PigTailz

Noia, Galicia, Spain

La Feria Medieval de Noia has returned after Covid and I had a chance to go! There are a few differences from the Ren’Faires I have been to in the US. Beginning with… free entrance. The city center was over taken by costumed locals, actors, merchants, and visitors.

There were merchants of every kind. There were unique wood carvings, ceramics, jewelry, leather crafting, and black smiths.

There were musicians playing in the streets as I browsed the various shops and bars that filled the streets.

The history of the city begins between 4000 and 2000 BC and the Romans began living in the area around 200 BC. The city makes a lovely backdrop to the festival. I stepped into la Iglesia de Santa María a Nova, which began construction in 1327. The alter, shown below, was constructed in 1760. Some of the more original stonework was also on disply.

As I was leaving, there was a short parade of actors. Some were dressed as the trees. I thought these were absolutely divine and had to share.

Catoira, Spain

Catoira is a very small town located along río Ulla in Galicia, Spain. Despite a population of only 3,500 people it is dubbed an international tourist interest. In August, there is a viking festival. I will come again to Catoira to see it and share the photos here. But this day, I visit only the ruins and beautiful parks.

These are the ruins of Torres do Oeste, built to protect Santiago de Compostela from invading vikings.

This is where the ships will descend upon Catoira in a few weeks time and actors will recreate the scene. For now, there are no vikingas, but preparations are underway. And the jellyfish have come to explore.

The city is so small. There is a train station with no attendant, an old church, and a few homes of course.

There is also a walking path that follows the river and leads to the beach near of Torres do Oeste.

Areal de Berres, Galicia, Spain

Found a little gem not far from my new home. There is a little park near of the river Ulla. It was started by a man who wanted a little place to have barbecues near the beach so he cleared a little land and built a stone grill. The neighbors stepped in and started helping. After some time, the Xunta took over and provided funding to keep it going.

There is quite a lot to explore. Everything is lush and green like the rest of Galicia. It feels a bit like a fairy tail, complete with a “hidden” stepping stone trail through this tunnel.

The water is cool and clear and nice for swimming. I am still getting used to living somewhere without so many venemous things. I counted 0 alligators, 0 venemous snakes, 0 venemous spiders, 0 large predatory mammals.

Clearing with a stone wall overlooking the river Ulla.

It is also a fun art exploration tour. The neighbors and the Xunta have brought out so much for guests to enjoy. There are carvings, sculptures, fountains, photographs, and tiles hidden throughout the park. I am sure I did not find them all, but here are a few of my favorites.

Venice, Italy

As always , I set out for a day of walking.

While Venice was absolutely stunning, this is one city I will probably not want to revisit. It was more overwhelming than beautiful. I don’t think I have ever seen so many tourists in all my life. It was difficult to walk even in large open spaces. I think even the Rastro in Madrid had fewer people than Venice. And the food was insanely expensive. Amazing quality, I have to be honest. This is some of the best fish of my life. But the prices in Galicia have me a little biased at this point.

I took a path along the outskirts to see what sorts of adventures I might find with fewer people. If you want to see my route, you can look at the Strava, but I was running out of battery and had to cut my walk short.

I started out on the main path where everyone steps into Venice. The prices here are so high. Do not buy anything when you first come in. If you wander only a little bit you will see everyone is selling identical “hand made” “original” products that rapidly drop in price as you walk further.

I made a left turn and it took about 35 seconds to be off the main path and into the residential areas.

With fewer people I was able to appreciate the beauty of the streets and canals a bit more. The colors here are really vibrant. I can only imagine how nice it would be to live in a flat over looking the canals. But this must be reserved for the very wealthy or the very poor.

I did eventually rejoin the tourists to go and explore the more major land marks. If you are into brand name shopping, this is a place you must go. I think it is the Italian custom to dress so well. I know I certainly did not fit in so well with my black combat boots that I wear for unknown distance adventures. But it was nice to look around.

I did finally cave and buy masks from a store where you could see they were in process being hand made. I think it was the loveliest mask store in all of Venice. The name was Papier Mache and they do have a website that ships internationally.

Verona, Italy

Verona made for a very nice day trip. The walk from the train station into the old town was long, but some very large landmarks made the trip more interesting. You can see the route on Strava if you are interested.

Coming into the downtown was much more interesting. The streets are just beautiful. The buildings are of similar color but there is so much variety in shape and texture that it is very visually stimulating in a happy and soothing way.

The colors of this city are so warm and relaxing. Everything seems alive and inviting. One of the plazas had a small market… and just look at this. The fruits are so perfect they’re cartoon colored.

Of course I had to visit Juliet’s House since I was in fair Verona. The lines were a bit much in the courtyard, but it was not too expensive to visit the museum and go up to the balcony.

Obligatory selfie on the stone balcony from Romeo and Juliet. (we’re not talking about the hair)

The museum was pretty neat, I am glad I took the time to stop in for the novelty alone. The waits were not so bad even though it looked like it in the courtyard.

This unique building in the middle of the street caught my eye. I went near to see what it was and learned that I could go inside. I made a tour through Il Chiostro di San Fermo. The architecture brings Roman and Gothic styles together. I would visit this again if I had a second trip to Verona.

A bit more wandering…

And I stumbled on the Basilica di Santa Anastasia.

After that, it was time to head back to the train station. I tried taking a slightly different route this time.

And that was that! I walked through Parco Delle Mura on the way back. There were so many cicadas singing that the trees never stopped their buzzing. You could see this overlook of the walls to the city.

I think Verona is my favorite so far in Italy. It was just a lot more relaxed than Trento or Venezia and the whole vibe was just breezy summer cafe. I would definitely make a return visit for a romantic getaway.