Queen Victoria - December 5, 2024

Southampton is the gateway to the immensely civilized city of London. There are museums to visit, pubs to try, and shops to browse, ranging from Harrods to open-air markets. There are more parks and green belts here than in any other city in the world. There are also caches of stately squares and noble monuments, holdovers from a time when the island ruled a significant portion of the globe.

The Tower of Hercules, a Roman lighthouse, shone over the sea and city of La Coruna for the first time over 2,000 years ago. Since then, it has guided thousands of vessels to the safety of the port - a rich melting pot of culture and that of the many visitors. Today, the city of La Coruna is one of Europe's main ports. By sea, road or air, the city welcomes you with its classic friendliness like it welcomes thousands of people who, every year come to visit the city and contemplate the oldest lighthouse of the world which is still working.

Situated on Spain's Costa del Sol, Malaga is the region's capital and a popular holiday destination. At the same time, the city is known as the birthplace of Pablo Picasso and for the sweet Malaga dessert wines that come from the hilly vineyards just outside of town. Other points of interest include impressive Gothic architecture, remains of a Moorish castle, and several interesting museums.

One of the "Pillars of Hercules," Gibraltar is an historic landmark with British and Spanish influences. Guarding the entrance to the Atlantic, the great rock still serves as Britain's threshold to the Mediterranean. Take a cable car to the top of the rock for a spectacular view of two continents as well as the famous Barbary apes.

Lisbon is many cities, from the cobbled alleys of the Alfama district to the broad Parisian style avenues at its heart. View it all from the heights of St. George's Castle. Belem's Monument to the Discoveries recalls the seafaring past, while nearby Sintra's storybook palaces, and the seaside resort of Caiscais, have different tales to tell.

Galicia is at the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula, to the north of Portugal, with which it has strong historical and linguistic ties. There are hardly any flat areas of land in its uneven landscape, but its hills and mountains offer many pleasant spots and natural parks. The mountain ranges of the Ancazares, Courel, Manzaneda and Pena Trevinca rise to almost two thousand metres. The main urban centres are Vigo and La Coruna.

Southampton is the gateway to the immensely civilized city of London. There are museums to visit, pubs to try, and shops to browse, ranging from Harrods to open-air markets. There are more parks and green belts here than in any other city in the world. There are also caches of stately squares and noble monuments, holdovers from a time when the island ruled a significant portion of the globe.