El Sireno
Francesco Leiro, 1991.
During my 550 mile journey I have been watching the coastline carefully. Looking for mermaids; those beautiful and treacherous beings. Even amongst the chill foam-washed granite off the Galician 'Costa da Morte' she was not to be seen.
Then today while waiting for a bus; a crone tells me that this is El Sireno. A man:fish split on the vertical axis. What does this mean?
His expressionless face gazes intently and chillingly down at us and out to sea. Held captive, high on two tall granite columns under a searing blue sky he is an otherworldly being. From some view points he has human legs from others he is being consumed by the fish.
