La Coruña

We´re back.

After a French air traffic controller strike delayed my departure for the States by a day, and then KLM managed to lose my suitcase in Amsterdam on the return, I was ready for a vacation.

We had 2 fabulous weeks in Galicia, based in La Coruña. V´s father´s family is from the city so V has about 30 cousins and assorted aunts and uncles there. We usually stay at the Hotel Palas (V likes to say that as though it were the ¨Palace¨) which is very basic but centrally located, clean and reasonably priced. But since we were staying 2 weeks and not 2 days, we opted for a studio apartment. What we didn´t realize was that there would be nothing but the room - no utensils, no dishware, no sheets, no toilet paper. Of the 150 € we saved over the hotel, we spent approximately 100€ on stuff from the Chinese dollar store down the street.

But for the entire 2 weeks it only rained twice - at night. Which pretty much balances out the 8 straight days of rain we had in June.



I have neither the figure nor the disposition for the beach - I get bored and can only read on my stomach, but the beach at Santa Cristina was a real discovery. We have gone by bus on trips before we bought the car, but it´s time consuming and confusing. With the car, though, it was about 15 minutes outside La Coruña and a great day - places to eat, great beach with almost no people (during the week), just lovely. We had a fabulous mariscada (giant platter of grilled fish/seafood) salad and a bottle of wine for about 45€ at a place just across the street from the sand.


Photo: http://www.flickr.com/groups/mapeofotograficodeespana/discuss/72157603825643302/

We also like to hang out in the historic part of La Coruña, but it´s not that big and after you´ve visited your favorite places a couple of times, it´s charm fades. But we found a new spot - O Viñedo - with a killer Raxo (pork loin with garlic and parsely) garnished with roasted red peppers and french fries for 7€.

Since we´re now mobile - we got around a bit as well - Santo Andres de Teixido (A SAN ANDRÉS DE TEIXIDO vai de morto quen non foi de vivo - you have to visit after you´re dead if you don´t get there while alive, according to the Galician saying),



the northernmost point of Galicia at Bares, and we travelled a bit up and down the Camiño de Santiago along the French route.

I will not say much more, but I think we have finally found our spot. It has it´s drawbacks - collapsed or collapsing walls, the roof is down, no plumbing or wiring. But the location is beautiful and private with 2000 m2 of garden, a barn, and still only about 4 kilometers from the village of Melide with all necessary services (and awesome pulpo). I don´t want to jinx it - so I´ll say no more, but encouragement for the undertaking is welcome.



Yes those are saplings and wild blackberries growing in the ¨living room¨.