We will be visiting these cities during the Sept. The other cities on the itinerary are covered in previous posts. Thanks

La Corun~a, ah. A city I know and LOVE. Well, what do you need to know? The basics are: any bar in the whole city has fantastic seafood. Have mejillones (mussles), almejas a la marinera (clams in a tomato sauce), sardines (yes, sardines. huge, cheap, yummie). The port area is lively. There are decent hostales in the downtown area, and the hotel riazor, right on the beach, is cheap and ok. Eat churros con chocolate at Bonilla a la vista, near the calle real. Ten~o morrin~a; adora a patria galega! (that was gallego, MadridMan, in case you thought it was portuguese.) smiley face! (I'm on text-based website)

Vigo is one of my favorite cities in all the world. Unfortunately, it's not in our itinerary for our September trip. Try some of the great Albarin~o wine with a mariscada at one of the restaurants at la Pedra (marketplace). You can also get a good deal on Monte Cristo Havana cigars from the lady that sells on the street right at the top of the hill as you come up from the port. You have to ask for them - she doesn't display them.

There's a good wine store very close to the Renfe station: just to your right as you come out the gate. If you go down to the next corner, hang a left and continue for about a block and you will be at a night spot called 'Dublin' - not an Irish Pub per se but it's where the Chieftains Irish folk music group (with Carlos Nun~ez on Uillean Pipes) recorded part of their 'Santiago' CD (album). Vigo is Carlos Nun~ez's hometown. When I was there last, they had free Sunday concerts at the Plaza de Compostela; but that might have been just in celebration of Santiago (July 25).

We will be in Bilbao and Santander again this trip: Wife liked the photos I brought back from my trip there in the Spring.
Don't skip Santiago de Compostela: Capital of the Xunta de Galizia.
Enjoy!!

[This message has been edited by Eddie (edited 08-19-2000).]

Thanks for the information! And thank you Madrid man for the great forum available to travellers.

Our complete itinerary is: Rots 9-10
Sevella, Madrid, Paris, Bonn, Berlin, in Kiel on the 16. Down the Kiel Canal to Zeebrugge. Back at sea to La Coruna, Vigo, then to Lisbon, to Cadiz, stop at Morroco, on to Ibiza, up to Barcelona and over to Genoa on the 26th. We'll be back on the train again to find an airport for the ride back home.

Thoughts

SAILOR! I just put together your screen name with your comment "Back at sea to La Coruna, Vigo, then to Lisbon..." and WOW!! You're sailing! Now THAT'S exciting!! Or is this a kind of combination vacation with air, cruise, and rail? Still, sounds like a wonderful wonderful trip. Enjoy!!

Saludos, MadridMan

Yes, air to Europe, train to Kiel, sail, cruise or steam until Genoa. Once on the train out of Genoa we'll decide on any additional stops. It is very exciting to us. This will allow us to revisit some places enjoyed on past trips, say "Hey!" to old friends, meet new ones.

My wife really wants to see a bull fight. Have tried to explain the movie or entertainment version is not what the real life thing is like. We have seen the rope bull entertainment of the small towns in the azores. But there the bulls are not injured; although a couple seemed very irritated.

Thoughts

[This message has been edited by Sailor (edited 08-19-2000).]

Like MadridMan I am impressed with your itinerary. Don't expect to see a bullfight in Galicia. If your stop in Cadiz is on a Sunday you may be able to see one there.

You will be bedazzled as your cruise ship comes up the ria de Vigo - at the mouth is Baiona (on your right - south side), where Columbus made landfall on his return from his first Voyage of Discovery. Unfortunately, Cruise ships usually arrive early in the AM so the sun will probably be just rising as you enter the ria de Vigo. As you dock you can see Hotel Bahia Vigo across the street from the port. Right behind that (up the hill) is la Pedra (marketplace) and the old Cathedral - Santiago de Vigo. Last year, I watched Cruise ships arrive from my terrace at Hotel Bahia Vigo - usually met by many busses taking the passengers wherever. Vigo and Lisboa have one thing in common: hills. I guess that's the case with many port cities.
I'll edit this post if I can think of anything else significant.

Tell your wife to skip the bullfight. Most of them are tristes espectaculos (sad spectacles) for tourists. Instead, find an authentic flamenco show! Or go to a futbol match (soccer) for some real Spanish ambiente! I am so jealous you'll be cruising in my favorite rias. Galicia seen from the sea is paradise!