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Published: June 17th 2013
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Last Look at Cape Vilan
When we left Camarinas we got another look at the Cape Vilan lighthouse which has protecting mariners along this shore since 1901. We made it to La Coruna (Spanish spelling) on June 6th after a fairly nice sail from Camarinas. We were pleasantly surprised sailing up the coast to get a call on the VHF from Gazelle. They had left a day before us going directly to the Isle of Wight and we hadn’t expected to run into them again. They had stopped for the night due to rough seas and were going to A Coruna as well. We also found that a German that we had met in Camarinas was still here waiting for the weather to head back to Hamburg. We really lucked out, he is giving up cruising so gave us his folding bicycle – we now are a 2 bicycle family again. We are finding that Europe is much more bicycle friendly and bike trails are very common.
A Coruna (the Galician spelling) is the capital of the region of Galicia and the 17
th largest city in Spain. We weren’t sure how we were going to like being in this large a city, but we have found it a nice place with a great deal to offer - plenty of historical sites to visit and learn about, lots
We Knew We Arrived in A Coruna
We knew we had arrived at A Coruna as soon as we saw the Tower of Hercules, a majestic lighthouse at this harbor entrance built in Roman times. of places to walk, streets full of shops, cafes, restaurants, plenty of grocery stores (supermecados) within walking distance and a nice marina with great showers, wi-fi and laundry. What more could we ask for?
During our initial walk into the city we stopped at the tourist information center (always Janice’s first stop) and got maps and information on the various museums and cultural events in the area. Janice discovered that a group by the name of Amesmalua was going to be playing at the local theatre so we planned on attending. We were happy to have 4 other cruisers join us for what turned out to be a very pleasant evening – SV Gazelle (British) and SV Ark Angel (Irish). The group consisted of three guitarists (two Spanish, one bass) two percussionists, a sax player and an outstanding singer. They did an excellent job of mixing traditional Galician music with jazz and flamenco. This seems to be a very common mixture in this part of Spain. We now have a new CD to add to our collection of music.
We took one day to explore the nearby Castelo (Fort) de San Anton. It was built in the 16
th Right in the City
Just 2 of the numerous beautiful beaches within the city limits of A Coruna. century on a small island in the bay to help protect this very advantageous port from attack. In the 1800’s it was converted to a prison which it remained until the early 1960’s. Today it houses an excellent Archeology and History Museum giving you a chance to learn more of the history of this area as well as view this strategically located fort.
Janice also had checked into the train schedule to get to Lugo. To keep the photos separate from the two cities and the length of this blog shorter, we will include this information in the very next blog entry.
When the Romans conquered an area they didn’t just take what they wanted and leave like the Vikings. The Romans, Romanized the country which meant building infrastructure such as roads, bridges and in this area lighthouses, to help the developing trade routes become safer. The Tower of Hercules lighthouse in A Coruna was built in the 1
st century AD and it is the only lighthouse from this time period that is still in operation today. It was originally 41 meters tall (134 ft.) and 14 meters (46 ft.) wide, but has undergone some modifications over the
The Glass City
The nickname for the city of A Coruna is the glass city due to the number of glass fronts on the buildings here. centuries so it now stands 59 meters (193 ft.) and 11.4 meters (37.4 ft.) across. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 2009 and does an excellent job of educating you about its history and its construction while you climb up its 234 steps. The lighthouse was built originally to assist ships sailing toward the British Isles in search of tin, copper and iron. It remained in use until the 5
th century when the Normans attacked and the citizens had to flee. With the lack of governmental control of the area trading stopped and the city became a ghost town. In the 13
th century King Alfonso IX re-established control of the area and rebuilt the city. With stability came trade and the need for the lighthouse again. Unfortunately the lighthouse was in disrepair and many of the stones were used to build the Fort of San Anton which was used to protect the city. It wasn’t until the 18
th century that the lighthouse was functional again after some major renovations. The increase of trade between the Americas and Europe made this a critical need. The original roman tower remained and a “casing” of granite was put around the core
Just one of many details
We have been impressed with the architectural details we have seen on many of the buildings here such as this one. tower. Windows and doors were relocated and an interior stone staircase was built. The dome at the top was taken apart and the currently seen octagon structure was installed where the lens is now located. The original core can still be seen when you climb up the tower. When the Romans built the structure it was divided into three floors and access was from the outside as firewood had to be carried up to fuel the fire. Fortunately the architects of the 18
th century were careful to preserve much of the original core as well as included details in the outer shell that mimic the original circular ramp staircase. With its overall height as well as being located on a cliff 60 meters (197 ft.) high, this is an impressive structure and quite a welcome to the harbor.
On our walk yesterday afternoon we found that one of the main streets was closed and a festival was going on in the street. A closer look showed us that it was a children’s festival with lots of activities. This included everything from roller skating, basketball, darts, dancing, weightlifting, self-defense, gymnastics and almost anything else you could imagine. At pretty much
A Treat - Touring Astor & Meeting her Owners
We have been impressed with the architectural details we have seen on many of the buildings here such as this one. each location there were activities set up for all age groups even those with handicaps. Not only were there demonstrations but people were encouraged to participate. It was very well attended and quite impressive that the city considered this important enough to close the main streets for quite a long period. It was obvious that the theme for the day was get active and stay healthy for all ages.
We have been in A Coruna for over a week now. We have done quite a bit of exploring and have discovered a wonderful promenade and bike path around the perimeter of the city. Beautiful beaches within the city limits, plenty of alleyways with new areas to explore, lots of museums (some more we want to visit before leaving) and an excellent marina with very pleasant and helpful staff. Again it is the people we have met that have made each place we visit so interesting. Julie and Michael from Ireland who have been cruising in this area for a few years gave us some helpful pointers and invited us on board for a pleasant afternoon. A real treat was meeting Richard, Lani and their two crew members. They own
A Surprise in this Square
We came across this square which was interesting with its numerous cartoon characters from Disneyland as well as Hollywood artist such as Groucho Marx, Fred Astaire and many others. a beautiful 1923 Schooner, SV Astor. It is a Fife design and they were headed up to Scotland to a Fife regatta. If you want to learn more about this beautiful classic, check out
www.astor.org . Richard is Bob’s kind of guy -he buys his varnish by the gallon and you can see your reflection in every piece of teak and mahogany on that boat. The amount of woodwork is extensive and it is all lovingly taken care of by Richard himself. We were invited onboard to see their boat and they were perfect host complete with rum drinks to remind us all of our times in the Caribbean. You do not see many American flagged boats here in Europe – it was great to see another US flag in port and to get the opportunity to speak American English once again. It is quite an international group here as A Coruna is a common stop for people heading either north or south along this coast. We have had the pleasure of having neighboring boats from Holland, Ireland, Sweden, Germany and the UK and adding them to our list of new cruising friends. Hopefully we will get a chance
Octopus Anyone?
Pulpo (octopus) appears to be quite the delicacy in this area of Spain. You find them in the windows of many restaurants, the fish markets and even in the frozen section of the supermarkets. in the next few days to connect with more of them and exchange stories of places to visit. We have been torn the last few days with deciding to leave here to move farther down the coast of Spain before crossing to France or to stay here a few more days and then make one large jump to France. We are watching the weather and hopefully can make our final decision and plans in the next few days. Time will tell…
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Lynn
non-member comment
Great pictures, lots of info. Feel like I am in school!! Thanks for taking the time to share this!