We docked around 8am in the port of La Coruña, Spain, which is located on the northwestern most tip of the Iberian peninsula. It is the second largest city in Galicia. Only Vigo is larger. The city is the provincial capital of the province of A Coruña.
I thought, and I’m certain JoAnn agrees with me, that the small part of the city we strolled around was really lovely, as I am sure you will agree with me once you have seen some of my photos. Let’s start with a shot of the harbor and yacht club taken shortly after we disembarked.
Across the way, facing the harbor are buildings unique to this city. They are designed to maximize sunlight, especially during the long winter season, with a multitude of glass. Have a look.
A brief stop at tourist information and we were on our way to what was described as the oldest part of town. As we made our way on the wharf, we came upon a couple of young women admiring a work of art which was just one part of an interesting installation.
We stopped to admire the installation as well. Here are some additional shots. The first of JoAnn and her shadow as she looked at one of the heads.
A one more. It’s all about imagination.
Moving on we made a brief stop for a photo of a typical street in this area. It seemed as though the town was only just waking up.
Time to revitalize a facade or two; La Coruña at work.
As we made our way we came across the Iglesia de Santiago (Church of St. James). It wasn’t open but it was lovely in its simplicity. I especially like the photo of the bell tower.
And, I like this photo of the distinctive windows and balcony.
We passed by and in the Church of Santo Domingo (Saint Dominic). Attached to it is a monastery. Originally outside the city, it was rebuilt inside the city in the 17th century and rebuilt again in around 1775.
Have a look inside. The churches here are simply adorned and are unlike those in Italy, with art on the walls, and unlike those in Paris, with magnificent stained glass windows.
The alter was beautiful.
After leaving Santo Domingo we started in the direction of the main plaza. At the top of a steep flight of stairs we spied the towers of the city hall. The red tile domes gleamed in the sunlight.
Entrance to city hall; quite an interesting place. I was especially attracted to the flowers; interesting colors.
Did you ever wonder how the Baby’s Breath (that’s the flower in the arrangement) got to be those colors? Well wonder no longer. The secret does not reside in nature, it is in a spray can.
The main square where the city hall is located is on Maria Pita Square.
The Church of Saint George. A statue of Saint George, with his foot on the dragon, is above the entrance. I took a close up of the statue in its natural colors (see right) and then converted it to black and white (see left) for comparison. What are your thoughts?
Enjoy a moment of reflection as you visit inside after mass.
We stumbled across this delightful installation as we were heading back to the Sojourn. Loved the guy just relaxing on his bench with, apparently, not a care in the world.
Sprinkled throughout the paved area are caricatures of famous people: actors, writers, comedians and even Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble.
A decorative building, apparently constructed in 1913, followed by the building’s interesting entrance door.
People were out and around as we were leaving the old area and walking back. Shopping is a universal activity for the young, who often are dragged resistantly by their mothers or nannies into and out of stores, and the older generations.
Cast iron came into structural use certainly in the latter part of the 19th century. Building with the use of cast iron for structural and decorative purposes was very popular and La Coruña was no exception to the building craze. This building, La Terraza, is an excellent example. Note the busts of eight highly regarded journalists on the upper floor in the second photo.
The view from our cabin as we prepared to sail and to say goodbye to La Coruña.
