Ports go down a storm
NIGEL HEATH enjoys a taste of Spain during a short cruise on a classic British ship
THE haunting notes of Fernando, the sorrowful song about a Spanish boy, came sobbing softly from a grand piano as we sailed down the Mersey from Liverpool towards the open sea.
It seemed the perfect serenade for me and my wife Jenny, sitting comfortably in the Observatory Lounge, nine decks above the bows of the Fred.Olsen cruise ship MV Boudicca bound for Northern Spain.
It was a Friday afternoon and we were sailing to La Coruña, the first port of call on our cruise along the coast of Northern Spain, also visiting Aviles, Santander and Bilbao.
But first we spent a day at sea familiarising ourselves with this classic 1973-built cruise ship.
After a lunch of succulent prawns and stir-fry from an ample buffet, where we could have ended up like a couple of beached whales, we enjoyed a piano concert of classical Spanish music.
Later Boudicca’s master captain, Juha Sartela, hosted his welcome cocktail party followed by a formal black tie dinner and show time.
The world’s oldest lighthouse, built by the Romans in the first century and a Unesco World Heritage site, was our first tour stop after arriving in La Coruña on Sunday afternoon.
But our visit to the nearby Galithian town of Bettanzos and a traditional Cheese House, where our party was welcomed by a piper in traditional costume playing the bagpipes, was the highlight of the afternoon.
He also played an accordion with humour and gusto, rousing us to clap and cheer as we watched the region’s light, creamy cheese being made and were plied with samples and wine.
Overnight, we sailed to Aviles in the principality of Asturias, where nearby steel mills evidenced the fact that this is one of Spain’s most important industrial centres. But, coming out on deck, our attention was snatched by the massive white domed contours and stunning circular tower of the Oscar Niemeyer cultural centre on the far side of the quay.
The great advantage of Aviles is that the ship docks close to the old quarter with its squares, narrow linking streets and medieval 14th and 15th century architecture. We stopped for coffee outside one of the many cafés and bars when the proprietor appeared with a delicious plate of complimentary tapas, a regional custom known as pintos.
But disaster almost struck later when we ordered a litre of local cider just to watch the waiter perform the local trick of holding the bottle above his head and pouring the contents into our glasses.
“Bravo!” we chorused as the golden liquid found its mark but then it was an “Oh no!” as droplets splashed over Jenny’s new leather bag! Luckily for her – and, I suspect, for him – the ugly blotches all dried and disappeared in a couple of minutes.
A magnificent sunset welcomed us as we again relaxed in our Observatory Lounge eyrie as Boudicca cast off to voyage eastwards to the busy port city of Santander.
The jagged limestone peaks of the Picos de Europa mountain range rise up some 8,000 feet from the coastal plain and they, we decided, were a sight not to be missed.
What an excellent optional tour choice it was. After leaving the coastal motorway, we wound our way for 23 kilometres through the narrow La Hermida Gorge, criss-crossing its fast-flowing river on narrow bridges amid towering peaks of jagged limestone.
Then, like a train leaving a tunnel, we burst out into a tranquil alpine scene and found ourselves into the mountain village of Potes with narrow and colourful streets full of cafés and bars where tourists jostled with sturdy backpackers and others sat around soaking up the sunshine.
A hearty lunch followed a guided walk but then, alas, it was time to return to the ship where we dined alfresco and a la carte as Boudicca cast off and sailed a further 40 miles along the coast to the famous Basque region seaport of Bilbao.
Again, we awoke to blue skies and were soon driving past the world’s oldest transporter bridge on our
NIGEL HEATH was a guest of Fred.Olsen, whose four classic cruise ships sail from Dover, Southampton, Newcastle, Liverpool and Rosyth to a host of destinations next year.
For further information on Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines, visit www.fredolsencruises.com or call 0800 0355 242. way to view a late 20th century marvel – the Guggenheim Museum.
The sheer scale of what looked to me like a giant jumble of tin cans was simply breathtaking, not to mention its two guardians – a huge metal spider and a giant floral dog.
There was no time to venture inside this cavernous masterpiece as we were off to tour the old town and sample some more pintos.
Much later, Boudicca began her 800-mile voyage home across the Bay of Biscay. Blessed with fine weather and a moderate breeze we spent the following day sunbathing, reading and strolling around the decks from where we spotted several pods of dolphins.
Around late afternoon, a small migratory bird, which looked like a spotted flycatcher, fluttered onto the deck and hopped about a bit before taking off again. We were sailing home to autumn and the onset of winter – and hoped this little fellow made it to sunnier climes.