Star Collector: Palates & Palettes of Northern Spain and France

Ever since the Romans constructed a fort here and began using it as a trading post, Oporto has been a prosperous commercial centre. In the 15th and 16th centuries the city benefited from the wealth generated by Portugal’s maritime discoveries, and later, the establishment of a lucrative wine trade with Britain compensated for the loss of the spice trade. Today, Portugal’s second-largest city is a thriving, cosmopolitan place and is famous for its production of the fortified, sweet ‘port’ wine. Its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the city was also awarded the status of European Capital of Culture in 2001. A large sandbar prevents ships from sailing into Oporto itself, so for over a century they have used nearby Leixões instead, a man-made seaport constructed nine miles from the city. Leixões is one of Portugal’s major sea ports and is also home to one of the country’s oldest football clubs, winners of the Taça de Portugal cup in 1961.

Day itinerary:

Built into the granite cliffs at the mouth of the Rio Douro, the hilly city of Porto presents a heady juxtaposition of eras and styles. Here, medieval alleyways, orderly neighborhood squares, and ornate Baroque churches readily intermingle. Porto’s historic heart is a UNESCO site of winding lanes, zigzagging staircases and tiled churches. The highlight, though, is a taste of port wine at its best – a happy accident dating from the 17th century when brandy was discovered to preserve wine for transit. After your choice of palate-pleasing shore excursions, return for an onboard fado folk music performance.

Dating from Roman times, the Galician city of Vigo has a fine natural harbour and is renowned as the biggest fishing port in the world. It is also full of history – it was in this fjord-like quay that the English and Dutch defeated the French and Spanish fleets in 1702. Today, the attractive marinas stand in contrast to the industrialised areas of the city, while further exploration will reveal the characteristic 17th-century architecture and attractive countryside beyond. The charming Old Town is a delight, with its labyrinth of winding narrow streets and shaded squares. Nearby is the Cathedral city of Tui, and further to the north is the pilgrimage centre of Santiago de Compostela, which can be reached by car in approximately 1¼ hours.

Day itinerary:

See the twisting streets, old mansions, and beautiful plazas of the old district, parts of which have survived since medieval times. Dine on fresh seafood found all over Vigo but especially in the famous El Berbes Quarter. Or head further afield to Santiago de Compostela, where a magnificent cathedral has greeted pilgrims since the 9th century.

The Campo Valdés baths, dating back to the 1st century AD, and other reminders of Gijón’s time as an ancient Roman port remain visible downtown. Gijón was almost destroyed in a 14th-century struggle over the Castilian throne, but by the 19th century it was a thriving port and industrial city. The modern-day city is part fishing port, part summer resort, and part university town, packed with cafés, restaurants, and sidrerías.

Day itinerary:

Gijon started out as a quiet fishing village some 3,000 years ago and there are many remnants of its passage through time. Explore the colorful houses and shops of Cimadevilla, the old quarter. There are ancient Roman baths at Termas Romanas. Rent a bike and ride the 13 miles of bike lanes past the many outstanding outdoor sculptures. Before you leave, try a glass of the local apple cider, or sidra.

Time in Bilbao (Bilbo, in Euskera) may be recorded as BG or AG (Before Guggenheim or After Guggenheim). Never has a single monument of art and architecture so radically changed a city. Frank Gehry’s stunning museum, Norman Foster’s sleek subway system, the Santiago Calatrava glass footbridge and airport, the leafy César Pelli Abandoibarra park and commercial complex next to the Guggenheim, and the Philippe Starck AlhóndigaBilbao cultural center have contributed to an unprecedented cultural revolution in what was once the industry capital of the Basque Country.Greater Bilbao contains almost 1 million inhabitants, nearly half the total population of the Basque Country. Founded in 1300 by Vizcayan noble Diego López de Haro, Bilbao became an industrial center in the mid-19th century, largely because of the abundance of minerals in the surrounding hills. An affluent industrial class grew up here, as did the working class in suburbs that line the Margen Izquierda (Left Bank) of the Nervión estuary.Bilbao’s new attractions get more press, but the city’s old treasures still quietly line the banks of the rust-color Nervión River. The Casco Viejo (Old Quarter)—also known as Siete Calles (Seven Streets)—is a charming jumble of shops, bars, and restaurants on the river’s Right Bank, near the Puente del Arenal bridge. This elegant proto-Bilbao nucleus was carefully restored after devastating floods in 1983. Throughout the Casco Viejo are ancient mansions emblazoned with family coats of arms, wooden doors, and fine ironwork balconies. The most interesting square is the 64-arch Plaza Nueva, where an outdoor market is pitched every Sunday morning.Walking the banks of the Nervión is a satisfying jaunt. After all, this was how—while out on a morning jog—Guggenheim director Thomas Krens first discovered the perfect spot for his project, nearly opposite the right bank’s Deusto University. From the Palacio de Euskalduna upstream to the colossal Mercado de la Ribera, parks and green zones line the river. César Pelli’s Abandoibarra project fills in the half mile between the Guggenheim and the Euskalduna bridge with a series of parks, the Deusto University library, the Meliá Bilbao Hotel, and a major shopping center.On the left bank, the wide, late-19th-century boulevards of the Ensanche neighborhood, such as Gran Vía (the main shopping artery) and Alameda de Mazarredo, are the city’s more formal face. Bilbao’s cultural institutions include, along with the Guggenheim, a major museum of fine arts (the Museo de Bellas Artes) and an opera society (Asociación Bilbaína de Amigos de la Ópera, or ABAO) with 7,000 members from Spain and southern France. In addition, epicureans have long ranked Bilbao’s culinary offerings among the best in Spain. Don’t miss a chance to ride the trolley line, the Euskotram, for a trip along the river from Atxuri Station to Basurto’s San Mamés soccer stadium, reverently dubbed “la Catedral del Fútbol” (the Cathedral of Football).

Day itinerary:

The industrial port of Bilbao is surrounded by lovely green mountains, fertile landscapes with lush forests, steep coasts and the Bay of Biscay. Famed for the curvy, titanium-covered Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, other sites of Bilbao include the Euskalduna Conference and Music Centre, Norman Foster’s Underground, towers designed by architects Arata Isozaki and Cesar Pelli, and an airport designed by Calatrava.

Time in Bilbao (Bilbo, in Euskera) may be recorded as BG or AG (Before Guggenheim or After Guggenheim). Never has a single monument of art and architecture so radically changed a city. Frank Gehry’s stunning museum, Norman Foster’s sleek subway system, the Santiago Calatrava glass footbridge and airport, the leafy César Pelli Abandoibarra park and commercial complex next to the Guggenheim, and the Philippe Starck AlhóndigaBilbao cultural center have contributed to an unprecedented cultural revolution in what was once the industry capital of the Basque Country.Greater Bilbao contains almost 1 million inhabitants, nearly half the total population of the Basque Country. Founded in 1300 by Vizcayan noble Diego López de Haro, Bilbao became an industrial center in the mid-19th century, largely because of the abundance of minerals in the surrounding hills. An affluent industrial class grew up here, as did the working class in suburbs that line the Margen Izquierda (Left Bank) of the Nervión estuary.Bilbao’s new attractions get more press, but the city’s old treasures still quietly line the banks of the rust-color Nervión River. The Casco Viejo (Old Quarter)—also known as Siete Calles (Seven Streets)—is a charming jumble of shops, bars, and restaurants on the river’s Right Bank, near the Puente del Arenal bridge. This elegant proto-Bilbao nucleus was carefully restored after devastating floods in 1983. Throughout the Casco Viejo are ancient mansions emblazoned with family coats of arms, wooden doors, and fine ironwork balconies. The most interesting square is the 64-arch Plaza Nueva, where an outdoor market is pitched every Sunday morning.Walking the banks of the Nervión is a satisfying jaunt. After all, this was how—while out on a morning jog—Guggenheim director Thomas Krens first discovered the perfect spot for his project, nearly opposite the right bank’s Deusto University. From the Palacio de Euskalduna upstream to the colossal Mercado de la Ribera, parks and green zones line the river. César Pelli’s Abandoibarra project fills in the half mile between the Guggenheim and the Euskalduna bridge with a series of parks, the Deusto University library, the Meliá Bilbao Hotel, and a major shopping center.On the left bank, the wide, late-19th-century boulevards of the Ensanche neighborhood, such as Gran Vía (the main shopping artery) and Alameda de Mazarredo, are the city’s more formal face. Bilbao’s cultural institutions include, along with the Guggenheim, a major museum of fine arts (the Museo de Bellas Artes) and an opera society (Asociación Bilbaína de Amigos de la Ópera, or ABAO) with 7,000 members from Spain and southern France. In addition, epicureans have long ranked Bilbao’s culinary offerings among the best in Spain. Don’t miss a chance to ride the trolley line, the Euskotram, for a trip along the river from Atxuri Station to Basurto’s San Mamés soccer stadium, reverently dubbed “la Catedral del Fútbol” (the Cathedral of Football).

Day itinerary:

The industrial port of Bilbao is surrounded by lovely green mountains, fertile landscapes with lush forests, steep coasts and the Bay of Biscay. Famed for the curvy, titanium-covered Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, other sites of Bilbao include the Euskalduna Conference and Music Centre, Norman Foster’s Underground, towers designed by architects Arata Isozaki and Cesar Pelli, and an airport designed by Calatrava.

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you’ll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described it as Versailles plus Antwerp, and why the painter Francisco de Goya, when exiled from his native Spain, chose it as his last home (he died here in 1828). The capital of southwest France and the region’s largest city, Bordeaux remains synonymous with the wine trade: wine shippers have long maintained their headquarters along the banks of the Garonne, while buyers from around the world arrive for the huge biennial Vinexpo show (held in odd-number years).Bordeaux is, admittedly, a less exuberant city than many others in France, but lively and stylish elements are making a dent in its conservative veneer. The cleaned-up riverfront is said by some, after a bottle or two, to exude an elegance reminiscent of St. Petersburg, and that aura of 18th-century élan also permeates the historic downtown sector—“le vieux Bordeaux”—where fine shops invite exploration. To the south of the city center are old docklands undergoing renewal—one train station has now been transformed into a big multiplex movie theater—but the area is still a bit shady. To get a feel for the historic port of Bordeaux, take the 90-minute boat trip that leaves Quai Louis-XVIII every weekday afternoon, or the regular passenger ferry that plies the Garonne between Quai Richelieu and the Pont d’Aquitaine in summer. A nice time to stroll around the city center is the first Sunday of the month, when it’s pedestrian-only and vehicles are banned.

Day itinerary:

Bordeaux has long been known as La Belle au Bois Dormant, Sleeping Beauty. And while the beauty part is undeniable, the sleeping part could be argued. Sure, the region is filled with treasures from long ago, including more than 350 historic monuments and buildings in the city alone. But the capital of Aquitaine is also home to a vibrant culture and, as oenophiles well know, is the gateway to some of France’s most famous vineyards. In this UNESCO World Heritage city, 13th century cathedrals and 18th century palaces are commonplace. Venture beyond the city’s borders to the chateaux of the Médoc region or to Saint-Émilion, a breathtaking medieval village set among the vineyards that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bordeaux as a whole, rather than any particular points within it, is what you’ll want to visit in order to understand why Victor Hugo described it as Versailles plus Antwerp, and why the painter Francisco de Goya, when exiled from his native Spain, chose it as his last home (he died here in 1828). The capital of southwest France and the region’s largest city, Bordeaux remains synonymous with the wine trade: wine shippers have long maintained their headquarters along the banks of the Garonne, while buyers from around the world arrive for the huge biennial Vinexpo show (held in odd-number years).Bordeaux is, admittedly, a less exuberant city than many others in France, but lively and stylish elements are making a dent in its conservative veneer. The cleaned-up riverfront is said by some, after a bottle or two, to exude an elegance reminiscent of St. Petersburg, and that aura of 18th-century élan also permeates the historic downtown sector—“le vieux Bordeaux”—where fine shops invite exploration. To the south of the city center are old docklands undergoing renewal—one train station has now been transformed into a big multiplex movie theater—but the area is still a bit shady. To get a feel for the historic port of Bordeaux, take the 90-minute boat trip that leaves Quai Louis-XVIII every weekday afternoon, or the regular passenger ferry that plies the Garonne between Quai Richelieu and the Pont d’Aquitaine in summer. A nice time to stroll around the city center is the first Sunday of the month, when it’s pedestrian-only and vehicles are banned.

Day itinerary:

Bordeaux has long been known as La Belle au Bois Dormant, Sleeping Beauty. And while the beauty part is undeniable, the sleeping part could be argued. Sure, the region is filled with treasures from long ago, including more than 350 historic monuments and buildings in the city alone. But the capital of Aquitaine is also home to a vibrant culture and, as oenophiles well know, is the gateway to some of France’s most famous vineyards. In this UNESCO World Heritage city, 13th century cathedrals and 18th century palaces are commonplace. Venture beyond the city’s borders to the chateaux of the Médoc region or to Saint-Émilion, a breathtaking medieval village set among the vineyards that is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day itinerary:

La Rochelle is said to be the most lovely and unspoiled port city in France, and who are we to argue? Two 14th century stone towers guard the gateway to the medieval core of the city, the Vieux Port. And this is a city that is focused on ships. You’ll find yachts floating in the Port des Minimes, ships in the stained glass of church windows, maybe even decorating the arcaded walkways that line the streets. Learn the art of brandy making with a visit to the Cognac region and the Hennessy maisson, dating back to 1765. While walking past the aging barrels, inhale the heady aroma—the escaping vapors known as “the angels’ share.”

Thrust out into the sea and bound to the mainland only by tenuous man-made causeways, romantic St-Malo has built a reputation as a breeding ground for phenomenal sailors. Many were fishermen, but others—most notably Jacques Cartier, who claimed Canada for Francis I in 1534—were New World explorers. Still others were corsairs, “sea dogs” paid by the French crown to harass the Limeys across the Channel: legendary ones like Robert Surcouf and Duguay-Trouin helped make St-Malo rich through their pillaging, in the process earning it the nickname “the pirates’ city.” The St-Malo you see today isn’t quite the one they called home because a weeklong fire in 1944, kindled by retreating Nazis, wiped out nearly all of the old buildings. Restoration work was more painstaking than brilliant, but the narrow streets and granite houses of the Vieille Ville were satisfactorily recreated, enabling St-Malo to regain its role as a busy fishing port, seaside resort, and tourist destination. The ramparts that help define this city figuratively and literally are authentic, and the flames also spared houses along Rue de Pelicot in the Vieille Ville. Battalions of tourists invade this quaint part of town in summer, so arrive off-season if you want to avoid crowds.

Day itinerary:

Once notorious as the home of pirates, St.-Malo today is better known for the UNESCO site monastery and town of Mont St. Michel and the famous oysters of nearby Cancale. Walk the city’s ramparts, or pass the time at a seaside boulangerie sampling a fresh and buttery croissant.

Day itinerary:

TBA

Originally a little fishing village, Cherbourg has developed into a historic port designed by Vauban. This was also a strategic naval port during the Napoleonic wars; there is a marina with over 1000 moorings. “Cap de la Hague” is to the West and the “Pointe de Barfleur” to the East. This port, which belongs to Normandy, is a region that has provided inspiration for countless artists and writers, and is the land of apple orchards and rolling farmland dotted with villages of half-timbered houses. Boasting a wealth of abbeys and châteaux, as well as a superb coastline, it offers something for everyone. Cherbourg was also the first stop of RMS Titanic after it left Southampton, England. On 19 June 1864, the naval engagement between USS Kearsarge and CSS Alabama took place off Cherbourg. The Battle of Cherbourg, fought in June 1944 following the Normandy Invasion, ended with the capture of Cherbourg on June 30.

Day itinerary:

From the time you disembark at the Art Deco cruise terminal (notice the signs for Ellis Island are still there), Cherbourg will charm you. Travel through Norman villages to lofty views at Cap de la Hague, or to Bayeux for a look at the famous Bayeux Tapestry, embroidered in the 11th century and listed as a “Memory of the World” by UNESCO. The D-Day beaches of Normandy are an easy drive.

Day itinerary:

This port city on the Seine River and gateway to Paris is full of beautiful architecture and is an art-lover’s delight. Museums are plentiful here including the Historial Jeanne d’Arc and the Musee des Beaux-Arts with the second-largest collection of Impressionist works in France. Stroll the many local markets full of fresh produce and flowers and dine at one of the incredible restaurants featuring fresh ingredients from this region.

Day itinerary:

This port city on the Seine River and gateway to Paris is full of beautiful architecture and is an art-lover’s delight. Museums are plentiful here including the Historial Jeanne d’Arc and the Musee des Beaux-Arts with the second-largest collection of Impressionist works in France. Stroll the many local markets full of fresh produce and flowers and dine at one of the incredible restaurants featuring fresh ingredients from this region.