We Go to Vigo

Vigo, Spain, is a monumental city with a proud history.  I can say that because the city is full of monuments, and because they annually celebrate their victory over Napoleon with reinactments in the streets and parades.  They are so proud of being the first city to be liberated from Napoleon, that they have huge posters on the sides of buildings comparing the victory of their "football" team (with a losing record) over the French team.  The title says, "To Our Reconquest, Final Score 18-19."










Darrell took the included tour which went to a manor house with formal gardens and drove past several of the city's many monuments.

The gardens made a wonderful place to stroll and appreciate the flowers.  Not all the people spend time time enjoying the flowers.  Sports are a great attraction.  They built a new stadium with an unusual roof.









I saw Vigo from a Segway.  We traveled along the waterfront and up into the city center.  Later that day I walked part of the same route on foot to get some pictures.  I did not trust myself to take pictures while riding.  It was a much longer path on foot!




 






As you can see, our ship was right downtown, by the cruise terminal.  Travel is one of the city themes.  These statues represent businessmen traveling and families about to embark with friends saying good-bye.






Another theme is the sea and everything connected with it.  At one end of the waterfront, on Swimmer Street, a diver enters the water.  No, the statue did not fall over.  It is supposed to show him swimming. I did not walk to the other end of the street to see him getting out.





Fishing was one of the main occupations, so there is a monument to the fishermen.  Oyster farming also brings in so much money from the oyster farms that there is a whole street, appropriately named Oyster Street, where you can buy the freshest oysters and gobble them, raw, on the spot.

Oyster Street

Oyster farms in the bay.

Horses have some fascination, too.

Wild Horses

Note the horses on the roof.

Another statue high on a column in the heart of town is called "The Merman."  Some people objected to the cost, so the mayor gave them a less expensive statue, "The Vegosaur."  The people loved it, but also decided to have both statues.

The city is also famous for granite mining, especially pink granite.  Most of the buildings in the port area are made of granite.  As often happens in port cities, the area along the waterfront developed first.  Then, as the city grew, other areas became more popular, and the waterfront was abandoned to less savory activities.  Recently Vigo has had a drive to revive the waterfront with quite a bit of success, but there are still abandoned buildings waiting for the right business to come along and restore them.

There are two final connections with the sea.  Jules Verne mentions Vigo in "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea."  They made a statue of Jules Verne sitting on what loos to me to be an octopus.

When the Spanish were busy looting the New World, they sent the treasure back to Spain in fleets of treasure ships..  At same time Spain was having a little war with the English, the French and the Dutch.  Their navies were fighting up and down the coast of Spain. 

The "honorable"Admiral 

When one of the treasure fleets, the richest so far, was returning to Spain headed for Madrid, that harbor was under attack, so the diverted to Vigo.  The attackers learned of the new destination and blocked the fleet into the Vigo harbor.  There was no way out and doom seemed certain.  What to do?  The commander could surrender his ships, men and treasure and be treated as prisoners of war.  This would mean dishonor.  He is said to proclaim, "Better honor with no ships than ships with no honor," and promptly sank all the ships with the men and treasure aboard.  The treasure has never been found and lies in the bottom of Vigo harbor.