A Day in Vigo

Greetings from Santiago, where Sra. Gasser and I just returned with our hosts from Vigo, the largest city in Galicia.  We attended the Festa da Reconquista or Festival of the Reconquest.  Spanish IV Students, no, not that Reconquest, the one where Middle Age Christians recaptured territory conquered by the Moors.

This one celebrated the defeat of Napoleonic troops in the Spanish War of Independence against the French in 1809.  We heard and saw a musical group, some of whom played the gaita, or Galician bagpipes, and dancing of the muñeira, the typical dance of Galicia.  Yes, there are bagpipes, from the ancient influence of the Celts, as we are learning in Spanish IV.

The little boy on the steps has his own toy bagpipes.

Afterward, there was a re-enactment of the city council of Vigo debating what to do about the impending French invasion.  Their loyalty is questioned, as a local noble takes control and jails them, but the new authorities he appoints are then forced to surrender to the French.

The women of the city list the atrocities of the French and demand action from the city council.

French troops arrive to suppress the common peoples' call for a defense of the city.

A second re-enactment, which was to take place later today, would have shown the people of Vigo mounting a defense and throwing out the French, as happened throughout Spain.  We didn't get to see that part, because we were strolling through the beautiful port city and having a traditional lunch of pork and potatoes.

I found out that Vigo was also the site of the first trans-Atlantic cable linking Spain to New York, as well as the setting for Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  Legend has it that a Spanish fleet loaded with gold was sunk by enemies off the coast of Vigo, which was then sought by Captain Nemo.