Vigo, Spain

Sunday morning, we left the ship about 11:30 to explore the area and find a lunch spot.  We spotted this guy just outside the cruise terminal:

Here's a view of the port area, looking back toward our ship.  It was a beautiful day, cool and breezy.

Also in the harbor area, we saw this sculpture of a man with his face pressed to the ground. I assumed it was a protest against oppression, but upon googling, discovered the title is actually The Bather of Arenal. So the guy is just swimming!

Vigo is a beautiful city, with a mostly-flat area near the port, soon rising steeply where the residential areas begin.

Just a few blocks from the port is a pedestrian area with a several-blocks-long park in the middle, with really old trees, most of which we couldn't identify.

Cyclamen already planted for the winter

We were ready for a break about 12:45, but no restaurants were open yet, so we stopped at a place near the ship for beers.  Refreshing! And the people-watching was excellent.  There were lots of multigenerational Spanish families strolling along the waterfront together on a Sunday afternoon.

About 1:30, we went to a nearby restaurant, La Tagliatella.  Yes, an Italian restaurant, but with a Spanish twist!  Charlie ordered a glass of Tempranillo, and I tried a vermouth cocktail called Vermut Berry that was delicious! They also gave us a small plate of olives.

We ordered what proved to be one of the prettiest salads I've ever seen!  It's decorated with slices of crisp prosciutto and Parmesan that were delicious together.  The salad also included peaches and candied walnuts, along with sun-dried tomatoes. It was a nice change from the ubiquitous Caesar salads on the ship.

We also ordered a pizza, which came on a thin, cracker-like crust and was delicious. It included mortadella, mozzarrella, and burrata, with a little arugula. We failed to take a photo until Charlie had cut and served it, but here you go:

I should have mentioned the accordian player between our ship and the restaurant, who was playing every time we were within earshot. It definitely added to the ambiance, and we tipped him well as we returned to the ship.  Vigo is definitely worth a trip, and I'd like to come back on a weekday, when the shops are open.

We had our usual happy hour in the suites lounge, then a light dinner at Izumi, as we'd had such a big, late lunch. Fortunately, the hibachi tables were winding down, so it was relatively peaceful most of the meal. We enjoyed chatting with a British couple seated about four inches away from us. They are spending one night in Galveston, then departing on Symphony the next day. 

Here's where we were earlier this (Monday) morning, as we approach Lisbon. We gained an hour overnight, so we're back on London time for now.

We're looking forward to our Culinary Backstreets food tour today! Check in tomorrow for the report.