Riviera to Vilagarcia
15/May/2007 17:44 Filed in: Ria de Muros
A beautiful day today. Another walk ashore this morning to get some groceries and enjoy a coffee.
The marina has free WiFi which worked on the boat at least 300 metres from the office but not in the cafe next door. This cafe had a neat marketing idea. At around 12:00 they distributed samples of the menu del dia. Extremely useful for self who has yet to memorise a workable spanish menu vocabulary.
Paid my bill and noticed that the club received a recent visit from El Rey, Juan Carlos. Photographs of the occasion occupied pride of place in reception. I get the impression that El Rey quite likes his sailing. He seems to have visited a lot of Club Nauticos in this area. His interest must be to good effect as in El Pais the other day they reported that the Spanish team had made the final four in the Americas Cup trials in Valencia.
Before leaving I tried again, having failed the first time in Portosin, to buy a ticket for the Van Morrison concert in Santiago de Compostela next saturday. I think I succeeded but not before being exposed to the sort of slime-ball customer abuse so common in England. Tickets offered on one website only, Caixa Galicia. Website does not work so phone help line on a rip-off rate (902) to be told there would be a surcharge because I didn't order on the website. Hung up and tried the website again. I hope it worked but I have to go to a branch of Caixa Galicia to get my ticket.
At 14:30 we left Riveira bound for Vilagarcia. The wind was right behind us at around WNW F2-3. We sailed all the way to Vilagarcia on the yankee only. Not very fast but very relaxing.
An alert regular reader asked what are the obstacles in the water on some google earth pictures.
They are called Viveiros and are large floating wooden rafts which function as mussel farms. Mussels grow on ropes which hang vertically under the Viveiros.
A Viveiro in the Ria Arosa. It is sitting low in the water indicating a pending harvest.
More Viveiros. The vessel alongside is harvesting mussels.
One of the pilot books I use refers to Villagarcia as "not very attractive". I'm not so sure about that. Just after arrival on the waiting berth at 18:00 we were met by the marinero who allocated our berth and helped with mooring.
Vilagarcia has a large marina with a pleasant Club de Mar with free internet, brand new chandler and a city centre only a few minutes walk away. I had a quick walk around this evening and was quite impressed.
The marina has free WiFi which worked on the boat at least 300 metres from the office but not in the cafe next door. This cafe had a neat marketing idea. At around 12:00 they distributed samples of the menu del dia. Extremely useful for self who has yet to memorise a workable spanish menu vocabulary.
Paid my bill and noticed that the club received a recent visit from El Rey, Juan Carlos. Photographs of the occasion occupied pride of place in reception. I get the impression that El Rey quite likes his sailing. He seems to have visited a lot of Club Nauticos in this area. His interest must be to good effect as in El Pais the other day they reported that the Spanish team had made the final four in the Americas Cup trials in Valencia.
Before leaving I tried again, having failed the first time in Portosin, to buy a ticket for the Van Morrison concert in Santiago de Compostela next saturday. I think I succeeded but not before being exposed to the sort of slime-ball customer abuse so common in England. Tickets offered on one website only, Caixa Galicia. Website does not work so phone help line on a rip-off rate (902) to be told there would be a surcharge because I didn't order on the website. Hung up and tried the website again. I hope it worked but I have to go to a branch of Caixa Galicia to get my ticket.
At 14:30 we left Riveira bound for Vilagarcia. The wind was right behind us at around WNW F2-3. We sailed all the way to Vilagarcia on the yankee only. Not very fast but very relaxing.
An alert regular reader asked what are the obstacles in the water on some google earth pictures.
They are called Viveiros and are large floating wooden rafts which function as mussel farms. Mussels grow on ropes which hang vertically under the Viveiros.
A Viveiro in the Ria Arosa. It is sitting low in the water indicating a pending harvest.
More Viveiros. The vessel alongside is harvesting mussels.
One of the pilot books I use refers to Villagarcia as "not very attractive". I'm not so sure about that. Just after arrival on the waiting berth at 18:00 we were met by the marinero who allocated our berth and helped with mooring.
Vilagarcia has a large marina with a pleasant Club de Mar with free internet, brand new chandler and a city centre only a few minutes walk away. I had a quick walk around this evening and was quite impressed.