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Having left Portugal, we have now reached A Coruña at the northwest corner of Spain, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Celtic Sea. Historians aren’t sure where the name comes from, but it may be derived from the Greek word for “crown.”
We arrived to a day of rain. Gail was scheduled to escort the 5.5-hour “A Coruña Estuary” excursion. However, she awoke with a bad headache and cancelled, opting to stay aboard where it was warm and dry.
On the other hand, Russell was assigned to the two-hour “Hercules Bike Tour,” which surprisingly was not cancelled due to weather. So off he went, with seven other bicyclists and two local guides, into the intermittent rain. Russell wore a jacket, earmuffs and gloves, and he was comfortable for the entire ride.
The first stop was the first-century Tower of Hercules, the oldest known extant Roman lighthouse. According to legend, the Greek hero Hercules slew the giant Geryon as one of his 12 tasks. Hercules buried the head of Geryon and ordered a city to be built on the site. (Geryon was buried with his crown; hence the possible name of the city.) The 180-foot lighthouse was supposedly constructed on top of Geryon’s head. Bicyclists had the option of trying to ride up the steep cobblestone path to the lighthouse. Everyone tried, but only about half succeeded. Russell was one of the successful ones.
The tour also stopped at Menhires Pola Paz (Menhirs for Peace), a sculpture of 10 upright stones that overlook the Pacific Ocean. Erected in 1994, the menhirs have cutouts that allow you to view various scenes.
The two-hour ride was able to take the cyclists all over the city. The last stop was Maria Pita Plaza, where a statue celebrates a local heroine. Maria Pita was the wife of an army captain when the English Armada attacked Spain in 1589. After her husband fell in battle, Pita snatched a flagpole from an English captain and killed him with it. The man was allegedly the brother of Admiral Francis Drake, and the 12,000 English invaders were demoralized. Pita then mounted the city walls and shouted “Whoever has honor, follow me!” The English ultimately abandoned their attack and withdrew their ships. Spanish king Philip II rewarded Pita with the pension of a military officer.
Russell thoroughly enjoyed the bike ride, but was happy to get back aboard ship. He and Gail spent the afternoon in the ship’s spa and hot tub.
