Bisou de partout: A Coruña and beyond

One of the wonderful things about being secure in a marina is that it affords you the ability to go off on excursions without fear that your boat will float away without you!

We had found some Aussie yachties (whom we had already met in La Rochelle and who had preceded us to A Coruña) at the new marina and decided to go out for a drink as they were planning to head south the next day. In the end they decided to delay their departure as the winds were predicted to be high again, so we joined them in a day trip to Santiago de Compostela. We ‘googled’ the train timetable and found that it was a mere 35 minute train ride; the station was a healthy bike ride away, but we caught the 12:40pm train and settled back in a very comfortable, clean and speedy train all the way to Santiago de Compostela.

The train station is at some distance (uphill) from the Old Town and the main Cathedral but we rode/pushed our bikes to the main square of the Santiago Cathedral. From here we spent the afternoon wandering the streets, had a good look through the Cathedral and enjoyed a tasty lunch in the hot afternoon sun. Call me a prude but I was surprised at the lack of reverence for a site of supposed religious significance! No dress code for entry into the Cathedral (as in St Peter’s in Rome, for example), and plenty of beggars wandering the streets and the plaza outside the Cathedral. Far too many touristy shops and restaurants but it was still a lovely place with some great views as we took a ride on our bikes through some leafy parks.

All too soon it was time to head back to the station and catch our train to A Coruña; we parted company with our friends at the station as they were taking the bus back to their marina and we of course had our bikes. We decided to try a different way back to the Marina Real and found ourselves in a lovely park high on a hill with a planetarium, an outdoor concert venue and an Opera Theatre!

Another delicious tapas dinner out and then to bed –exhausted!