Well, I'm back from another trip up to Galicia for Easter, and I thought I'd share a few places I visited which were new to me.
One was a small walled town in Valladolid called Urueña. If you go up the A6 (Carretera de Coruña) it's about 210 kilometers up the road on your right! There's an exit for it and everything. I've passed that exit dozens of times and finally decided to see what was there because I had read somewhere it was worth a stop. Now that I have seen it, I can say it is, albeit a short one. Urueña is a very old town (its name is pre-romanic). The wall itself is in pretty good condition. You can walk along it and enjoy the view of the wide Castilian expanse. There's a castle (good on the outside, still under repair on the inside) and some pretty streets to walk through. The general state of the town was acceptable, but many of the houses could have done with a little sprucing up and color. I get the feeling the town is heading in that direction, so it might get better with time. One thing I liked was the interesting and informative (though not excessively dense) information boards and signs you find throughout the town. The architectural highlight is a beautiful Romanesque church outside the town.
There are several restaurants and two or three casas rurales, if you'd like to spend the night. I couldn't find them, so I can't give any details on what they were like. If you're in the mood for just getting away from it all, this might be a good choice for you, but my opinion is that this is a better one-hour (maybe lunch) stop on a route around Castilla-León. It is a nice anonymous gem in the region.
Up in Galicia I finally got La Coruña (A Coruña, if you prefer). I can't believe that after all these years, I still hadn't been there. There's a lot I could say, so I won't get into too much detail.
Highlights: The beach; the 12 km (you read right) seaside walk that goes from the port, on one end, all the way to a wild natural reserve on the other; the plaza de María Pita; the hands-on Museo del Hombre; the Casa de Peces (aquarium); the Torre de Hercules (the oldest working lighthouse in the world); and the tapas, pinchos and vinos section of town (recommend a bar called La Bombilla).
One disappointment: The lack of information (history, etc.) at the Torre de Hércules. View incredible, but if you want to learn something, the little they offer is meager and confusing.
Finally, the big Galician surprise this trip was the town of Betanzos, about 20km from A Coruña. Beautiful town full of pretty plazas, buildings, churches and towers. Fascinating place, once a provincial captial and it shows. Great outdoor cafes in the main lower square. Behind them are the narrow streets (too narrow for cars to pass through) where the tapas bars are. Some are so small they almost seem like stalls. Betanzos is well worth the visit, but probably best in Spring and summer.
There's more, but I'll stop for now...
), but I have no idea where exactly. That's interesting.
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