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An Introduction to Steamboat Springs, CO
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, or “Ski Town” as it is affectionately known, is one of the most charming and unique vacation destinations in the United States. The town prides itself as a place that offers world class service and amenities without the...
Living and Retiring in Bolivia
A beautiful and inexpensive place without a tourist in sight. Sound like a dream? It's not. This slice of paradise does exist. Nestled high in the Andes Mountains of South America, Bolivia is a little-known retreat exotically spiced with a...
Siberia Here I Come! - Adventure Travel Part 1
“You must really hate this job.” That’s what my boss said when I told him I was moving from San Diego to Siberia for a year. In reality, I was bored and looking for something that would be completely and utterly new. Whether it was sunstroke or a...
What You Need To Know About – Portsmouth City
Life materializes to be calm and complacent and all the worries gradually peter out as one enters the beautiful seaside town- Portsmouth. The city that was initially a ship building center has a rich historical past that is even reflected in the...
Why Florida? Here's Why…
So, I'm sitting here in my beachfront condo on the Gulf coast of Florida.
I am thinking to myself, why would anyone want to travel to Florida? You can go anywhere in the United States or the World for that matter. So, why would you want to travel...
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Alternative Spain
Most tourists think of beaches and cheap alcohol when Spain is
mentioned, but this holiday Mecca has another very different
side and it is to be found in the north of the country.
Beyond the stifling heat, endless bars and towering hotels of
the Costa's there is another Spain where overseas tourism is
limited, the sound of a foreign voice still turns heads and
every shop, business and even tourist office closes for the
afternoon siesta. The place is Galicia, alternatively know as
green Spain, wet Spain and the region of rivers.
Galicia lies just above Portugal and has scenery and people that
are distinct and different from those of the country's southern
provinces. Galicia has a seasonal climate, plenty of rain in
winter and, unfortunately, sometimes some in summer as well. The
scenery is a combination of lush meadows, dense forests and
mountainous vistas and the coastline is filled with many
picturesque bays. Galicia has more beaches than any of Spain's
other regions, but it also has a drawback in the form of cooler
sea temperatures.
History and culture are two of the big draws for tourists
thinking of visiting this region of Spain. Galicia is a Celtic
nation and still has the ruins of ancient Celtic settlements
called Castros as well as a multitude of churches, cathedrals,
monasteries and convents.
In keeping with the rest of Spain's regions, Galicia is itself
subdivided into provinces of which there are four. The best
known and most visited of these provinces is that of "A Coruna".
The "A Coruna" province also holds the famous city of "Santiago
de Compostela", famed for its massive cathedral and holy
pilgrimage known as the "Way of Saint James". The provincial
capitol of "A Coruna" has also become increasingly appealing to
holiday makers and possesses the world's oldest
lighthouse
dating back to Roman times. It is also a beautiful city with a
harbour surrounded by tall buildings composed of many windows
giving it the nickname of the "glass city".
Leaving A
Coruna, Galicia's other provinces are Pontevedra, with the
regions largest city Vigo, Ourense with a medieval old town and
Lugo, whose capitol has a complete Roman wall surrounding it.
The big cities though are not the only attractions of Galicia
and many would argue that it is the towns and villages, many of
which are on the coast, that represent the real spirit of the
region. A large number of these towns still operate as working
fishing villages and in some respects their way of life has
changed little over the last century. Examples of these towns
include Muros, A Pobra do Caraminal and the larger Ribeira .
Finally any visitor to Galicia will sell themselves short if
they fail to sample some of the regions famous seafood. The
speciality of the area is "pulpo" (octopus), but if that does
not appeal, try "calamares" (fried squid rings) with a squeeze
of lemon. Shellfish are also part of the staple diet in Galicia
and the many crustaceans, of which "percebes" is a particular
example, will give you an indication of a Galician delicacy.
About the author:
Webmaster for galiciaguide.com, the nets biggest English
language guide to the region of Galicia in Spain.
For a complete guide to Galicia's regions, main cities, towns
and tourist attractions visit galiciaguide.com, the
webs largest English language Galician resource. Here you will
find 250 pages of content and more than 400 photographs
describing and depicting Galicia.
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