Along the Streets of Ferrol

As I mentioned before, early December this year came with an incredibly long 5-day-weekend. So as not to go stir crazy at home, we took a quick trip to Ferrol. 

Out of Galicia's seven cities, it's fair to say that Ferrol is the most underappreciated. A Coruña and Vigo are the biggest cities and on the seaside to boot. That combination alone makes them quite cosmopolitan. Santiago de Compostela, in addition to being the capital, is a hub of pilgrims trekking the Camiño de Santiago. Lugo has its free tapas and UNESCO-recognized Roman Wall. Ourense attracts visitors with its abundant thermal springs. Pontevedra may not have much compared to Vigo less than 20 miles away, but it does boast a charming (and pedestrian only!) old town. 

So that leaves us with Ferrol. It's a port town, but unlike Vigo or A Coruña, it has such a low population that it doesn't enjoy as many useful amenities. Add that to the fact that the city is Franco's hometown and holds a naval arsenal, and Ferrol looks less appealing by the minute.

Casa Pereira I

One thing that Ferrol does have going on for it, however, are streets lined with glass-enclosed balconies. Art Noveau architecture with its intricate details and lines is also characteristic of Ferrol's Old Town. There is even a street tour organized around the architect Rodolfo Ucha's modernismo work around town. Unfortunately, it was not available during low season. So we explored on our own. It doesn't take an art/architecture degree to appreciate some pretty buildings! Plus when we went, we were expecting rain the entire time, but actually lucked out and barely needed the umbrella. According to the plaque, Casa Pereira I was commissioned by a sailor. Perhaps that's why the architect made the lower balcony windows on the second floor look like fish tails. How fun!

Pretty building from 1914

Flower Menina

Another more recent addition to Ferrol's art/architecture scene are the Meninas de Canido. ¨Las Meninas¨ is a famous painting by Velázquez portraying a princess and her ladies in waiting, all wearing hoop skirts typical at the time. The connection between the painting and Ferrol is lost on me. But in 2008, an artist began making street art of the Meninas in the shabby neighborhood of Canido. It caught on and now there are hundreds of Meninas painted all along the (abandoned) houses. Each year they have a festival where more and more artists come to leave their Menina mark. The idea was to liven up this dilapidated area. The art is nice, but the buildings are still mostly falling apart. Aside from being a tourist attraction to Ferrol, I don't really see the project injecting change into the neighborhood's economy. But we walked around this outdoor art museum in the morning-- maybe there are new cafés/bars open in the afternoon.

To round out our visit, we stopped by the Castle of San Felipe just outside of Ferrol (although certainly not walking distance). More than a castle, I would call it a fortress. This large naval complex is centuries old, and went through several changes and additions over the years. From the castle to a smaller fort across the river, there was a chain used to stop enemies from getting into the harbor, a little further inland. The Castle was also crucial in protecting Ferrol from an attempted English invasion in 1800. The citizens of Brión nearby were also key at defeating the Brits, who apparently didn't expect a fight. That story is told very well with interesting infographics in the Castle's museum. By the way, the castle was free to get in; had a small museum recounting the English attack of 1800; included a map; and had bathrooms stocked with toilet paper and soap. In my book, a homerun! I couldn't help but compare it to our experience in Athens, visiting the outstanding Acropolis for an entrance fee and not even getting a little map. I understand that the two tourist attractions are lightyears apart in terms of size, importance, and popularity. It just stuck out to me.