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Galicia |
Eat and sleep
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Useful ideas
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Other opinions
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I made two trips to Galicia - the first one, long ago, with Santiago de Compostela as main destination, took me to Vigo, Pontevedra, Sanjenjo, La Toja and La Coruña.
The second had Lugo as objective, and allowed a quick visit of Orense and Celanova. Tui had a special visit, to dance, but I must confess that my knowledge of Galiza is much more limited than it would be if the water in its beautiful beaches was not so cold, sending me frequently to the south. |
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"Out of the beaten path", this small city of Galiza is dominated by the monastery of "São Salvador". It was a nice stop in our way back to Portugal. |
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Monastery of "São Salvador" Built in the 10th century, this monastery has today the look gave by the reconstruction in the 17th century. Like "my" Alcobaça, the town grew around the monastery and under its control and administration. Today it is used by a few public organizations |
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I've been in La Coruña just once, for a couple of hours, and... didn't like it. Not enough time to a solid idea, so, I don't mind to repeat. One day... |
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Seafood and Swim El Grove and La Toja are so tightly connected that I hesitated about the name to top this notes. Well, Grove is the main city, la Toja an adjacent island so I prefer this order. Nice area, good seafood, but the cold water... |
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Beach Calm water, mild weather, not many people, restaurants accessible from the beach or the road, that's good! I only didn't risk the water temperature, but readings were not too favorable, and someone in our group confirmed that... it was not for me. |
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Just once in Lugo, but I left home, in Portugal, expressly to know Lugo. You may ask: Did it worth the trip? The answer is YES, even if Lugo was not there, because it made me cross some of the most beautiful areas of Portugal and northern Spain. Besides, Lugo was no disappointment, far from that, and the interesting central area may be visited in a short time, exactly what I needed. 
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I had no time to visit Orense - its commerce was stronger than me... if you know what I mean! Back home, I couldn't even identify this church, where I didn't enter - is it in Orense? A full morning lost at the hotel's door, waiting for... someone, that needed a few minutes to see "only one thing" in the nearby shops, that would be opening at nine AM.! |
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Yes, I've been in Pontevedra, yes I remember that I did appreciate the city less than Vigo, but, in those days where photos were a technical and expensive adventure, I could save a picture from Pontevedra (and none from Vigo). I'm having a long weekend in the first of May, so... ... the problem is convincing Fernanda... ... is it there any El Corte Ingles in Pontevedra? |
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Beach
This was, maybe, the best beach that I saw in Galicia (I didn't see much!). It was really inviting. A calm sea, beautiful landscape, and the usual Spanish structures close to the beach. |
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Old City I felt sorry for being so short in time for Santiago. Its maze of narrow streets with churches and palaces deserved a full day... at least. A reason to return! 
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Cathedral
I've been just once in Santiago de Compostela, but I loved the city. Its main attraction is the huge cathedral that drags thousands of pilgrims each year, but I think that, arriving so tired they can't appreciate. the place. I did, and wish to return with more time.The cathedral is started in the 11th century, and it is today a very beautiful complex with many adding and embellishments, from different epochs and styles. It deserves much more time than the few hours I could spend there. |
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Website: http://www.catedraldesantiago.es/
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Organ The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is the biggest Romanesque church in Spain, and it has a very austere look inside, contrasting with the architecture. The most remarkable exceptions are the choir and the magnificent organ. 
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Tui
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Dancing was the pretext to a trip to Tui.
The program didn't allow us much time, but I managed to escape for a couple of hours, and as the city is not big, it was enough to a reasonable idea of the place. |