May 15-17, 2021 I am finishing up my time in Galicia and preparing to head back to the United States for the summer. Since the region opened in March, I had seized the opportunities most weekends to visit a part of Galicia accessible by bus, such as A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense, and Santiago de Compostela.… Continue reading Northwest Galicia Road Trip: Introduction
Embalse de Pontillón de Castro
Today, one of the English teachers at my school, Aranza, brought me to a lake near her house. This is the same teacher who took me around earlier this month. The embalse (reservoir) previously provided the drinking water for the city of Pontevedra. It's now also used as a sports center owned by the Xunta… Continue reading Embalse de Pontillón de Castro
Ribeira Sacra
Ribeira Sacra could be defined as one of the best kept secrets of inland Galicia. This destination is made up of a group of twenty-one municipalities in the south of the province of Lugo and the north of the province of Ourense, with the fluvial course of the rivers Miño, Sil, and Cabe as a… Continue reading Ribeira Sacra
Combarro and Cerdedo-Cotobade
Combarro is a part of the municipality of Poio, which is a town over from Pontevedra and where I stayed my first month here in Spain. Combarro wasn't high up on my list of must-sees, but I had heard it was worth a short trip to see. One of the teachers at my school, Aranza,… Continue reading Combarro and Cerdedo-Cotobade
Ourense
This weekend's adventure was a Saturday day trip to Ourense, a small city of about 105,000 and known primarily for its hot springs and medicinal baths. Although this is its claim to fame and what attracts visitors, it also has some other popular sites and great historical significance. It was developed by the Romans, and… Continue reading Ourense
LASIK in Vigo
One of my most memorable experiences in Spain is definitely going to be that I took the plunge and got LASIK eye surgery this weekend. It's been a 16-year old journey with glasses and contacts, and I've known I wanted corrective surgery for a while. Now that I've reached the age where my vision has… Continue reading LASIK in Vigo
Weekend in Santiago de Compostela
March 19-21, 2021 This weekend's trip was to Santiago de Compostela, which is the capital of Galicia. I was actually not feeling in the mood to get up and do anything. I knew that going on an adventure was important, and I'd regret it. I was debating going to Lugo, Santiago, or Ourense. I decided… Continue reading Weekend in Santiago de Compostela
Weekend in La Coruña: Day 3
March 12-14, 2021 I checked out of my hostal around noon and walked along Avenida de la Marina to visit the San Anton Castle Archaeological and History Museum (Castelo de San Antón Museo Arqueolóxico e Histórico). The ground floor has a variety of archaelogical artifacts, the second floor terrace overlooks the city, and there are… Continue reading Weekend in La Coruña: Day 3
Weekend in La Coruña: Day 2
March 12-14, 2021 After sleeping in a bit, my first stop of the day was one of La Coruña's most famous sites: the Tower of Hercules (Torre de Hércules). This is the oldest known lighthouse still in existence. It was built sometime in the first or second centuries AD and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. The… Continue reading Weekend in La Coruña: Day 2
Weekend in La Coruña: Day 1
March 12-14, 2021 This weekend I headed up to the tip of Spain to visit La Coruña (A Coruña in Galician). It is the second most populated city in Galicia (around 250,000) and has quite a rich history. Romans first entered the area around 2 BC, and Julius Ceaesar came to the area in the… Continue reading Weekend in La Coruña: Day 1
