Tag: galicia

Ponte de Sarandon, Galicia, Spain

This was a long walk near of the river Ulla. I think it was between 18 and 20 km in a straight line along the river. This route passed by the Areal de Barres on the opposite bank of the river. After more than a month of gray skies and rain almost every day, warm sun and blue skies begged for an adventure.

I dropped into the path near of some country homes, and went straight to this abandoned mill near the river. The water was very high and fast in the rainy season.

Okay but really, how beautiful is this tree. It looks like an old troll looking underneath. I love it so much.

I found a cache today too! I guess someone else thought this space was just as beautiful and perfect that they could hide a reward

There were streams coming from the river that you could cross on these small wooden fairytale bridges.

And I made a friend.

Today´s special adventure was visiting with all of the mushrooms and fungi of galicia. I hear a lot of people here go foraging for various mushrooms in the fall, so I purchased a book for identifying the Setas. Unfortunately, they were all in only two categories of seta. One type was ¨do not eat¨ and the other was ¨You can maybe eat, but it looks like one you cannot eat, and you cannot tell by this photograph which one, so do not eat.¨

Cautionary tale …

These guys are poisonous and contain some sort of black powder that I assume is also poisonous. The powder is fine, and if you are curiously poking it with a stick, you may send those spores flying. So don´t do that.

These guys are also poisonous. Instead of fancy spore pouches, these smell like rotting corpses. The smell is not so strong unless… you step on it… and it gets worse if you get curious and decide to get close and poke it with a stick.. So don´t do that.

Furelos, Galicia, Spain

Charming aldea in the countryside of Galicia. Even with a population of around 130 people, there was still a wait to take a photo of this ancient Roman bridge!

It seemed to be a popular spot for pilgrims and cyclists. Situated along the Camino Frances, there is a bar for weary travelers to grab a bite.

A Pontenova, Galicia Spain

Situated between Galicia and Asturias, this was just a quick stop on my way a hiking adventure elsewhere, but I thought the old brick ovens were lovely. The ovens are remnants of an iron mining operation. There is a lot more information available online. Maybe I will return to make this route one day.

Lugo, Galicia, Spain

Lugo is so beautiful! I went on a warm and sunny day. The skies were so blue. The history of Lugo dates back to 13 BC when the city was a Roman military camp. The walls of Lugo made the Unesco World Heritage Site list in 2000.

According to wikipedia, this is the only city in the world that is still surrounded by fully intact Roman walls. So I came to have a nice walk.

The cathedral was the first stop, but it was closed when I arrived.

It did not take long to walk from the cathedral to the walls of the city. I had seen this mural so many times on television and social media… I had no idea I would get to see it today!

And I found an unexpected surprise when descending the wall. There is a secret gem, I assume by the same artist. You cannot tell me these are not the cutest grafiti you have ever seen. I want to know what are they and whether they have names.

The views from the top were stunning, but it is possible I wasted most my time in Lugo trying to take photos of cats in the yards below.

Living in Santiago de Compostela, Spain

After living in this beautiful city for more than 2 years, I have decided it is time to start sharing my favorite things in Santiago.

The city has 1000 years of folklore and hidden secrets to uncover. One piece of lore to visit is El Árbol de la Ciencia. Young students come to find their academic fate.

One of my favorite parts of Spain is that they have maintained spaces where small businesses thrive. Santiago de Compostela was largely destroyed in the 10th century and reconstructed over the next 1,000 years. The ancient buildings were never meant to offer space to large warehouse companies and big box stores. Those are sequestered on the far edges of the city.

Instead, the old town in Santiago de Compostela houses smaller privately owned businesses and restaurants. Constant renovations restore the old stone buildings and give them new life while maintaining the most beautiful stone and dark wood features. Most shops have only a few meters space inside and are smaller than the average american garage.

Each shop specializes in only a limited number of items, and often what you find is what you get. When I say that stores specialize, I think it is important to note that there is a store only for slippers. The contents of stores will change from one day to the next, products are discontinued and you will never see them again. And no, you can´t just order online. Some things are available online of course. But do not expect a quick trip to amazon with 2 day delivery. You go to the store, you take what you can find, you go home. The big chain stores are about an hour from my home and I keep a list of things to buy when I go with friends in cars.

I was a bit shocked to discover it is nearly impossible to use Amazon here. And do not expect to use your american card online. Many online stores bill through tax havens like Luxemburg and there is not a way to know which country will present the charge… so you can certainly plan on having your card flagged for fraud every time you attempt an online purchase. Fun times.

If you leave the downtown, through El Parque Alameda or Praza de Galicia, you will walk through Ensanche where there are more of the chain style stores. There is a place called Corte Ingles about 40 minuutes walking from the old town. It is the Spanish equivalent of a Super Walmart or Meijer… but with designer clothes at many times the price. It is a great last resort for things you cannot find in town and it makes a nice stroll on hot or rainy days.

There are a number of beautiful parks and various adventures to have in town. So I am going to begin including these smaller adventures here as well!