Vigo: A Wander Near the Muelle

Disembarking Encore, first we went for a wander near Muelle de Transatlánticos where our ship was docked. Although the sky was overcast, there was no sign of the forecasted rain … not then at least!

My main reason for this wander was to find the Jules Verne Monument … commonly referred to as the octopus monument. Why is the author honored with a monument in this city? Because he mentioned the Bay of Vigo and the mythical treasures of Rande in his book, “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” He also visited the city in 1878 … after his book was published.

We found the monument easily enough once the woman at the Visitor Center — across the street from the port — pointed us in the right direction. We also found several other photo ops around the area … including what looked like a statue toppled to the ground. There was no signage explaining what it was, so I did a bit of research and learned that it is called “El Nadador” [The Swimmer].

Casco Vello (Old Town) is easily accessed from the port area. But the streets are steep. So, we used a shortcut … a pedestrian bridge that connects to a small square from the second floor of the mall.

Once we crossed over, we found ourselves standing in front of the Church of Santa Maria … the Co-Cathedral of the Galician province of Pontevedra. Known by the locals as Colegiata, construction of the church dates back to 1811. The doors were open and mass had not yet started, so we went in for a quick look-see … loved the mosaic details in the sanctuary.

From the church, we headed further into the city … which I will leave for another footprint.Read more