Teresa Herrera - 拉科魯尼亞體育俱樂部 Real Club Deportivo de La Coruña

Trofeo Teresa Herrera - TBD (August)
Spain - La Coruna
Deportivo vs. TBD

This destination is a personal favorite.

There is no time like August to visit La Coruna, tucked away in the northwest
corner of Spain and far from the common tourist traffic of Madrid and the
Costa del Sol.

La Coruna, located in the province of Galicia, is known for its rather cloudy
and dreary climate, but August offers a lot of sun and 75-80 degree
temperatures.

Spaniards will tell you that the best food in Spain, especially the seafood,
comes from Galicia. The local Albarino wine grape also produces some of the top
white wine in all of Europe.

La Coruna is a destination favorite of Spaniards trying to escape the heat of
Madrid and the South of Spain during August.

The tragedy of the Prestige oil tanker off the coast of Galicia has caused
environmental and economic damage to the region, which relies on the fishing
industry to support the local towns. Spaniards from all over the world have
raised money toward the relief effort.

The Teresa Herrera tournament, one of the top summer draws in Europe, takes
place usually between the 7th and 14th of the month. I have often had to book
my trip before the dates of the tournament are set, but so far have had good
luck in matching my dates with the tournament.

The Teresa Herrera has a history that goes back almost 60 years and has the
financial support to attract Europe's top clubs during the preseason. South
American clubs have even paused their league campaigns to travel to La Coruna
for the Teresa Herrera.

In the five tournaments I have had the privilege to see, the list of giants
that have appeared at the Teresa Herrera includes Deportivo La Coruna, Real
Madrid, Athletic Bilbao, Celta Vigo, Ajax, PSV, Manchester United, Roma, Lazio,
Vasco da Gama, Corinthians, Boca Juniors and Porto. Host Deportivo has won five
of the last six tournaments.

The tournament takes place on three successive nights at the Estadio Riazor,
located on the beach near the city center. The Riazor, renovated in 1997, has
36,000 seats and is one of the top mid-sized stadiums in Europe. Crowds usually
range between 15,000 and 25,000 - so there are always tickets available.

When compared to Madrid, Barcelona or the tourist destinations along the
Mediterranean coast, La Coruna offers affordable food and accomodations. In
addition, since La Coruna is located in the west end of the central European
time zone, the sun is out until 10 o'clock at night and beachgoers can usually
stay on the Riazor beach until after 9.

Reaching Galicia is never easy. Some of the Spanish airlines offer connecting
service to Santiago de Compostela (45 minutes south of La Coruna), but unless
you book your flight months in advance, the prices can be expensive.

The last time we went to La Coruna in 1999, my wife (girlfriend at the time)
and I rented a car in Madrid and drove the five hours to La Coruna.

She slept most of the way, but I enjoyed the ride through the countryside,
dreaming of my next soccer vacation.

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哇哇哇~!

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