Ferrol, Spain

 I'd never heard of Ferrol before.  It's located on the far northwest corner of Spain above Portugal and it's a major naval port and shipbuilding site for Spain.  We arrived at 8:00 am instead of 11:00 am because of missing the port yesterday.  Our tour wasn't until this afternoon so we took a short walk around this morning.  Admittedly it is the port area, but it still seemed very rundown and sad to us.  Some other passengers we passed as they were returning to the ship said the shopping street was a big disappointment as most shops were closed or empty or for sale.  We wandered a little bit, but I didn't really feel comfortable so we returned after less than an hour.

Our tour focused on the naval history of the city.  First was a bit of a drive around where we confirmed that most of the old town near the port is a mess.  The guide said there is a movement to rehabilitate it.  But for the most part, we weren't very impressed with the city.  Then we walked around in the central part and saw a nicer side to Ferrol.

From the ship just before sunrise.

They manufacture wind turbines here and here are some waiting for delivery at the port.  They really are HUGE when you get up close.

Why would they put this ugly addition on this attractive 18th-century building?

It's a little hard to see, but this is a selfie pole.  It says "Take Your Selfie" just above the silver plaque with the instructions.  You slip your phone into the inverted "V" in the top part.  Each of these poles cost 2,000 euros and there are 5 of them scattered around town.

City Hall which is the background for the Selfie Pole

Some of the buildings were really attractive

Many homes have added these enclosures to the little balconies to add more space and light to the apartments.  Some, like these, are quite fancy.

The neighborhood we walked in is known as the "chocolate bar" because it is laid out in sections like a Hershey Bar.  The dark squares are the 2 parks.  This "logo" of the neighborhood was printed on the garbage cans.

We also toured the Naval Museum which was really nice.  It's in the old storehouse and has thick walls that keep the temperature comfortable, especially appreciated since it was warm and sunny today.  

This is an actual slide rule used by naval engineers many years ago.  It was made so large so that they could get the most precise measurements.  Michael says he preferred his round one from his St. Ignatius days.

We were surprised to learn that, while this is Spain, there are no bullfights, paella, or Flamenco music here.  Bullfights I understand, but not sure why they don't like paella since they have seafood locally.  And the favored musical instrument is the bagpipe!  That comes from many ages ago when there was Celtic influence here.  As the guide said, it's a little hard to play Flamenco music on bagpipes

Some Spanish bagpipers, men and women, played for us as we prepared to depart.  They were in the local traditional costumes which do not include kilts.

We had dinner with Pam and Ralph and had a fun time, as we always do with them.  We skipped the show, a violinist, and headed for the cabin.  We gain an hour tonight.