On our way to Oporto, the first port on our second leg, the Captain announced that the weather predicted for Thursday was such that we would be unable to berth at Oporto. The storms had built up after our departure from Southampton and the Bay of Biscay was living up to its rocky reputation.
The Captain had made arrangements for us to berth instead at Vigo, a very sheltered port in one of the world’s great natural harbours. For us, a second visit to Vigo in 2 weeks.
I had ruffled feathers last week about the lack of tours being offered with wheelchair ramps or lifts. The tour manager, Pierro, rang to say that he had organised a suitable vehicle for Vigo. But he wanted to charge Jane and me more than the other 12 people in the coach! The cantankerous old blogger was incensed. Pierro later rang back to say that we would pay the same as everyone else.
And the tour was good. The guide, Kathy, was Irish but had lived in Galicia for 30 years. She arrived in Vigo to teach for a year, met her husband, had a family and turned herself into a brilliant guide. The tour took us up to a viewpoint where we looked down on the bay, littered with mussel farms.
We then spent time at Castrelos Park and the recently restored Palace. The gardens were of a French design and in one small pond stood a miniature version of the main house.
We were treated to tapas and wine in a beachside hotel on our way back to the ship. A lovely day.
And as we sailed out we passed the picturesque and rocky Cies Islands. Two of the islands are linked with a beach that has in the past been voted the most beautiful in Europe.
This is the beach linking two of the islands