Where's Johnny Jet: Galavanting Through Galicia

Hola from Spain! Last week we were in northwest Portugal; this week we make our way across the border and up the Galician coast. If you want to see lots of pictures and learn about this part of the world, then come along!

Viana do Castelo

My last afternoon in Portugal was spent in Viana do Castelo. This historic town was founded in 1258, and is located along the River Lima. There is not a lot of tourism here, but thanks to new luxury hotels like Casa Melo Alvim (located in the center of town in an eco-friendly 1509 building) and Hotel Flor De Sal (a few minutes away on the beach, with a "W"-like atmosphere), I wonder how much longer this place has before the crowds come. Walking around the celebrated square and through the narrow cobblestone streets is very relaxing. For dinner I took a 10-minute ride to the top of the Santa Luzia hill, so I could see the neo-Byzantine church I had admired from below (the church stares down on Viana do Castelo). The views, and eucalyptus- and pine-scented air reminded me a lot of the Bay Area in Northern California. A few hundred yards away was another reminder of San Francisco: a 1918 hotel with a façade similar to the Fairmont. Pousada de Viana do Castelo -- Monte de Santa Luzia is one of Portugal's 43 Pousadas. Pousada is the name for upscale (4 to 5 stars) Portuguese hotels that are owned by the government but run by a private group. Pousadas can be found in historic castles, manor houses, former monasteries, palaces and convents. If you don't stay at this 50 room Pousada, at least have dinner and enjoy the views and elegance. Pousada de Viana do Castelo; tel. 351- 258-800-370.

Pousada D. Diniz

After dinner, my small tour group and I drove 30 minutes to Vila Nova de Cerveira, where we spent the night in Pousada D. Diniz. This Pousada was in a 13th century manor house with huge private wings (we had a cozy eight-bedroom place to ourselves -- but it had thin walls and no Internet). I slept well, and before calling it a night I stepped out on my own patio to enjoy the views of the Minho River. The Spanish spell it Miño -- it's the border of Portugal and Spain. It was so cool to be staring out only a short distance, seeing lights shimmering in houses and on cars, knowing those people were in another country. It was mind-boggling to think they have a different culture and different language -- and the next day I would witness it first hand. What a beautiful thing travel is! Pousada D. Diniz, 4920-296 Vila Nova de Cerveira; tel. 351-251-708120.

Portugal to Spain

After a filling breakfast buffet at Pousada D. Diniz, we loaded up the van and drove to Spain. It took a quick 15 minutes, with no hassle. Because both countries are members of the European Union, there is no stopping at the border or showing passports like in the old days. Today, driving across EU borders is the same as driving from one American state to another. Of course, crossing countries is a lot cooler.

Galicia

Galicia is a region in northwest Spain (here's a map). The area includes 1,300 km (807 miles) of coastline, and 772 beaches. There are two official languages in Galicia: Castilian (Spanish) and Galician. Only 4,000,000 people speak Galician, which is similar to Portuguese. The Northern Portuguese have a better understanding of it than Castilian speakers (see this chart for similarities and differences between the two languages). In the medieval ages Galicia was an independent country. I was surprised to learn that Galicians are cousins to Bretons, Scots and Welsh. No wonder so many people there have fair skin and red hair. It also explained why bagpipes are very important musical instruments to the Galicians. The name "Galicia" comes from the Latin "Gallaecia," which is associated with an ancient Celtic tribe that lived above the Douro River. Here are links to learn more about the Spanish language, and the history of Galicia deriving from Celtic culture.

Food in Galicia

The capital of Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, is regarded as one of the world's most religious cities (after Rome and Jerusalem). Galicia's landscape is much different from the rest of Spain. Here there are dense forests, many small rivers (it's sometimes referred to as "the land with a thousand rivers"), and five large Atlantic coast rías (similar to fjords, and very important for fishing). These rías contribute to the nickname "The Seafood Coast." I'm not a huge seafood eater, but as I get older and travel more I'm starting to expand my horizons. As you will see in this week's video (below) I even ate steamed mussels, a very popular dish here. Other delicacies include octopus, prawns, scallops, oysters, lobster, crabs, sardines, trout and salmon. To wash them down, Galicia produces dry local white wines. FYI: If you're not a seafood eater, don't worry; there are plenty of landlubber and vegetarian dishes. You won't starve -- but you will be missing out.

More on Galicia

The Galician coast weather is mild throughout the year, although it rains almost 100 days a year. The interior sections get much colder; there is even have a ski mountain (Manzaneda.com). An interesting fact about Galicians: The second greatest number can be found in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An interesting difference between Portuguese and Galicians is that it seemed to me more people spoke English in Portugal than in Galicia (and possibly even all of Spain). One hypothesis is that because Spanish is one of the six most popular world languages, all Galician TV shows are in Spanish. In Portugal, most of the TV shows and movies are in English, with subtitles.

Tui

The first town across the border is the historic village of Tui. It is centered around the Romanesque and Gothic Tui Cathedral. Getting there requires walking uphill on narrow stone streets. Construction of the Tui Cathedral began in 1120 A.D, and lasted 105 years. Today it costs 1€ ($1.28) to go inside and see the small museum, massive organ and detailed altars. Don't miss going up the open-air stone stairwell -- it reminded me of a mini-Blarney Castle in Ireland (here's the link to the Blarney story). This cathedral castle is only a couple of stories high, but because it's on a hill it gives visitors the best views of the town below, the Miño River and of Portugal.

Santa Tegra

Next stop was Santa Tegra. It is located on top of a mountain (not a hill like Tui), along the coast. This park has even better panoramic views of the Miño River and of Portugal. There is a small 80 centimos ($1) fee to enter. The drive up and down is spectacular -- but even more impressive are the ruins. Three-quarters of the way to the top are Celtic dwellings (called castros). This is one of the most important examples of Galician hill-fort culture. Seriously, if you knocked me out in the U.S. and I woke up here, I would bet the house was in Ireland (I'm so glad that didn't happen). Along the road to the top of Santa Tegra are 14 crosses, representing the 14 stops Jesus made to Calvary. Besides the incredible views, Santa Tegra has some fun outdoor souvenir shops that sell a variety of knickknacks, including mechanical bulls (there is no bullfighting in Galicia) and witches. Witch lore is very popular in Galicia.

Baiona

For lunch we headed to Baiona (the English spell it Bayona). This city is famous for the arrival of the caravel La Pinta, commanded by Martín Alonso Pinzón in 1493. (A caravel is a small 15th century three-masted ship.) La Pinta was the fastest of Columbus' three ships, and the first to arrive back home. In 1999 a replica of the 74-foot ship was moored in the bay. It is now the caravel Pinta Museum. It costs just 1€ to go aboard and see the mannequins of crew and native Americans, along with reproductions of metals, plants, foods and exotic animals found in the New World. After walking around the port town, check out the Parador de Baiona (Paradors are the same as Portuguese Pousadas; there are 85 Paradors in Spain). The 4-star Baiona Parador is located inside the Monterreal Castle (rooms start at 120€ [$153] a night). The hotel is built in the style of a Galician manor house, but within the walls of this medieval fortress. I did not stay there, but I did have a marvelous lunch in the main dining room. It included gazpacho, steak and salad. Parador de Baiona, Castelo de Monterreal, 36300 Baiona (Pontevedra); tel. 34-986-355- 000. FYI: If you are looking for a much more inexpensive hotel, try the 2-star Hotel Anunciada in the center of town. Rates begin at just 28€ ($35) a night.

Balneario de Mondariz

I checked into the hotel Balneario de Mondariz, just a few miles from the Portuguese border and 120 km (74 miles) from Santiago de Compostela. This area, in the valley of the Tea River, has been popular since the 14th century when mineral waters with medicinal properties were discovered. This area is so famous that in Spain Mondariz is a popular brand name for bottled water. This 4-star, three-building hotel has 194 rooms and a popular spa. My room was a little difficult to find, and it was a long walk from the lobby, but the room was comfortable, and it had satellite TV and incredible water pressure (along with thin walls). I had a patchy Internet signal in my room, but the lobby had full access (you need to go down there anyway to pick up your access code, and pay the 10.34€ [$13.21] for 24 hours of access. But not too many people who come here are interested in Internet (mainly those attending conferences). Guests come to play golf, enjoy Galician cuisine, walk around the garden areas, and most of all to spa. The new Water Palace (Palacio del Agua) opened in April. It costs 22€ ($28) for three hours. Slippers and swim caps -- which everyone must wear at all times -- are provided. Outside the locker rooms, the Spa is one gigantic (3,000 square meters) indoor and outdoor coed facility. The bright, multileveled, high-ceiling room is centered around one huge pool, with a number of dynamic pools to the sides. There are pools with hydro-massage jets, swan neck fountains, seven saunas of all size and temperatures, as well as steam rooms. There's also an outdoor communal bath, and a hot and cold contrast bath inspired by Japanese thermal culture. The water is believed to be especially good for those with sports injuries, nervous or digestive disorders, and stress. Room rates start at 130€ ($166) Hotel Balneario de Mondariz, Av. Enrique Peinador, sn, E-36890 Mondariz Balneario (Pontevedra); tel. 34-986-656-156.

Pontevedra

In the morning (after breakfast) we checked out of the hotel and drove toward Santiago de Compestella. Along the way we stopped in Pontevedra to check out this city with a long maritime and trading tradition. Timber used to be the main export, but thanks to new laws that is no longer true. The city has a very elegant historic quarter. The main square, Praza de Lena, features a popular stone cross. The town is full of charm, cafes and bars. This is also the place where I spotted (on my own) a symbol pointing toward Santiago de Compestella (more on that later). And I bought an asthma inhaler for 5€ without a prescription. For more on Pontevedra, click here

Combarro

Five kilometers (3 miles) away, we had a coffee break in Combarro and took a quick tour of this fishing village. Combarro is famous for its hórreos -- raised granaries with round edges to keep rodents away. Follow the crowds down the narrow corridors to find shops selling local goods -- and more witches.

O Grove

The highlight for me this week was going out on one of the many catamarans from the O Grove harbor to tour the mussels and scallops platform beds scattered all over the water. The crew immediately started cooking mussels with white wine and lemon in a pot off the stern of the boat. Once we arrived at a mussel platform we were allowed to go downstairs to see and hear how this area became the number two shellfish producer in the world (after China). Galicia brings in between 50 to 70 tons of mussels a year! It takes 1.5 to 2 years to harvest mussels, which are glued on to 30-40 foot ropes. The explanations are only in Spanish so if you don't hablo espanol bring a translator. The highlight came after we went back up top, and the happy waitress brought out tray after tray of cooked mussels. I never thought I would eat a mussel in my life, but after seeing everyone oohing and ahhing about the best mussels they ever had, I had to try. And you know what -- they weren't bad! I had four (the others had 20). O Grove is definitely a fish lover's paradise. They even sponsor an annual seafood festival in early October. For further information, see either Galicia's lame website (www.turGgalicia.es) or contact the O Grove Tourist Office (tel. 34-986-73-14-15). The 1-hour-and-15-minute cruises cost 13€ ($16) for adults, 6€ ($7.60) for children 12 and under. For more information regarding the boat tours: Catamaranes; tel. 34-986-731-246.

Isla de la Toja

Five minutes away, over a bridge, is the Isla de la Toja. Here is one of Spain's best hotels (Gran Hotel Hesperia La Toja; tel. 34-986-73-00-50), and a unique chapel covered in scallop shells. Yes, the exterior of capilla de San Sebastián (chapel of San Sebastián) has scallop shells from top to bottom. Not only do the shells do a great job protecting the building from the natural elements, but the scallop shell is Galicia's national symbol. It is also the universal symbol for pilgrims (and people write messages on them -- but I'm not sure why) making their trek to Santiago de Compostela. That's where we're headed next week -- and we will learn all about it. Adios, amigos!

Video

Here's a 2-minute Johnny Jet Video of my trip to Galicia. If you have a slow connection, check out my new channel on You Tube: Johnny Jet TV!

Happy Travels,

Johnny Jet

Please tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

John E. DiScala (aka Johnny Jet), is the founder of www.johnnyjet.com, the ultimate travel website and weekly newsletter. He logs over 150,000 miles a year, has been featured in over 850 articles (including Frommers.com, USA Today, Time, Fortune, the New York Times, CNBC and MSNBC), and has published the book, You Are Here Traveling With JohnnyJet.com.

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