One of the reasons we are here in Galicia is Santiago de Compostella. They write that it always rains in Santiago so it seemed not to matter which day we went. It vas raining when we left, it rained while we were there but left off for most of the time. So a good day by Santiago standards.
Principal destination, even for us atheists, was the cathedral and the praza de major. The city was as billed -smart, well heeled - though we saw less of it than we hoped (blame the weather). The cathedral is an impressive structure but the bling is unreal - so many people could have been saved from starvation if they had just held off a bit with the gold! And as for the cherubs! They are monstrous large, ugly and over dressed if a cherub can be. What flesh is visible is a sort of ruddy red, the rest if bling gold. The whole thing is uncomfortable to view. And then we spot them. A queue of would-be pilgirms - but they look like ordinary tourists to me - waiiting in line to climb up behind the altar and behind St James statue (not you understand in any way actually connected with the disciple) so they can kiss or otherwise obscenely genuflect upong the holy one. I realise i can actually film them as they pass behind his holiness's bum; see Picassa for the result. And weep. Apparently my remark about his bum is horribly close to the mark - they do indeed hug him from behind and it marks the end of their pilgrimage. Unless of course they have a spare 240 euros about their person.Then they can acquire the right to watch the astonishing incense burner being swung 50 metres down the knave! You can Google than and wtch the vid if you want! It has only broken free of the chain twice...
Unlike Lourdes this place is not blighted by plastic Mary's filled with Holy Water or puddle wash -who knows? But otherwise it is an insult to sanity. The cathedral is fine - sadly someone in the 18th century decided the exquisite west front carved by geniuses in the middle ages was just not up to the mark. So they blighted it with a ghastly Plateresque frontage. By some miracle they di not however actually destory the original.So it sits, wuietly beautifulo some ten feet back from its nemesis. As ever for us the scaffolders are in.We get this everywhere. Florence, Rome, Chartres, Notre Dame, Westminter, St Pauls, St Marks, Rouen, Rennes, ... wherever we go the builders are in. However we got a general idea of what was ruined. Pilgrims used to touch the statue of St James which stands at its centre. Whether they will again is unknown.
Away from the centre we walked the dog through the university grounds - very beautiful with some wonderful buildings by the Chirruesco brothers - I think (I'll check).
Monday 23 April 2012
L'Espagne autentico, as in La France Profonde - April 18
Of course with our very limited language we cannot really find the Spanish equivalent of La France Profonde; we struggle enough in La Belle herself! But travelleing as we do, with two week stops along the way we do have time to ignore the tourist trail and stike off into the back lanes. The first noticeable feature is that Spain remains clean and tidy for the most part, which sadly other nations' backwaters do not always achieve. The architecture remains generally very plain and even ugly, if entirely servicable. The churches are smaller and for the most part retain little 'romanesque', having undergone more sectarian changes than most of France of course. And the heavy 'marianization' of Spanish catholicism means fewer male icons to fill the innumerable architectural niches of our own and even France's frontages (where spared by reforming zeal of course!). So the churches are generally smaller and plainer than we are used to. But they do still dominate village centres.
For a country with so much space to use and such a small population comparitively the next noticeable thing is the way the dead are crowded together. Tiny cemeteries are crammed with large and even huge mortuaries, in turn equally crammed with the charnel or ashes of the ancestors. And then the houses of the living are usually crammed together with only a few scattered larger properties. Most of these villages show no sign of ever having had defensive works of any sort. The littering of ours and France's countryside with castles, forts, donjons, bits of wall, old mottes and abandoned baileys is absent. Indeed to some extent these Spanish settlements are smaller than we are used to. The 'big village/small town' is more or less absent. Its either a pretty big place or a very small one. Or even hardly a place at all.
Agriculture is small scale for the most part. Plots of land are either wasted or planted but big fields are generally missing. Of course northern Spain is a bit on the hilly side and i am aware that this is no way true of Estramadura or La Mancha where wheat fields are the size of small counties. But then that is a rich and developed environment; hardly l'Espagne autentico as it is here. They keep cattle, sheep and some goats but in small numbers generally. They grow cereals but again in small quantities. Judging by the general size of the horreos in which the grain was stored it has ben thus for at least 200 years. There are large, or rather long, horreos but they are rare enough to be tourist sights. The usual, three or four metres by one metre structure, with its steeply pitched roof and metre high piers to keep the grain off the ground, pests and predatiors are everywhere. In this western area they are usually stone; in Asturias they were wood and tile or slate. They are adorned with the protective symbols of the local religion - or cross as it is known.
This far west and thus south we are seeing the first grape vines, grown at waist height in the modern way but here I think to avoid ground frost and unwanted dampness as much as convenience in harvesting. No idea of the variety of course; probably white verdura or some red varieties of temopranillo or doura.
And they fish.Oh boy do they fish. Every potential harbour or port is a harbour or a port. Each is filled with the relevant mix of fishing craft. Sometimes big, usuall small. Even in the marinas most of the craft are actually small fishers. A lot of the fish here is line caufght - hundreds of hooks in the case of the professionals of course. There are so many craft that one is forced to realise the threat to our marine stocks. Then we notice how rarely many are at sea. maybe the quotas do have some effect then. South of here is Vigo with the largest fishing fleet in all of Spain - which means Europe in fact. We may get to see it, although Vigo does not get a good press otherwise and La Coruna would win out in a contest.
The people show interest in our passing, noting the registration - metriculato - and wondering no doubt why the Inglis so early! Most tourism starts much later in the year and a lot of the Brit contingent will be in motor homes which may not often venture onto these roads. The weather while wet has only suggested that 4x4 could be handy at times but I am daily pleased with having rear wheel drive not front - scrabbling in the Skoda would not have been as much fun.
But there is one crop that totally dominates and does appear in huge quantity - the inneffably aweful eucalyptus! Thousands of hectares of woodland across northern Soain and especially Galicia have been handed over to this tedious, rapacious and untidy creator of fire and ugliness. They are not green they are grey-green. They crowd out all below them bar a bit of gorse and heather.They shed bark continuously and this and theiur leaf litter bruns wonderfully well. They make fine papers in particular and of course eucalyptus oil - hence ho well they burn. Spain is Europe's lartgest producer. How wonderfulo the hills were before one can only guess - so far nothing natural has been seen. We live in hope.
For a country with so much space to use and such a small population comparitively the next noticeable thing is the way the dead are crowded together. Tiny cemeteries are crammed with large and even huge mortuaries, in turn equally crammed with the charnel or ashes of the ancestors. And then the houses of the living are usually crammed together with only a few scattered larger properties. Most of these villages show no sign of ever having had defensive works of any sort. The littering of ours and France's countryside with castles, forts, donjons, bits of wall, old mottes and abandoned baileys is absent. Indeed to some extent these Spanish settlements are smaller than we are used to. The 'big village/small town' is more or less absent. Its either a pretty big place or a very small one. Or even hardly a place at all.
Agriculture is small scale for the most part. Plots of land are either wasted or planted but big fields are generally missing. Of course northern Spain is a bit on the hilly side and i am aware that this is no way true of Estramadura or La Mancha where wheat fields are the size of small counties. But then that is a rich and developed environment; hardly l'Espagne autentico as it is here. They keep cattle, sheep and some goats but in small numbers generally. They grow cereals but again in small quantities. Judging by the general size of the horreos in which the grain was stored it has ben thus for at least 200 years. There are large, or rather long, horreos but they are rare enough to be tourist sights. The usual, three or four metres by one metre structure, with its steeply pitched roof and metre high piers to keep the grain off the ground, pests and predatiors are everywhere. In this western area they are usually stone; in Asturias they were wood and tile or slate. They are adorned with the protective symbols of the local religion - or cross as it is known.
This far west and thus south we are seeing the first grape vines, grown at waist height in the modern way but here I think to avoid ground frost and unwanted dampness as much as convenience in harvesting. No idea of the variety of course; probably white verdura or some red varieties of temopranillo or doura.
And they fish.Oh boy do they fish. Every potential harbour or port is a harbour or a port. Each is filled with the relevant mix of fishing craft. Sometimes big, usuall small. Even in the marinas most of the craft are actually small fishers. A lot of the fish here is line caufght - hundreds of hooks in the case of the professionals of course. There are so many craft that one is forced to realise the threat to our marine stocks. Then we notice how rarely many are at sea. maybe the quotas do have some effect then. South of here is Vigo with the largest fishing fleet in all of Spain - which means Europe in fact. We may get to see it, although Vigo does not get a good press otherwise and La Coruna would win out in a contest.
The people show interest in our passing, noting the registration - metriculato - and wondering no doubt why the Inglis so early! Most tourism starts much later in the year and a lot of the Brit contingent will be in motor homes which may not often venture onto these roads. The weather while wet has only suggested that 4x4 could be handy at times but I am daily pleased with having rear wheel drive not front - scrabbling in the Skoda would not have been as much fun.
But there is one crop that totally dominates and does appear in huge quantity - the inneffably aweful eucalyptus! Thousands of hectares of woodland across northern Soain and especially Galicia have been handed over to this tedious, rapacious and untidy creator of fire and ugliness. They are not green they are grey-green. They crowd out all below them bar a bit of gorse and heather.They shed bark continuously and this and theiur leaf litter bruns wonderfully well. They make fine papers in particular and of course eucalyptus oil - hence ho well they burn. Spain is Europe's lartgest producer. How wonderfulo the hills were before one can only guess - so far nothing natural has been seen. We live in hope.
The rain in Spain falls mainly on Galicia - April 18
Whatever Prof Higgins persuaded Eliza to recite, the rain in Spain does NOT stay mainly on the plain. Indeed and regrettably the evaporations of the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay in particular do their precipitation mainly on Galicia. Or so it feels just now. This is not entirely unexpected as most reports do say that it rains on about 150 days each year in this north western corner of the peninsular. But three things persuaded me at least that we might be luckier than so far has proven the case. One, the area was in a drought before we arrived. Two, those 150 days are mostly supposed to be between September and February. And the tradition is that it rains on 150 days NOT that it rains almost continuously on those 150 days... Proof that the guide books could be well off the mark came from a Spanish lady in shop who happened to be brought up in Pimlico (!) - she apologised for the rain but said it was worse in JULY!
Umbrellas are a key ingredient in Galician life, obviously. They come in many shapes and sizes and spend much time being carried furled ready for the next shower. They do not seem to dry however. Thus it is that many are plastic, especially those used by small Spanish schoolgirls. These seem often to be those very deep clear plastic objects that permit forward vision. Carried by a six year old the bottom edge at the back can leave a wake as they walk.
Happily we brought our brollies, several folding and ione golf umbrella, the only asset of any value left to me by Worldcom as it happens. We did so on the basis of experience. Back in the 80s we holidayed for a week or two in Portugal but were so close to the Spanish border that we drove across to visit Seville. Wonderfulo drive over freshly stripped tarmac and exposed ironwork where the new A road was to go. Miles of it. But I digress. Arriving in bright sunshine in the Andalucian capital we parked beside the cathedral (oh yes we did!) and set off to explore. Out of said clear blue sky fell enormous drops of rain in vast numbers. Magically, along the road umbrella vendors appeared! So we made good our oversight. The rain of course stopped immediately. Maybe there is something in this Mary worship after all. And a few years later in early season we took a house above Cordoba with daughter Sarah and her family. It rained solidly for a week, such that we took to daily checking the water level in the large reservoir a few metres above our house...
So we know about Iberian rain.You don't get an Atlantic seaboard to the west for nothing. And up here in verdant Galicia the old saw is true - How did we think it got be so green?
Umbrellas are a key ingredient in Galician life, obviously. They come in many shapes and sizes and spend much time being carried furled ready for the next shower. They do not seem to dry however. Thus it is that many are plastic, especially those used by small Spanish schoolgirls. These seem often to be those very deep clear plastic objects that permit forward vision. Carried by a six year old the bottom edge at the back can leave a wake as they walk.
Happily we brought our brollies, several folding and ione golf umbrella, the only asset of any value left to me by Worldcom as it happens. We did so on the basis of experience. Back in the 80s we holidayed for a week or two in Portugal but were so close to the Spanish border that we drove across to visit Seville. Wonderfulo drive over freshly stripped tarmac and exposed ironwork where the new A road was to go. Miles of it. But I digress. Arriving in bright sunshine in the Andalucian capital we parked beside the cathedral (oh yes we did!) and set off to explore. Out of said clear blue sky fell enormous drops of rain in vast numbers. Magically, along the road umbrella vendors appeared! So we made good our oversight. The rain of course stopped immediately. Maybe there is something in this Mary worship after all. And a few years later in early season we took a house above Cordoba with daughter Sarah and her family. It rained solidly for a week, such that we took to daily checking the water level in the large reservoir a few metres above our house...
So we know about Iberian rain.You don't get an Atlantic seaboard to the west for nothing. And up here in verdant Galicia the old saw is true - How did we think it got be so green?
Floating out of Foz and beyond Compostella to the wild Atlantic - April 15
Our departure from Foz had always been problematic once the rains started. Ten days of rain, the last 24 hours virtually continuous, had shown that the campsite has a problem - and we were sat in it. Mostly it is, for this much rain anyway, pretty well drained but in this corner of this one area a roadway has blocked what experience shows is a small, local stream. And our site was now a small local lake on its journey to the sea.
Not deep you understand although enough to squirt unpleasantly through our flooring. But this is a grassed site and it had only had one cut before our arrival. Thick, luxurious and not so much wet as imminently afloat. I hve to say i was less than confident. A straight tow out was not really on - too far and a bit uphill; even our 4x4 in low ratio would probably spin wheels. Going backwards gave us a tiny help from gravity on the shallow slope. But this is a 1700kg van on two axles. However we do have our fancy flooring - 600mm squares of hard foam with 25mm holes spaced 40 mm apart all over.
So they were to be sacrificed under the car wheels - all four of course - and moved up like pyramid builders stone rollers by my personal pet pyramid builder herself. And it worked. There was water everywhere and a slight bow wave but at about 8mm per minute we rolled 15 metres onto the roadway, at an angle too. La Senora watched and was I like to think disappointed at the loss of a really good story to tell her friends. Oh and the flooring survived having 2000 kg of Kyron driven over it repeatedly.
So we set off to cross Galicia, passing Compostella and finally fetching up outside Ribeira, roughly between La Coruna and Vigo, within earshot of the Atlantic. Our campsite arrival was excellent thanks to good signage and the drive out along our peninsular (or is it an isthmus if between rias as it is? Geogrohers please respond) wonderful. The views were terrific and enticing.
And today, Sunday we saw it. First at a charming little harbour village facing onto the ria, so fairly gentle. And then the full majesty of the Atlantic at an amazing archeological site - Castro do Barona near Porto do Son. We have been lucky enough to see many neolithic sites, including the amazing Skara Brae on Orkney but this did not even slightly disappoint. It consists of two areas of walled enclosures in which sit a series of varied size ring huts also in stone. Which is why it has survived. It sits on a rocky outcrop, a bit like a smaller version of Tintagel actually. But the outcrop rises above and behind the 'village' so protecting it from the continuous westerly which assaulted us unremittingly. As our pictures show it is pretty impressive and rates among the best preserved in Europe. It is also a long hard walk DOWN to it and a longer harder walk UP from it. Nackered we retired to our campsite.
Earlier we had also visited a fine dolmen complete with capstone and been told by the charming site officer that it was one of 10,000 across Galicia all from the period 4,000 to 2,500 BC. Even the celts did not get here until 600 BC apparently. And we had picniced on smoked salmon and Philly sarnies at a fine Faro with views all the way to Spain's own Finistere (Land's End of course) about 40 kilometres north.
And the sun shone most of the day. After ten out of 14 days wetting on the Biscay coast this is luxury.
Not deep you understand although enough to squirt unpleasantly through our flooring. But this is a grassed site and it had only had one cut before our arrival. Thick, luxurious and not so much wet as imminently afloat. I hve to say i was less than confident. A straight tow out was not really on - too far and a bit uphill; even our 4x4 in low ratio would probably spin wheels. Going backwards gave us a tiny help from gravity on the shallow slope. But this is a 1700kg van on two axles. However we do have our fancy flooring - 600mm squares of hard foam with 25mm holes spaced 40 mm apart all over.
So they were to be sacrificed under the car wheels - all four of course - and moved up like pyramid builders stone rollers by my personal pet pyramid builder herself. And it worked. There was water everywhere and a slight bow wave but at about 8mm per minute we rolled 15 metres onto the roadway, at an angle too. La Senora watched and was I like to think disappointed at the loss of a really good story to tell her friends. Oh and the flooring survived having 2000 kg of Kyron driven over it repeatedly.
So we set off to cross Galicia, passing Compostella and finally fetching up outside Ribeira, roughly between La Coruna and Vigo, within earshot of the Atlantic. Our campsite arrival was excellent thanks to good signage and the drive out along our peninsular (or is it an isthmus if between rias as it is? Geogrohers please respond) wonderful. The views were terrific and enticing.
And today, Sunday we saw it. First at a charming little harbour village facing onto the ria, so fairly gentle. And then the full majesty of the Atlantic at an amazing archeological site - Castro do Barona near Porto do Son. We have been lucky enough to see many neolithic sites, including the amazing Skara Brae on Orkney but this did not even slightly disappoint. It consists of two areas of walled enclosures in which sit a series of varied size ring huts also in stone. Which is why it has survived. It sits on a rocky outcrop, a bit like a smaller version of Tintagel actually. But the outcrop rises above and behind the 'village' so protecting it from the continuous westerly which assaulted us unremittingly. As our pictures show it is pretty impressive and rates among the best preserved in Europe. It is also a long hard walk DOWN to it and a longer harder walk UP from it. Nackered we retired to our campsite.
Earlier we had also visited a fine dolmen complete with capstone and been told by the charming site officer that it was one of 10,000 across Galicia all from the period 4,000 to 2,500 BC. Even the celts did not get here until 600 BC apparently. And we had picniced on smoked salmon and Philly sarnies at a fine Faro with views all the way to Spain's own Finistere (Land's End of course) about 40 kilometres north.
And the sun shone most of the day. After ten out of 14 days wetting on the Biscay coast this is luxury.
The van - three weeks in and time to assess; April 12
It is probably time to review whether our caravan decision was a good one. And the answer is yes, with some reservations. So this being me (RW) I shall start with the plusses which we both will agree on before I indicate a few problems of which I will probably be the major source.
First, the objective was better and easier sleeping - absolute winner. The permanent single bneds are brilliantly comfortable and not having to make them up each night and knock them down each morning is a total winner. The kitchen is as good as the Bailey which we thought it might not match. The sitting and dining area (which is also the second sleeping area if needed (four berth) is more comfortable and better designed than the Bailey. The clothing storage is greater than the Bailey, although the wardrobe is one single large instead of two smaller singles. But it works very well. The systems are very good in performance, with a better toilet system than the Bailey. Water, electricity and gas servies are identical so very good. Being twin axled it tows very straight and follows the tow car very well (The Kyron is proving a good tug as expected. And Ssang Yong dealers are it seems everywhere in Spain - we even get parked along side other S-Ys!)
Downsides? Well it is very long, as in very, very. I thought it would be 1.5 metres lomger than the Bailey but it appears to be about 2.5 longer. And of course it is twin axled. On the road this is great but to be fair it can be a pain when OFF the hook. We had a mover fitted but it seems under powered to turn the vehicle (which was the prime objective!) This may be an issue on our return; as in litigation issue if necessary!
Design of the van is very good but to keep the price down Adria has used some less than preferable installs.No problem with the key bits - water, gas, electric, but windows? Cheap stays are unreliable. Vents? Two of the roof vents are very cheap and will be replaced when we get back. Main door is crap. To be fair it has been forced in the past (issue with the vendors to come) but it is not a good design. It uses a plastic on plastic lock and latch. Now in sunshine this will bind; indeed it nearly welds together!. But this would be OK if the outside handle gave as much 'swing' to the lock as the inside. It does not. So twice we ended up locked out. In blazing sun, which was a bit of a clue as it has not been common! Eventually I found that, counter intuitively, pressing the door against the lock while actually pulling the handle got it open. So I bevelled the nose of the lock and the hasp on the latch - ipso, it now works OK cos that means the under-movement of the handle is less critical. Of course since we did this sunshine has been absent! We shall see (we hope, if you see what we mean!)
Decent vans are fitted with both fly screens and blinds and so is this. But I have to say I do not expect them to last all that long.
On site the size can be a bit of a pain and especially on the continent. Over here the accent is on shade for the summer which means hedged and tree lined pitches of about 6-9 metres square. Since all manouvres have to be carried out inside that space a van 8 metres long is abit of an issue. In the UK and on 5-star sites you can often drive in one end and out of the other - but not here in 2- star locations. So to be honest we are struggling a bit.
The first site we went to looked fine but had a really steep and u-turned entry. Committed on entry I had no choice so we set up. When we came to leave there is no doubt that wthout four-wheel low gear we would have struggled; even failed.
The site we moved to at Foz was, as I have said tired (although we now know the patron is in hospital having a heart op. Anyway Galicia rhymes with rain. It does, it does! And this site, so wonderfully close to a super coastline gets rained on a lot. We arrived for four days of sun and thought it was great. Ten days later it had rained every day and every night and sometimes very hard indeed. Our pitch was it turned out ruined by having no drainage courtesy of the roadways. So we paddled about literally with water seeping up through our fancy awning floor.
A motor home stuck in the mud asked for help so, with 4x4 and a low ratio box and 'winter start' gearing available i tuugged a Kon Tiki out of the mud - got a beer for it; sadly the good beer he offered me was not cold enough so his wife kindly passed over a cold can instead. It was rubbish! Gift horse thus toothless!
I feared we might not get off ourselves. We had pitched so that with the wet a forwad departure was not possible so we had to back the van off. I made sure we had the best chance by using our fancy flooring as trackways for the tyres. We cruiised it frankly, although it was a slow process. So, flooded grass, the caravanner's nightmare is now a thing of the past
But for all that I/we love the van and will get a few of the niggles sorted and replace some of cut-price fitting in due course. And if weever get a decent sized pitch it will be even better but that is unlikely this side of the channel!
First, the objective was better and easier sleeping - absolute winner. The permanent single bneds are brilliantly comfortable and not having to make them up each night and knock them down each morning is a total winner. The kitchen is as good as the Bailey which we thought it might not match. The sitting and dining area (which is also the second sleeping area if needed (four berth) is more comfortable and better designed than the Bailey. The clothing storage is greater than the Bailey, although the wardrobe is one single large instead of two smaller singles. But it works very well. The systems are very good in performance, with a better toilet system than the Bailey. Water, electricity and gas servies are identical so very good. Being twin axled it tows very straight and follows the tow car very well (The Kyron is proving a good tug as expected. And Ssang Yong dealers are it seems everywhere in Spain - we even get parked along side other S-Ys!)
Downsides? Well it is very long, as in very, very. I thought it would be 1.5 metres lomger than the Bailey but it appears to be about 2.5 longer. And of course it is twin axled. On the road this is great but to be fair it can be a pain when OFF the hook. We had a mover fitted but it seems under powered to turn the vehicle (which was the prime objective!) This may be an issue on our return; as in litigation issue if necessary!
Design of the van is very good but to keep the price down Adria has used some less than preferable installs.No problem with the key bits - water, gas, electric, but windows? Cheap stays are unreliable. Vents? Two of the roof vents are very cheap and will be replaced when we get back. Main door is crap. To be fair it has been forced in the past (issue with the vendors to come) but it is not a good design. It uses a plastic on plastic lock and latch. Now in sunshine this will bind; indeed it nearly welds together!. But this would be OK if the outside handle gave as much 'swing' to the lock as the inside. It does not. So twice we ended up locked out. In blazing sun, which was a bit of a clue as it has not been common! Eventually I found that, counter intuitively, pressing the door against the lock while actually pulling the handle got it open. So I bevelled the nose of the lock and the hasp on the latch - ipso, it now works OK cos that means the under-movement of the handle is less critical. Of course since we did this sunshine has been absent! We shall see (we hope, if you see what we mean!)
Decent vans are fitted with both fly screens and blinds and so is this. But I have to say I do not expect them to last all that long.
On site the size can be a bit of a pain and especially on the continent. Over here the accent is on shade for the summer which means hedged and tree lined pitches of about 6-9 metres square. Since all manouvres have to be carried out inside that space a van 8 metres long is abit of an issue. In the UK and on 5-star sites you can often drive in one end and out of the other - but not here in 2- star locations. So to be honest we are struggling a bit.
The first site we went to looked fine but had a really steep and u-turned entry. Committed on entry I had no choice so we set up. When we came to leave there is no doubt that wthout four-wheel low gear we would have struggled; even failed.
The site we moved to at Foz was, as I have said tired (although we now know the patron is in hospital having a heart op. Anyway Galicia rhymes with rain. It does, it does! And this site, so wonderfully close to a super coastline gets rained on a lot. We arrived for four days of sun and thought it was great. Ten days later it had rained every day and every night and sometimes very hard indeed. Our pitch was it turned out ruined by having no drainage courtesy of the roadways. So we paddled about literally with water seeping up through our fancy awning floor.
A motor home stuck in the mud asked for help so, with 4x4 and a low ratio box and 'winter start' gearing available i tuugged a Kon Tiki out of the mud - got a beer for it; sadly the good beer he offered me was not cold enough so his wife kindly passed over a cold can instead. It was rubbish! Gift horse thus toothless!
I feared we might not get off ourselves. We had pitched so that with the wet a forwad departure was not possible so we had to back the van off. I made sure we had the best chance by using our fancy flooring as trackways for the tyres. We cruiised it frankly, although it was a slow process. So, flooded grass, the caravanner's nightmare is now a thing of the past
But for all that I/we love the van and will get a few of the niggles sorted and replace some of cut-price fitting in due course. And if weever get a decent sized pitch it will be even better but that is unlikely this side of the channel!
Up to Alfoz and down to Viveiro - April 11
This was an odd day since we had no idea at all why Alfoz was called Alfoz - and we still don't. The little village is up in the mountains behind Foz and sits in a wide and fertile valley which, like so many others, benefits from an effective micro-climate. But this village is different. For on the top of the only hill for miles, one which commands views all the way to the mountains all round is a Norman-ish castle keep. More to the point the archeoligists can show - and they do - that at least 2,500 years ago it was a place where a wide ring fort provided either a defensive or an animal stockade or even ritual prominence. Whichever, this a place which has commanded this immensely valuable valley for 2,500 years.
The pictures show that what remains is more in keeping with the Norman principle of domination - so what we see could be originally Visigoth or possibly catholic - what it certainly does not seem to be is Moorish. Which might figure.
But all this lead us to wonder something we cannot find any justification for - was Alfoz the cause of Foz? Try this thought. Someone develops a highly effrective agricultural business in the valley - but they are scores of miles from anywhere. And to sell their produce they need transport. 20 or so miles down one of the roads is a port where they fish. So Alfoz does a deal to put a harbour in and then send their produce east and west along the coast. Thing is that Foz does not seem to have historically had much of a fleet (not far way Berula, Viveiro and even Ribadero have big fleets with what seem long histories). But Foz has had a larger than expected harbour. So what if Alzoz (which could be an abbreviation of upper Foz?) set up the Puerta de Foz as a route to market? Ah well, nice thoughts.
We then went on to a town west of Foz called Viviero. We tried to reach this from the east but hit a huge traffic jam. This time we arrived from the south and anyway there appeared to be no jam today. The town is on a major ria and at the point where a causeway was possible. A very grid-like layout and some interestingly placed gates suggests it was a roman centre - given the copper mines adjacent and the fine agri land inland (AlFoz) that makes total sense. But for evidence we would need to dig - hmmmmph!
The town is charming in a simple way - although horribly over-developed with the usual array of largely nondescript or evn downright ugly five and six storey apartment blocks. It is essentially a tourist town and not at all bad really. Adjacent is another surprise - the port of Celicia with a huge fishing fleet.
From there we visited a village called Sassadeo where, in thelate 18th century the local aristo founded an iron smelting and forging business, of which quite a lot remains.Along side the iron they found kaolin so he also established a decent sized pottery, emulatiung deliberatly the style of English Bristolware - but becomeing in the process recognised as innovators of design and colour.
And then we went to Berula which on the map I assumed would be a small fishing port. Wrong - after being shocked at the scale of over-development on our approach we bumped into a huge fishing fleet. We counted 18 large trawlers along with scores of crabbers and line fishers. And then we went round the corner and found ship building, a massive timber (eucalyptus) export site and slate, stone and aggregate. No wonder it looked over-developed!
The pictures show that what remains is more in keeping with the Norman principle of domination - so what we see could be originally Visigoth or possibly catholic - what it certainly does not seem to be is Moorish. Which might figure.
But all this lead us to wonder something we cannot find any justification for - was Alfoz the cause of Foz? Try this thought. Someone develops a highly effrective agricultural business in the valley - but they are scores of miles from anywhere. And to sell their produce they need transport. 20 or so miles down one of the roads is a port where they fish. So Alfoz does a deal to put a harbour in and then send their produce east and west along the coast. Thing is that Foz does not seem to have historically had much of a fleet (not far way Berula, Viveiro and even Ribadero have big fleets with what seem long histories). But Foz has had a larger than expected harbour. So what if Alzoz (which could be an abbreviation of upper Foz?) set up the Puerta de Foz as a route to market? Ah well, nice thoughts.
We then went on to a town west of Foz called Viviero. We tried to reach this from the east but hit a huge traffic jam. This time we arrived from the south and anyway there appeared to be no jam today. The town is on a major ria and at the point where a causeway was possible. A very grid-like layout and some interestingly placed gates suggests it was a roman centre - given the copper mines adjacent and the fine agri land inland (AlFoz) that makes total sense. But for evidence we would need to dig - hmmmmph!
The town is charming in a simple way - although horribly over-developed with the usual array of largely nondescript or evn downright ugly five and six storey apartment blocks. It is essentially a tourist town and not at all bad really. Adjacent is another surprise - the port of Celicia with a huge fishing fleet.
From there we visited a village called Sassadeo where, in thelate 18th century the local aristo founded an iron smelting and forging business, of which quite a lot remains.Along side the iron they found kaolin so he also established a decent sized pottery, emulatiung deliberatly the style of English Bristolware - but becomeing in the process recognised as innovators of design and colour.
And then we went to Berula which on the map I assumed would be a small fishing port. Wrong - after being shocked at the scale of over-development on our approach we bumped into a huge fishing fleet. We counted 18 large trawlers along with scores of crabbers and line fishers. And then we went round the corner and found ship building, a massive timber (eucalyptus) export site and slate, stone and aggregate. No wonder it looked over-developed!
A major Roman town - but they have to tell us; Lugo - April 10
We may be in the province of Galicia but we are in the department (county?) of Lugo and that is the name of the small cathedral city which governs it. Now, for the benefit of those who care, this cathedral has an honour (papally bestowed) which we are told is rare. They are allowed to have the consecrated host permanently on display. My assumption is that this was a deal struck to encourage pilgrims and thus enhance trade. But then I am not just an atheist but a heathen! Oh and we have no idea whether we saw it or not.
Lugo's major claim to fame is its city wall. All of it. For it stands up to 10 metres or more high enclosing the entire central area. And it has 52 towers. The wall was first built by the Romans, then re-inforced on their foundations in the middle ages and amazingly has survived. There are some eight or nine gates of which it seems four serve for modern traffic, which circulates the wall on an anti-clockwise three and four lane road.
The cathedral is gothic with a rather plateresque west front - that is, the enhancement is rather like silver plate work. But the east end is an amazing gothic take on romanesque - all circular apses but decorated to within an inch of collapse. The overall effect is terrific; but maybe not actually beautiful.
But Lugo was a major Roman town, a castrum I believe, and so has been a place of governance for approaching 2,000 years. It stands on a huge plain but surprisingly at 500 metres. Protected by encircling mountains twice or more as high it is a mild climate that has promoted good agriculture. And Rome, of course, was a voracious consumer. Lugo today is in two halves - one is prosperous and lively; the other will be if they ever finish the major refurbishment being undertaken. This is the older sector so there are some splendid buildings to be worked on.
Surprisingly we fould a menu del dia for 8 euros and very good it was. A delicious plate of jamon sec laid over thin cut tomatoes, showered with chopped mild onions and slathered with very good olive oil. Rough and excellent Spanish bread finished it off. My bacarlat al la plancher (cod) was excellent; Janet's middle cut of salmon a bit plain. A brilliant tarte de queso finished it off.Asking for a vaso of vino tinto produced an entire picher of more than two normal glasses. Water for Janet, sin gas. And for just two euros more two excellent cafe cortado. That's 18 euros or about £16.
After a day dodging of showers and exploiting sunny spells we returned to Foz to find yet again it was bathed in warm sunshine - it comes with the change of the tide at low. By near high tide the showers resume. and last all night...
Lugo's major claim to fame is its city wall. All of it. For it stands up to 10 metres or more high enclosing the entire central area. And it has 52 towers. The wall was first built by the Romans, then re-inforced on their foundations in the middle ages and amazingly has survived. There are some eight or nine gates of which it seems four serve for modern traffic, which circulates the wall on an anti-clockwise three and four lane road.
The cathedral is gothic with a rather plateresque west front - that is, the enhancement is rather like silver plate work. But the east end is an amazing gothic take on romanesque - all circular apses but decorated to within an inch of collapse. The overall effect is terrific; but maybe not actually beautiful.
But Lugo was a major Roman town, a castrum I believe, and so has been a place of governance for approaching 2,000 years. It stands on a huge plain but surprisingly at 500 metres. Protected by encircling mountains twice or more as high it is a mild climate that has promoted good agriculture. And Rome, of course, was a voracious consumer. Lugo today is in two halves - one is prosperous and lively; the other will be if they ever finish the major refurbishment being undertaken. This is the older sector so there are some splendid buildings to be worked on.
Surprisingly we fould a menu del dia for 8 euros and very good it was. A delicious plate of jamon sec laid over thin cut tomatoes, showered with chopped mild onions and slathered with very good olive oil. Rough and excellent Spanish bread finished it off. My bacarlat al la plancher (cod) was excellent; Janet's middle cut of salmon a bit plain. A brilliant tarte de queso finished it off.Asking for a vaso of vino tinto produced an entire picher of more than two normal glasses. Water for Janet, sin gas. And for just two euros more two excellent cafe cortado. That's 18 euros or about £16.
After a day dodging of showers and exploiting sunny spells we returned to Foz to find yet again it was bathed in warm sunshine - it comes with the change of the tide at low. By near high tide the showers resume. and last all night...
Saturday 7 April 2012
A town like Foz, you might say
We have been on site for nearly a week now so we have seen a bit of Foz. Strange little town. Started out it seems as a port, taking advantage of a natural small ria. It celebrates little else in produce terms except that it served the famous camino, although it is a few kilometres off the route. This was one of the pilgrims' roads to Compostela and thus into the arms of the reliquary and sanctuary of St James, Santiago . But where else around here is not?
In reality the road to Compostela starts from many places and it is the one from Britain and France that commands our attention. The thrilling bit is the Pyrenees - they have to be crossed somewhere and many came over the high pass at Roncevalles. We have stood there and admired their grit. After that the routes vary but many came along the coast perhaps as far as here. After that it was across Galicia to the shrine which is south west of centre. So we too are, inadvertently, following much the same route.
Foz thus fed and hosted the travellers, weary by now but maybe starting to feel hope. And they would have fed them fish and provided the salted variety for their onward journey.
But Foz must have fallen on hard times more than once. The stream of pilgrims dried up many time and in the early 20th century fell to a trickle and Foz is not a natural tourist detsination - tourists of course being the modern evocation of the pilgrim; the one in search of salvation, the other in search of diversion or elevation. Foz offers little of either and today less so than in the past. Though it seks to show it has one - everywhere are splendid displays of large print pictures from their mid 2oth century past.
But the old charms have been swept away in that wholesale manner found all over the Costas - this is course is the Costa Verde (so how do you think it got so green....). Some of the replacements are in style - galleried and balconeyed and if a bit OTT at least done with bravura. The rest come in two forms - truly boring or truly ugly. And some are truly never going to be finished - the recession has stopped almost all work.
But Foz, which may have allowed too much development within has been wiser without. As I have said already, along the charming coast nothing has been allowed closer than 100 metres from the cliff edge. Along the cliff edge of several kilometres and many sandy bays is a superb promenade with lots of parking and picnic spots. And behind that a slightly too narrow road that, as a result, is its own speed bump.
The supermarket has not totally hit Spain as it has elsewhere so hypermarkets are rare. But smaller supermercados are many and of different proprietorship generally. Mercadona is here and we have seen El Arbo but the rest are unfamiliar and thus more varied. They have however proliferated to the cost of the smaller shops so few traditional butchers, fish shops etc remain. And the markets, as elsewhere in Europe, are increasingly just cheap clothes. Sad really.
Drove west yesterday (5th) seeing some nice little harbours and an amazing aluminium works and mines on a promotory. And then tried to visit Viveiro, reputedly still some medieval walls, gates etc. No idea as the traffic jam left us 30 minutes in the queue before we gave up and turned round! We'll try again. Bet it wasn't like this in the days of the Camino de Santiago!
In reality the road to Compostela starts from many places and it is the one from Britain and France that commands our attention. The thrilling bit is the Pyrenees - they have to be crossed somewhere and many came over the high pass at Roncevalles. We have stood there and admired their grit. After that the routes vary but many came along the coast perhaps as far as here. After that it was across Galicia to the shrine which is south west of centre. So we too are, inadvertently, following much the same route.
Foz thus fed and hosted the travellers, weary by now but maybe starting to feel hope. And they would have fed them fish and provided the salted variety for their onward journey.
But Foz must have fallen on hard times more than once. The stream of pilgrims dried up many time and in the early 20th century fell to a trickle and Foz is not a natural tourist detsination - tourists of course being the modern evocation of the pilgrim; the one in search of salvation, the other in search of diversion or elevation. Foz offers little of either and today less so than in the past. Though it seks to show it has one - everywhere are splendid displays of large print pictures from their mid 2oth century past.
But the old charms have been swept away in that wholesale manner found all over the Costas - this is course is the Costa Verde (so how do you think it got so green....). Some of the replacements are in style - galleried and balconeyed and if a bit OTT at least done with bravura. The rest come in two forms - truly boring or truly ugly. And some are truly never going to be finished - the recession has stopped almost all work.
But Foz, which may have allowed too much development within has been wiser without. As I have said already, along the charming coast nothing has been allowed closer than 100 metres from the cliff edge. Along the cliff edge of several kilometres and many sandy bays is a superb promenade with lots of parking and picnic spots. And behind that a slightly too narrow road that, as a result, is its own speed bump.
The supermarket has not totally hit Spain as it has elsewhere so hypermarkets are rare. But smaller supermercados are many and of different proprietorship generally. Mercadona is here and we have seen El Arbo but the rest are unfamiliar and thus more varied. They have however proliferated to the cost of the smaller shops so few traditional butchers, fish shops etc remain. And the markets, as elsewhere in Europe, are increasingly just cheap clothes. Sad really.
Drove west yesterday (5th) seeing some nice little harbours and an amazing aluminium works and mines on a promotory. And then tried to visit Viveiro, reputedly still some medieval walls, gates etc. No idea as the traffic jam left us 30 minutes in the queue before we gave up and turned round! We'll try again. Bet it wasn't like this in the days of the Camino de Santiago!
Foz to Ribadera - the coast west 2-3 April
Having found the area of coast closest to us so Pembrokian we then went west towards Ribadera - and found more similar. It really is superb and access is not so much easy as positively encouraged. Makes a change frankly.
Our pictures (https://picasaweb.google.com/100050585701073430632/MARCH?locked=true) show better but one spot we visited is interesting. It tourist appeal - it is well signbed, served and touted - is a bit of an historic blip. Named for its comparison to the vaulted ceilings of ancient cathedral I am afraid the roof fell in a fair few decades ago. Today the similarity is hard to see but the former asupports for the arches survive as fine offshore cliffs parallel to the coast and impressive in their own right.
All along are sandy coves, craggy rock pools, secret nooks and caves - a child's nelight. Olly loves it and we agree. He charges about like a mad thing seeking all sort of smells that must colour his landscape amazingly. All we see is a flying tail or a swerve where he turned to change scent! He dodges the wet stuff, especially when it chases him.
Everwhere we go the cafe corrrrrrtado is brilliant and now about 1.20e but super. Clearly not from StarCostaNero! You get bikkies too if you roll your Rs right!
The towns are a bit sad. Partly it is the Spanish property crash and the recession but also it is the Spanish attitude to development. Foz is a prime example. Too much poor quality oversized development, much of its now abandoned. In amongst you can see it done well - there are some superb large commercial developments with shops and offices below and fine apartments above that echo the Spanish tast for galleries and balconies and twiddly bits. Some in Foz are super and will figure in our pictures; some are hideous and should not but will.
All along the coast are fine villas, many closed up for the winter. Most were built in the latter part of the 20th century but they echo local styles and colours and the planners have kept them back about 100 metres from the coast. They have ensured too that they stand in wide ground so they do not too severely affect the views. Where they are not detached it seems two large semis are preferred and then an even wider gap is left. Overall it works. Left to developers it would be crowding the cliff edge and shoulder to shoulder
Our pictures (https://picasaweb.google.com/100050585701073430632/MARCH?locked=true) show better but one spot we visited is interesting. It tourist appeal - it is well signbed, served and touted - is a bit of an historic blip. Named for its comparison to the vaulted ceilings of ancient cathedral I am afraid the roof fell in a fair few decades ago. Today the similarity is hard to see but the former asupports for the arches survive as fine offshore cliffs parallel to the coast and impressive in their own right.
All along are sandy coves, craggy rock pools, secret nooks and caves - a child's nelight. Olly loves it and we agree. He charges about like a mad thing seeking all sort of smells that must colour his landscape amazingly. All we see is a flying tail or a swerve where he turned to change scent! He dodges the wet stuff, especially when it chases him.
Everwhere we go the cafe corrrrrrtado is brilliant and now about 1.20e but super. Clearly not from StarCostaNero! You get bikkies too if you roll your Rs right!
The towns are a bit sad. Partly it is the Spanish property crash and the recession but also it is the Spanish attitude to development. Foz is a prime example. Too much poor quality oversized development, much of its now abandoned. In amongst you can see it done well - there are some superb large commercial developments with shops and offices below and fine apartments above that echo the Spanish tast for galleries and balconies and twiddly bits. Some in Foz are super and will figure in our pictures; some are hideous and should not but will.
All along the coast are fine villas, many closed up for the winter. Most were built in the latter part of the 20th century but they echo local styles and colours and the planners have kept them back about 100 metres from the coast. They have ensured too that they stand in wide ground so they do not too severely affect the views. Where they are not detached it seems two large semis are preferred and then an even wider gap is left. Overall it works. Left to developers it would be crowding the cliff edge and shoulder to shoulder
Last visits: Asturias and el Picos - March 30
Yesterday we took the awning down which took a chunk of the day. It is not hard taking it down but there is a lot of canvas and a lot of poles. Still, given this was our first erection and detumescence of the beast - it is 11 metres long in canvas and 2.5 wide - we are pleased with the result. It sure gives a lot of space!
So this action commits us to leaving, albeit reluctantly. Each day we have escaped the smoke only to return to it in the evening. Curiously and possibly significantly since all the publicity and media comment and political accusation the number of fires seems to have decreased. Which it would if the allegation that most are set deliberately is true. Discuss. Even so it lingers in the valleys where we of course are.
Today (Friday) we went east along the Val de Sella and enjoyed some splendid gorge scenery - not wquite the Tarn bug pretty giood. And less traffic!
Our destination was St Vicente de Barquera, a large harbour town on a fascinating inlet - a rias or rather two rias since two valleys converge with two rivers to feed a very impressive estuary. The town sits on the confluence, a hilly crag topped originally by a fort but, with the coming of christianity the military made way and moved slightly down hill.
The resultant church was romanesque, then as a guiide book put it, pointy romanesque and finally given a Gothic frontage. Next door is a college of what seemed to be maritime administration but with our Spanish it could have been anything involving words a bit like that. Then the government had erected a rasther forbidding courthouse and gardia office. Next was the splendid 16th century and flamboyant, almost plateresque, ayuntamiento but in reality they had simply and rightly preserved the frontage - behind was 20th century admin essential! Finally what remains of the military might is fairly impressve but sadly shut chunk of 14th century fort. From all this the views are splendid.
We had ascended along a modern and well presented promenade with ample signs and information, although the Spanish make no concession on language to any EU nation - all is in Castillian and sometimes Asturian/Basque or it may even be Bable which is, I read Cantabrian. We found a nearly as easy way down through what remains of the olkd town. The Spanish seem to have have little affection for their past and preserve little. Maybe, given all that has happened in Iberia that is no surprise but it can be sad when so much of the replacement is 60s to 80s trash architecture.
So to Saturday and we known down the van's equipage and ready it for the road. There is just one issue that has troubled me. We rolled into this site when, though we did not know it, a key entry to pitches was blocked by a motor home. So I swing round into the first area, expecting to be able to roll out the end and out another route. Niot so. Which meant the u-bend on a steep down slope was now a u-bend on a steep UP slope. And I was towing an 8 metre van for the first time. To be fair I did forget that I had both four wheel drive and low gear ratio available. But I mentally planned the exit at least every day. In the event I selected low x4 and got the line right and left my postillion (Janet) agape and wondering why she had been left to walk uop this ruddy steep slope! I was just between embarrassed and proud!
And so to Galicia.
So this action commits us to leaving, albeit reluctantly. Each day we have escaped the smoke only to return to it in the evening. Curiously and possibly significantly since all the publicity and media comment and political accusation the number of fires seems to have decreased. Which it would if the allegation that most are set deliberately is true. Discuss. Even so it lingers in the valleys where we of course are.
Today (Friday) we went east along the Val de Sella and enjoyed some splendid gorge scenery - not wquite the Tarn bug pretty giood. And less traffic!
Our destination was St Vicente de Barquera, a large harbour town on a fascinating inlet - a rias or rather two rias since two valleys converge with two rivers to feed a very impressive estuary. The town sits on the confluence, a hilly crag topped originally by a fort but, with the coming of christianity the military made way and moved slightly down hill.
The resultant church was romanesque, then as a guiide book put it, pointy romanesque and finally given a Gothic frontage. Next door is a college of what seemed to be maritime administration but with our Spanish it could have been anything involving words a bit like that. Then the government had erected a rasther forbidding courthouse and gardia office. Next was the splendid 16th century and flamboyant, almost plateresque, ayuntamiento but in reality they had simply and rightly preserved the frontage - behind was 20th century admin essential! Finally what remains of the military might is fairly impressve but sadly shut chunk of 14th century fort. From all this the views are splendid.
We had ascended along a modern and well presented promenade with ample signs and information, although the Spanish make no concession on language to any EU nation - all is in Castillian and sometimes Asturian/Basque or it may even be Bable which is, I read Cantabrian. We found a nearly as easy way down through what remains of the olkd town. The Spanish seem to have have little affection for their past and preserve little. Maybe, given all that has happened in Iberia that is no surprise but it can be sad when so much of the replacement is 60s to 80s trash architecture.
So to Saturday and we known down the van's equipage and ready it for the road. There is just one issue that has troubled me. We rolled into this site when, though we did not know it, a key entry to pitches was blocked by a motor home. So I swing round into the first area, expecting to be able to roll out the end and out another route. Niot so. Which meant the u-bend on a steep down slope was now a u-bend on a steep UP slope. And I was towing an 8 metre van for the first time. To be fair I did forget that I had both four wheel drive and low gear ratio available. But I mentally planned the exit at least every day. In the event I selected low x4 and got the line right and left my postillion (Janet) agape and wondering why she had been left to walk uop this ruddy steep slope! I was just between embarrassed and proud!
And so to Galicia.
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