Ahmet Erkun

From the Co-Cathedral, we headed to Porta do Sol, which connects Casco Vello [Old Town] with Ensanche, the new district.

It’s a good thing that we weren’t going there to see an old city gate. There isn’t one anymore. Though Porta do Sol is, in fact, is the site of one of the seven entrances into the old walled city. Rather, our plan called for riding an escalator or two that would take us up into the higher reaches of the city without expending too much energy. Bonus … we found one of the city’s best known and most controversial sculptures … “El Sireno” by Francisco Leiro. The statue features a merman — a hybrid man and fish — atop a tall column. Some find the symbolism perfect for Spain’s biggest fishing port. Others feel it is way too avant-garde. Hence the controversy.

Monte O Castro is a hill in the center of Vigo … and that’s where we were headed. On the hill is a park by the same name … and at the top is what remains of a fort … also named for the hill. The path through the park and up to Fortaleza da O Castro consists of trails and a series of steep steps … the reason why we wanted to save some energy by taking the escalators to the bottom of the hill. Along the way, we managed to take some breathers from the steep climb … checking out the views of the estuary and the city, and the distant mussel farms.

The Monument to the Galleons of Rande, which consists of three anchors and some cannons that were recovered from the estuary, is located at the halfway point on the way up to the fort. It honors those who fought in the epic Battle of Rande, which was a source of inspiration for Jules Verne in his book, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” I’ll admit that I know very little about the battle that was fought in 1702. The info panels in the park were all in Spanish, so I will have to read up on it when I get home. But in reference to the treasure that Verne included in the novel’s storyline … the riches are said to have been unloaded in Vigo before most of the warships of the Indies Fleet were sunk.

Once we arrived at the remains of the castle, we were delighted by the landscaped park-like setting, with a pond in the center. We wandered the walls and checked out the views … mostly veiled by a light fog. We might have spent more time at the fort. Except that it started to drizzle. Time to move on.

I had hoped to visit Paso Quiñones de Léon — a mansion converted into a museum that exhibits Galician Art. Perfect on a rainy afternoon. By the time we got back down to the bottom of the park, however, it was too late … the museum was due to close at 2:00p and we wouldn’t have enough time there. So, we jiggled our plans and went to check out the MARCO de Vigo, a contemporary art museum that is considered to be one of the most important museums of the city.

What can I say about the art at the MARCO? Interesting. Odd. Head-Scratching. Those words would all be appropriate. Not really to our taste, so I’m glad there was no admission to visit the museum.

By the time we left the MARCO, it was already past 1:30p. The drizzle that had followed us all the way from the park was now a light, but steady rain. Time to find a place for a tapas lunch!Read more