August 13, 2026

August 13, 2026 

We woke this morning in the port of La Coruna, Galatia in the northwest corner of Spain. Conveniently the port is right downtown. After breakfast we begin our walk north across this peninsular city. It is humid and overcast. The northern “green” coast of Spain is rainy and has a climate similar to Seattle. The apartments of La Coruna also have loads of glass enclosed balconies (Galerias). Our Santiago guide told us they do that to take advantage of the little bit of sunshine this region gets.

Humorously we walk past a large statue in the outdoor courtyard of a museum facing the bay. I can immediately tell from the pudgy torso that it has to be by the Columbian artist Botero. We learned about this painter/sculptor in Singapore just a few months ago.

We continue our walk to the far end where we see in the distance on a hill, the World Heritage Site of the Tower of Hercules. It is still a little bit of a walk to climb the hill and reach it. This is the only surviving and still functioning Roman lighthouse. It has been extensively rebuilt in the modern era. I am shocked that the Romans would have had lighthouses let alone in this remote part of the empire. Once we reach the lighthouse we learn that entry tickets are sold in the parking lot at the bottom of this hill. When we hike back down the hill, we learn that the next timed ticket is not until 1 pm. This is a major downside of cruising. We are competing with some 4500 other passengers for the same tourist sites. We are not waiting.

On the tower ramp, we are serenaded for the second time by two bagpipe players. Are we in Scotland? It turns out that the name Galicia has the same derivation as Gallic/Gaelic, one of the Celtic tribes that populated western Europe during the Iron Age 2500 years ago. Because the mountains of Galicia provided some isolation, this province has retained some of that Celtic heritage.

We walk back to the ship down the east side of the peninsula along a very nice promenade that is lined with retro Art Nouveau lamp posts. We find that each post is also decorated with a colorful porcelain seascape.

Near the ship we make a brief stop at Castelo de Santo Anton. This small stone fort sits on a tiny islet jutting into the harbor. A little further down the road, we pass a couple of cannon facing our ship that memorialize the 200th anniversary of the 1809 Battle of La Coruna, when Napoleon was trying to conquer the Spanish Empire.

We finish our tour of La Coruna in Cidada Vella, the old town. We stop in the pretty square Praza de Maria Pita. On one side is the picturesque City Hall and on the other a statue of Maria Pita, the hero of the city. The Spanish Armada of 1588 left here on the failed attack of England. In revenge Queen Elizabeth I sent an armada here to attack the city. Maria Pita became enraged when she saw her husband killed and used a spear to kill the English general.

Aimee and I find an outdoor cafe on the Praza to have a drink while soaking up the nice ambiance of La Coruna.