Travel dilemma over - Galicia here I come!

As you may have noticed from a previous posting in this forum, I'm planning a trip to Northern Spain (17 days Barcelona to Santiago with points in between) in September (2002). I'd also planned on a trip to Venice, Italy in April for a week.

Well, over the last couple of weeks I've finally found the time to put together my scrapbook from my October trip to Spain (Central and Southern). I've also been excitedly reading the answers to my inquiry about my Northern Spain itinerary.

Now, I'm half tempted to forego Venice in April and return to Spain. I'm thinking with 7 nights I could go to Santiago and the surrounding area or perhaps a couple of nearby cities and then not be so rushed to get everything in for the September trip.

Are 7 days too long in Santiago? How long is reasonable enough to visit at a reasonable pace? Does anyone have any suggestions for a short one week stay in Galacia and the surrounding regions (I won't have a car and will be using public transport)? What would the weather be like in April?

Or should I just scrap this idea, head on to Venice like I had planned, and try to be patient and wait until September ?

I think I may be hooked on Spain. Is there something I can take to overcome this addiction?

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

Yeah, there is one thing you can do. Take enough sleeping pills to knock yourself out until it is time to go on your trip. Time really flies by while you are sleeping.

Ben
pbchamp@intercom.net

I certainly understand your addiction to Spain, but I would not skip Venice if you have never been. It is one of the most special cities I have EVER seen - beautiful, eery, breathtaking - nice side trips too, if you get tired of Byzantine influenced mosaics, turquoise water and canals...

Nicole-
I've been to visit 3 times, most recently in 2000 for the Jubilee. However, I've never been for more than 2 nts/1 day and was planning on an entire week with day trips to Verona, Trieste, Ravenna, etc...

Sorry MM, I didn't mean to get off the subject of Spain on this board just trying to figure out what to do...

Ben - well I've got to sign off now and go to the store for those sleeping pills you recommended


[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: CathyM ]

[ 01-08-2002: Message edited by: CathyM ]

CathyM,
You will find Santiago to be such a romantic and picturesque city (comparable to Toledo, in my opinion). It is an amazing city filled with little nooks to explore. You could definitely use 7 days to explore Santiago and the surrounding area. The house of Rosalia de Castro (the most famous of all the Galician poets) is very near by in the town of Padrón (accessable by train). La Coruña is a great city to explore (the still-standing Roman lighthouse, the Aquarium) and it is also accessable by train.
But just staying in Santiago and exploring the city by day and by night ---it is especially enchanting at night. You will LOVE it, I am certain. (Venice is amazing too---but...)
You are so lucky to have this decision to make!

[originally posted by CathyM on 01-13-2002 10:30 PM...]

Subject: Travel dilemma over - Galicia here I come!

Well, I decided that I'd skip my planned trip for a week in Venice and instead head back to Spain, in particular Galicia.
I'll be going for a week (7 nights) in the beginning of April. I plan on flying into Madrid and then taking a domestic flight to Santiago de Compostela.

From there, I'm not sure what I'll do and would love some itinerary advice. I'll be by myself and will use trains/buses to get around. I generally like to base myself in 1-2 places and do day trips. I've done a little reading this weekend and am thinking about 5 nights in Santiago and then a couple of nights somewhere else (maybe Pontevedra but I'm open to lots of suggestions). These other places seemed interesting for day trips:

La Coruna, Costa da Morte, Baiona, Tuy

I would love to get suggestions on this area of Spain that seems to be so overlooked but simply enchanting.

[ 01-13-2002: Message edited by: MadridMan ]

In April, it won't get dark in Galicia until around 9:30 PM because of its longitude: it should be in the same time zone as Portugal but since it's Spain ...

The weather may still be a bit cool in April. I wouldn't take much summer clothing.

I usually take a Talgo from Madrid (Chamartin) to Santiago: It departs Madrid around 1:30 PM and arrives Santiago 9:30 PM. But there's some really great airfare sales from time to time - you may be able to find one on the Internet on Iberia's or Spanair's site.

In Santiago, we usually stay at Hostal Hogar San Francisco ('working' Franciscan Friary): in the Historic District and close to the Basilica (Plaza del Obradoiro).

If you're flying to Spain on Iberia, tell them your destination is Santiago. They may include your Madrid - Santiago roundtrip at no additional cost. The last time I did that I caught a 7:00 AM flight from Santiago with a 4-hour layover in Madrid. It allowed me time to catch a 101-bus to Barajas pueblo and have churros con chocolate at Toribio's on the plaza.

Have you considered Vigo? I stayed at Hotel America the last time I was there (just one block from ria-front and one block in the other direction from Plaza de Compostela). There is frequent train service to Santiago and a'Corunha from there. It's convenient to Baiona and there's a beautiful coastal road (You'll think you are in northern Cal.) down to a'Guarda (LaGuardia).

I have never stayed in Santiago more than 3-nights on any one trip. I have 'split' trips between Vigo and Santiago several times (We have reatives in La Guardia). You might want to consider something like that.

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: Eddie ]

Hi.

Eddie has asked you if you have considered Vigo. If you go there, I recomend you to visit two places. Cies Islands and the street near the seaport where the sailors' wifes sell oysters.

Here you can find a photo of the Cies Islands in Vigo: http://www.barcoweb.com/puertos/10/

I'm sorry. The photo is good but the explanation is in Spanish.

hombre_gizon writes:

I didn't recommend Islas Cies because CathyM is going there the first of April - I don't know if the (seasonal) ferry to Islas Cies operates at that time of year.

The market is called 'la Pedra,' and there are several good restaurants up there also. Walk up the hill alongside the Bahia Vigo (on your right as you face the hotel) to the marketplace. That's my secret place to buy Havanas (MonteCristo's from Cuba in shrink-wrapped 'blocks' of 40-cigars ... cheap!).

The next level up is the Church: Santiago de Vigo where I have attended 10:00 AM Mass several times.

If you walk about 50m up the street from the Bahia Vigo (same level as the hotel entrance: again - to your right as you face the hotel) you'll find an unbelievable fish market. I wished I had someplace & someone to prepare it for me. I actually took several photos inside (of the fishmongers' 'stands').

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: Eddie ]

Thanks for the great info, Eddie. I've been reading about Galicia all weekend and it sounds so fascinating. Now I'm hoping you (and/or others) can answer a couple more questions:

I had considered 5 nights in Santiago and 2 in another town. I also hoped to do several day trips (La Coruna, Baiona, Costa da Morte, and more). Is 5 nights too many in Santiago and would I be better off with perhaps 2 nights north (LaCoruna?), 3 nights Santiago, and 2 nights south (Pontevedra/Vigo)? I really prefer to stay put and have a main base if day trips are doable from 1-2 places and there's enough to keep my occupied. However, 2-3 nights in each city is not too much moving around.

In the little bit of reading I've done, Vigo was portrayed as an industrial town with a small old city centre but nothing special - that's why I was leaning towards Pontevedra. Is this true?

Thanks so much for your help. By the way, my friends (who have never been to Spain) think I'm nuts for going again in April after just returning in October 2001 and also planning another trip in September 2002. The just don't understand!

The people in Vigo don't seem to like them very much; but Vigo has some very impressive modernist sculptures along its main avenues;
One is called the Guillotine; another seems to portray workers rebelling against the State.
Vigo is Galicia's busiest seaport (having displaced a'Corunha several years ago) and major Atlantic fishing port. Vigo has an Irish Pub / Nightclub called 'Dublin' where parts of the Chieftains' album 'Santiago' was recorded (with Carlos Nuñez, a Vigo native, playing the Uillean bagpipes). It's just a few blocks from the Renfe station but it doesn't open until about 21:30. Vigo has a bagpipe (gaita Gallega) competition each year in May and the Province of Pontevedra attracts numerous musical groups each year, mostly in Summer. Vigo has an excellent University with Spain's major facultad in Oceanography.
Your Vigo guidebook needs to be updated!

Well, let me tell you that I love Vigo and Pontevedra. My family comes from a small town between the two cities. I think Vigo is a bustling city...with San Francisco-like hills. I think Pontevedra is so charming. I got be be in both cities a lot this past summer and They are both worth a trip. They are both different and offer different "ambientes".
I would also go to the Cies if possible in the Spring. They are gorgeous and the trip by ferry is also fun! Galicia is AMAZING! You will love it!

Hello.

I don't know how are you going to move there, by car, by bus ...?.

Personally, I would choose your second option "2 nights north (LaCoruna?), 3 nights Santiago, and 2 nights south (Pontevedra / Vigo)?" and, between Pontevedra and Vigo, I'd choose Pontevedra (but moving me a day to Vigo).

Last summer I was in Galicia and the best views I saw was in Vigo. There is a huge bridge at the entrance of Vigo and the views from there were really amazing (in my opinion) . But, I went by car and I don't know if it is easy to go to that bridge by train, bus, etc. Maybe Eddie has more information about this.

The second place I liked best, was a little village called Tuy, but I think is too far from Vigo, just in the frontier with Portugal.

Too many good places to see there , and too few days to stay

Bye!

Cathy,
Tough Call.
Venice is great but after 3 days I was getting bored. Venice is a must but unless you plan to visit several other cities in Italy...Go to Galicia.
Last time I was in Madrid, I was going to go to Santiago for four days because I'm facinated by the celtic influence in Galicia BUT!.....I was having way too much fun in Madrid.
Whichever you choose, I'm sure you'll have a blast.

hombre_gizon writes: [quote] Last summer I was in Galicia and the best views I saw was in Vigo. There is a huge bridge at the entrance of Vigo and the views from there were really amazing (in my opinion) . But, I went by car and I don't know if it is easy to go to that bridge by train, bus, etc. Maybe Eddie has more information about this. (/quote]
The rail line doesn't cross that bridge. It gives one a great view of the bridge where it crosses the ria. I don't know which bus crosses the bridge. As I recall, the buses between Vigo & Santiago or a'Corunha go by the autopista which is further inland. But there may be a local bus that crosses that bridge.