[Worldtrippers home] [2025 Crystal-Viking]
Today’s port is the second-largest city in the autonomous Spanish province of Galicia (behind yesterday’s port, Vigo). Both Gail and Russell were assigned to escort excursions.
Russell was on the two-hour “Hercules Bike Tour.” For his detailed report on this excursion in 2024, click here.
Russell’s group followed the same path as last year, cycling all over the city. They rode to Hercules Tower, monoliths, lighthouse, castle, before finishing at Maria Pita Square right next to the ship.
Gail was on the two-hour included tour, “A Coruña & the Old Town.” She saw most of the same sights as Russell, except she was on a bus instead of a bicycle.
But our highlight experience of the day started yesterday in Vigo. As we shopped in the little duty-free market at the cruise terminal, Gail looked at some porcelain dishes that are used to scrape garlic cloves. Gail wasn’t sure if they were any good. A woman next to her mentioned that they are better than garlic presses and they are very common in Spain. Nevertheless, Gail passed.
We bumped into this woman again later aboard ship. This time she was wearing her uniform. It turns out she is Chef Karen Burns-Booth. Longtime Viking passengers will recognize the name: Karen is one of the only people to have a Viking meal named after her. In fact, Karen has created two different “Great Britain” meals for the Chef’s Table specialty restaurant.
After absorbing the significance of Karen’s advice, Gail went running back out to the terminal and bought three scraping dishes, just before we set sail.
Karen is aboard the Viking Sky because she has created a third British menu for Chef’s Table. This new “Karen S. Burns-Booth Great Britain” menu had its world debut tonight aboard our ship. We were lucky enough to snag a last-minute dinner reservation for the first of its six nights. (We believe space was still available because many guests assumed it was the same “Great Britain” menu they’ve had before.)
Karen’s new menu includes bubble & squeak, skink, pork belly and Eton mess. Karen will be introducing it throughout Viking’s fleet over the next few months.
After dinner, we made a stop up in the Explorer’s Lounge. Alan the guitarist was kind enough to lend Russell his guitar. Russell and Craig sang together for the first time in several years, and unfortunately it showed. We were fairly rusty, but we had some fun.
Last night was the “Viking World Cruise Farewell Dance Party.” Tonight’s evening entertainment was Cornelia David, our Cruise Director. Tomorrow will be our final sea day – and Russell’s final lecture – before we disembark in London on May 6. Less than one week to go!
