Southampton, Lisbon, Vigo

Southampton is the largest city of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Southampton is a major port.  It was the point of departure for the RMS Titanic in 1912.

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, on the southwest of the country, has been the main gateway for the rest of the planet for more than 19 centuries. Ships captained by Portuguese explorers like Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama and Ferdinand Magellan, skittered across the globe, hauling treasure home and making Lisbon a global capital. Draped across seven hills, Lisbon was once the center of a vast maritime empire that stretched from the west coast of Africa to the Spice Islands of the East Indies, until 1755, when a violent earthquake destroyed two-thirds of the city, leaving intact only the Alfama, the old Moorish quarter. Today, Lisbon is a stately city of Neoclassical buildings and wide plazas. Eternally linked to the sea, Lisbon's magnificent harbor is spanned by the longest suspension bridge in Europe. Among the city's landmarks are the iconic Castelo de São Jorge, the World Heritage Sites of Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery, both built in Lisbon's native Manueline architectural style.

Vigo, which clings to the slope of Monte del Castro, overlooking a namesake bay, is the gateway to Santiago de Compostela, one of Christianity s holiest cities and the most venerated shrine in all Europe during the Middle Ages. An important fishing and commercial port, Vigo was first settled by Celts in 600 BC, whose legacy lingers on in the province's old legends - and in the bagpipes played on festive occasions. The city's medieval heritage is seen in the narrow streets and granite houses of the Ribera del Berbes, the old fishermen's quarter. Pilgrims from the four corners of Christendom followed the Way Of Saint James, flocking to the magnificent cathedral, built between the 12th and 13th centuries over St James' burial spotand. This enormous cathedral still draws thousands of daily visitors.

Southampton is the largest city of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Southampton is a major port.  It was the point of departure for the RMS Titanic in 1912.