The Galicia region of Spain was a natural extension of our trip to Portugal. We had read that the food was some of the best in Spain and that the scenery was fantastic. Galicia did not disappoint!
Galicia, like the Brittany region of France, was settled by Celtic people very early on. The Celtic influence is still strongly felt in Galicia today.
We stayed in the resort town of Sanxenxo on the Rias Baixas at the Hotel el Puente in a room overlooking the beach and the harbor. We arrived in time for their annual festival which never ended before midnight each night we were there. We know because our hotel had no air conditioning so we kept our windows open at night and we could hear the carnival barker’s voice across the water. We didn’t really need air conditioning as it cooled off dramatically after the sun went down each night. The carnival was set up at the harbor complete with a variety of Disney-themed rides. We were fortunate enough to catch some of the traditional music and dance exhibitions on a couple of nights, complete with bagpipes and Spanish costumes!
In our three full days in Galicia, we went on a different excursion each day.
Castro de Barona is the remains of a Celtic settlement dating back to around 100 BC. It’s position on the cliffs above the Ria de Arousa (the next Ria or fjord-like inlet north of Sanxenxo) was dramatic and inspired me to start a painting.
Combarro is an old fishing village just east from us on the Rias Baixas. We stopped there after an unsuccessful attempt to visit the Isla Cies. If you ever decide to go to the Isla Cies, you need to email the Galicia government for a permit because they only allow 2000 people a day to visit them. This is a new policy that we did not know about in time. Anyway, the old part of Combarro down by their marina is very picturesque. The photo is an example of the houses along the waterfront.
To make up for missing the Isla Cies, we went to Isla de Ons late in the day. The skies looked threatening and we were the only two people boarding in Sanxenxo for the trip. If you take this excursion, which leaves from the harbor in Sanxenxo, allow plenty of time because it is a very long walk from the ticket booth to the dock. The weather cleared and we enjoyed the beach there before heading back to Sanxenxo.
Santiago de Compostela is the heart of Galicia and the terminus of a pilgrimage that originates in France. The Cathedral in Santiago contains the remains of St. James making it the third most visited religious site after Jerusalem and Rome. We toured the Cathedral museum where we especially enjoyed the tapestry rooms. If you go, look for the man peeing in each of the three large tapestries in the middle room.
The highlight of our stay in Galicia was our new friend Pepa. She was our server at Bar Berberecho where they have amazing tapas! She steered us to a wonderful assortment our first night in town and was so much fun that we returned each of our four nights! Dave loved the goat cheese ice cream salad and fried brie bites with tomato jam so much that we ordered them each time. We also chatted with Marino, another server, and met his wife Marte who was the chef.
We thoroughly enjoyed Galicia and would highly recommend it. Next up, the Douro Valley for some Port wine.
