It wouldn’t do for Viking to let us leave without another jaw-dropping culinary extravaganza. It was a brunch featuring tomahawk steaks, lobster tails and gargantuan shrimp, but somehow my pictures were all of the desserts. To wit:
In addition to the delicious treats, we were likewise impressed by the presentation:
They’re making it difficult to say good-bye to our Viking World Cruise!
(My laptop does not appear to have the little squiggly line that belongs over the “n” in A Coruna, alerting you to its correct pronunciation, which is: “ah co-ROO-nya”)
From the port, we boarded our coach for a one-hour’s drive to Santiago de Compostela, home of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, ending point of the Camino de Santiago, or the Way of Saint James. The Camino dates back to the 9th century and is a network of trails that has attracted pilgrims for over 1000 years. Our guide told us that some 3,000 pilgrims arrive at the end point each day, following one of many routes, some of which are more than 1,000km long. Even before we arrived in Santiago de Compostela, we spotted pilgrims on the route, easily identified by their backpacks adorned with a scallop shell.
As pilgrims arrive at the Plaza de Obradoiro, just in front of the cathedral, they are greeted by the sound of the Galician bagpipes, creating a solemn and emotional atmosphere marking the end of their journey.
We spoke with a young woman who had just completed her walk of twelve days, starting in Porto, Portugal. In addition to pre-registering, it was necessary to have her progress documented along the route at several checkpoints. Upon arrival, she received this very attractive certificate:
Our tour also included a climb to the roof of the cathedral for some often scary but always spectacular views.
And here’s a peek inside the cathedral.
Regarding yesterday’s power outage that threatened our ability to dock in Porto, Portugal: The fear was, since three countries (France, Spain, and Portugal) had to collaborate to solve the power problem, progress would be slow and it might take a week for things to get back to normal. Lucky for us, that was not the case. Twenty-four hours after the lights went out, all was restored and we were allowed to dock.
Vann had gone online in search of Porto’s best paella, his favorite dish. Word was that it’s a tiny place (Taberna dos Mercadores) with no chance to make a reservation online. We had determined to be there at their noon opening time. We were not the first to arrive. Mostly young people in line ahead of us (college students?) but all were patiently waiting...well past twelve-thirty. A young French couple was behind us, and they reported that they had been in line the day before but never managed to get a table before the kitchen closed. By the time the door opened, there were at least twenty people in line behind us, all lined up on an uphill cobblestone street with no chance to sit. A staff member came out to explain that there were seats only for 16 of us, whom he counted off. We were 13 and 14. He told the rest that the wait would be at least another hour and a half; their call whether to stay or move on. They all stayed.
Lunch was superb. We started with garlic shrimp and a basket of good bread to soak up the garlicky, buttery goodness in the bottom of the pan. The paella dish was over the top and extremely generous with a variety of shellfish. (I thought it was more like a seafood risotto.) And even though neither of us was still hungry, we opted for a pear poached in port wine, which was perfection! And, of course, glasses of good local wine.
And that was Porto.
We are at sea, and sometimes the sea has ideas of its own. Today we were to have landed at Algarve, in Portugal. The wind and the sea, however, did not cooperate, so our captain made the call to skip this port and head instead to our next stop at Leixoes, Portugal. We were to have tendered in, and nothing is worse than a super-rough ride in a tender! A sea day is always welcome.
Today at my stitch group, one of the ladies received a text asking about the power outages in Spain, Portugal, and France. Further research confirmed that lights are out, streetlights too, in Portugal, our next stop. At our port talk, it was apparent that the cruise director knew nothing of the power outages. Huge questions remain.
We will hear in the morning what the day holds. Whatever…it will be a grand adventure! Hoping to get into Porto, as there is much to see. Gotta get a pin in my map!
More news at eleven!!
A stop at Cadiz was our introduction to Andalusia in southern Spain, where our excursion focused on flamenco music and dance, the production of sherry, and architectural styles that reflect the region’s history.
First stop: the nearby city of Jerez, home of Tio Pepe sherry. There must be a financial arrangement between that company and Viking, as we spent way too much time there. The grounds of the bodega are lovely, however.
First of all, let’s talk about the 1942 film. It was shot almost entirely at the Warner Brothers Studio in Burbank, California. There was no Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca until 2004, when an enterprising retired American diplomat, Kathy Kriger, acquired a 1930 Moroccan mansion featuring the architectural details inspired by the movie and transformed it into a restaurant. It exists today under the management of the original owner’s daughter.
The main attraction in Casablanca today is the Hassan II Mosque, one of the world’s most magnificent. Completed in 1993 and built over the ocean, largely on reclaimed land, it can accommodate 25,000 worshipers inside and an additional 80,000 on its surrounding terrace. Using materials sourced largely from Morocco, it features Moroccan, Andalusian, and Moorish styles with intricate mosaics, marble floors, carved wood ceilings, horseshoe arches, and even a retractable roof.
This is the color palette (although most of the mosque is pure white.)
The small door at the end of the aisle faces Mecca.
While clearly overshadowed by this impressive mosque, two other take-aways deserve mention. In the streets we sometimes saw men in red coats and hats, offering water to passers-by with the hope of receiving a tip.
A symbol we saw frequently during our time in Casablanca was the outstretched palm of a hand. The Hand of Fatima is a powerful and widespread symbol, found in the design of jewelry, tourist souvenirs, and decorative household items. This ancient symbol is beloved by Moroccans, who believe it protects them and brings blessings and happiness. We saw several hands used as door knockers.
As noted in previous posts, Vann and I have had good luck seeing the sights with a private driver rather than on the ship’s excursions. We get to choose our own itinerary, set our own pace, escape the crowd, and provide work (at a reasonable cost) to a local person. When we left the ship yesterday in Agadir, we were approached by Sayid; we told him where we wanted to go, agreed on a price, and off we went.
First stop was at the funicular that took us up to the kasbah, or fortress overlooking the port city.
