Galicia, Spain

Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia in Northern Spain was a short flight from Dublin. It’s best known as the culmination of the pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago. The apostle St James or Santiago is reputedly buried in the Cathedral de Santiago de Compostela. The elaborately carved stone facades stand tall in the grand plaza within the Medieval walls of the old town. The Cathedral is a welcoming beacon for hikers as they arrive in town after an arduous hike. Each day at noon a pilgrims mass takes place in the Cathedral. The old town was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985. At the time of our visit the Cathedral was under major construction. All the pews had been removed and there was scaffolding everywhere. We walked through and saw the tomb of St James and the giant ‘botafumerio’ or incensory. Then we walked around the outside of the Cathedral and through some of the winding streets of the old town. There were lots of restaurants and cafes and we got some tapas for dinner. Christmas decorations were still lighting up the streets and created a lovely atmosphere.

We stayed in the Entrecercas Hotel near the main square. It was an upstairs attic room with slanted ceilings and three comfortable beds. We all slept well, so well that we missed breakfast downstairs! We went to a cafe next door and got plates of toast and jam with coffee and fresh orange juice for €3. Then we decided to walk a bit of the Camino. The tourist office recommended walking a bit of the French way which leads to Finisterre and was accessible from town. It was a beautiful trek. We didn’t go too far as we had little legs to accommodate too. We were quickly out of the town and on a lovely woodland path. When we returned to town we found a local restaurant serving a ‘menu del dia’ for €11. The food was great and with wine and coffee included it was a true bargain.

The next day we checked out and headed to the train station. We had to put our bags through a security scanner before boarding the train. Tickets were only €7 and 30 minutes later we were in A Coruña.

A Coruña was a pleasant surprise. A beautiful seaside town which tourists seem to have missed. There was a big old town with lots of bustling restaurants, Maria Pita square with the impressive town hall and a large marina lined with glass fronted houses. In fact the town is almost surrounded by water with a marina on one side and beaches on the other.

The next day started spotting dolphins while we enjoyed the fine breakfast buffet. Then we set off for a walk to a Hercules Tower, the Roman lighthouse and emblem of the city . We stopped for a browse in the Museo del Arte as we were passing. Entry was free and it housed a few interesting pieces. There were lots of people walking along the wide promenade and Shea kicked his ball the whole way. As we were returning from the Tower we decided to check out the children’s museum of the body, Domus. Again entry was free and despite the fact that everything was in Spanish, it was an interactive museum and worth a visit. We stopped for a coffee and a hot chocolate in Miss Maruja Café and the boys connected to a live Derby match.

Tried lots of different tapas while here.

It was January 5th and the eve of the Feast of the Epiphany. It’s the official Christmas celebration in Spain. We got to see a big parade with the three wise kings. They threw out lots of candy and we all had a great time. The next day we saw lots of kids trying out their new scooters, bikes and skateboards that the kings had brought.

January 6th was a quiet day in A Coruña. Everywhere was closed for the holiday. We walked to Riazor beach and spent time in several of the many playgrounds we passed along the way. There were lots of statues in the parks. Among those we spotted were one promoting reading and one of John Lennon playing his guitar.

We tried to visit the family home of Pablo Picasso but it was closed while we were there. We didn’t try the favourite food of the area Pulpo, but we saw it everywhere.