calcada Portuguesa or Portuguese pavement. What is it about Portuguese and tile and limestones? Calcada Portuguesa is a traditional pavement technique where small hand-placed limestone, generally black and white, are placed by Calceteiros (cobblestone artisans) or on the pavements to create intricate patterns. Some of them were absolutely mesmerising.
In Portugal, there is a tradition of going to Santini, the oldest and the most famous Portuguese ice cream parlour said our guide. The 75 plus brand has outlets all over the country. We took our guide's suggestion and trooped into one at Cascais. The brand claims that when the first customer was served, he dubbed it as 'the best ice cream in the world' and that it still holds true. A claim is a just a claim, isn't it?
Finally Lisbon it was and more than the azulejos one actually wanted to bite into the pasties de nata, the egg custard tart pastry in its home of origin. Pasties de Belem, the oldest and original pastry shop close to the Jeronimos Monastery is the go to place it was suggested. The pastry shop maintains that it has been making the tarts since 1837 using a 'secret' recipe given to them by the monks of the monastery. One trooped solo to the shop but the line of clients seemed to be a never ending one. Remember the chorus line - the ship was waiting! So no Pasties de Belem tarts.
Mission pasties de nata it had to be and the next day, our guide a medical student whose Indian grandparents had migrated to Mozambique where her parents were born and then Lisbon where she was born, herded us to Time Out Market to Manteigara which, she asserted, had the best ones in today's time. An artesinal store, its board said 'homemade' Portuguese custard tarts, certainly couldn't be home made but delicious to the last bite.
Loved that though the Time Out Market inside was all sleek with its oh-so-today international looks, it was no match for the ceramic tiled walls with exquisite designs and colours flanking a door.
Our guide said we had to see the biggest park in the city. Parque Eduardo VII (Edward VII Park) spread over 26 hectares, was named as a tribute to the then English king who visited the city in 1903. It gradually rises over one of the hills in the city and the view from there, she said, was matchless. It has a heated greenhouse with exotic tropical plants designed as a living museum with small lakes and waterfalls. And then to the viewpoint and well, it was good but the annual book fair was on and the weather combined to ensure to curtail the pleasure. So, admired and photographed The Monumento ao 25 de Abril, the main monument in the park as compensation.
In Portugal it seemed to be one uninterrupted chain of what should be but cannot be, what one wanted to do and see but what one couldn't do. Yes, that &^%$ time limit constantly at it like a cackling Machiavellian creature perched on one's shoulder and pulling in the reins. Like the National Azulejo Museum (National Tile Musuem) - sorry no time. The number of people queueing seemed to be never ending. Maybe the Museu Nacional de Arqueologia (National Archaeology Musuem) said to have an impressive archaeological collection - nah again. The Jeronimos Monastery literally adjacent to the museum - no way and tickets have to be booked in advance. Thankfully its church was open and the sacristy though small was stately with the vault held up by a single column. It was built between 1517 -1520 while the 14 oil paintings representing scenes from the life of Saint Jerome were put up between 100-1600. One had one of the best experience in Portugal in the sacristy. The person who let me in showed one how to click the picture of Christ on a cross from the best angle. We had no common language to communicate in but that didn't stop him from explaining the paintings and artefacts around including a big antique chest and extremely tall candle stands. That warm feeling really helped to mitigate one's disappointments. Incidentally, it was the Jeronimos Monastery that Vasco da Gama and is crew spent their last night in Portugal in prayer before leaving for India!
Back to being crabbity-cribbity again and I don't care if such a phrase doesn't exist. In Lisbon there is a lift, the Santa Juta Lift or Carmo Lift, the oldest in the city, operative since 1884 and it has an observation deck at the that provides stunning views of Baixa, the heart of the city with its earthquake resistant Pombaline style buildings, plazas, everything bright and colourful laid out in a grid. More than a century and quarter plus years, the lift is imposing but guess what - that long line waiting to go to the deck and so about turn it was. What about the Gloria Funicular or as the locals call it Ascensor a Gloria that connects Lisbon's main street to the old Bairro Alto district with its cobbled narrow lanes. Felt like a convict taken back to the ship.
LOVELY LA CORUNA
La Coruna was the last port of call and by then one's expectations had hit ground level. But then from ground zero the only way is up and La Coruna was a pleasant surprise. Could be because, we had by then decided we had had enough of conducted tours. Our taxi driver described La Coruna as a small big city and small or big, it packed in a lot. This north western city of Spain hugging the Atlantic coastline beautifully blends of old world charm and contemporary vibes. Of course a trading a fishing and trading port too.
The first stop - the Humour Park. If your are thinking greenery and walking paths et al, clowns and stnd-up comedians, please stop. Close to the San Agustin Market, (Mercado de San Agvstin) a little pocket of land that could have stayed another little nameless square has metamorphosed into a unique, whimsical open air work of art. More than three decades Galician writer and cartoonist Siro Lopez the park has cartoons and sculptures by local cartoonists an artist besides some granite statues seated on granite sofas. Those not acquainted with Galician literature or culture more than half the names ring no bell but familiar names evoke childlike delight like that of Shakespeare, Cervantes, Laurel and Hardy, Asterix and Obelisk, Disney characters, comic book heroes, two sailors in intense conversation. But couldn't figure out why Dostoevsky? Maybe satire?
As if in keeping with European town planning, La Coruna too has a central public square which in a pleasant departure is named after a historical female figure, Maria Pita. When in 1589 Francis Drake attacked Spain in retaliation to the Spanish Armada attack on England the previous year, Maria Mayor Fernandez de Camara y Pita or Maria Pita as she generally called galvanised the people to resist the attack eventually forcing the English to retreat. The monument in the centre of the square is framed by the stately City Hall building with three domes. And oh! Maria Pita also married four times.
Very close to the Maria Pita Square is section of La Coruna, in the old town Cidade Vella (Cuidad Vieja in Spanish) that could easily be a throwback to ancient times with narrow cobbled lanes old but for some more modern constructions which thankfully take a long back step staying in the background. Cidade Vella is the address of many historical churches and monasteries an convents .The premium is Church of Santiago - Igrexa de Santiago founded in the 12th century was declared a historical monument in 1972 and beneath the main alter in a crypt lies the Tomb of the Apostle St James. built in the Romanesque style the church underwent quite a few renovations mostly due to fires. The semi circular area (Romanesque tympanum) above the door features Saint James riding on a horse.
A little distant away is a small plaza lined by trees with some old houses and immediately next behind very high walls is the Santa Barbara convent, the Clarissan nun's convent . The nuns are members of a Catholic religious order found in Italy in the early 13th century co-founded by Saint Francis of Assisi an Saint Claire. The nuns of this order are cloistered and devote their lives to prayers living in poverty and thus also called Poor Clares. It is said that the nuns can often be heard singing their prayers at midday services. However, they also make and sell pastries and since they are cloistered the sale is done through a small revolving window in the convent's vestibule. This time it was cakes on sale. Only one side of the huge green gate is open revealing a glimpse of the thick stone walls and arches with the entry door firmly shut. Behind the walls there is said to an interior chapel dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary
Hercules from the myths and childhood stories stood tall and strong on a high rock overlooking the Atlantic in the form of a lighthouse, the Tower of Hercules. A UNESCO World Heritage site it the oldest lighthouse in the world and still functional. It took a bit of time that to process that one was looking at a lighthouse built in the late 1st century! If that isn't ancient engineering marvel what can one say? originally called Farum Brigantium The Tower of Hercules is testament to the excellence of ancient Roman masonry. The weather with the sky more grey than blue, a sharp biting wind and occasional drizzle and the Atlantic Ocean spread out below created awe inspiring moments that one is unlikely to forget.
The taxi driver said it would be a sin to leave La Coruna without taking in the spectacular view of the Atlantic and the city from the Monte de San Pedro viewpoint (Miradoiro de San Pedro). OK, I am exaggerating but not exactly lying! Despite the sharp drizzle we drove up to the viewpoint and the driver knew what he was talking about. Perched high above the Orzan Inlet amidst a park with a glass domed elevator (non functional then) it offers a panoramic view and one can see the city and the ocean merge. The sweeping bird's eye view sweeps across the city including the Millennium Obelisk, the Aquarium Finisterrae and at one end The Tower of Hercules.
For the last meal on shore before heading to the ship's return to Southampton, the obvious choice was to go to where the locals go. With a strict eye on the watch, we found El Cantoncillo near a local park with both indoor and outdoor seating. Since we were in a port city renowned for seafood the first choice was seafood stuffed with tangy tomato ad cheese sauce followed by Bacalao Contoncillo (Cod Contoncillo style)- right blend of sauce and the cod was done just right. The size of the red peppers had to be seen to believe. Who eats beef and spaghetti etc when the Atlantic lapping close by?
Added bonus quick dash through the San Augustin Market and an art gallery.
