Spain and France

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.

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.