Blogs from La Coruña, Galicia, Spain, Europe

Day 2 - El Ferrol Ferrol or El Ferrol is a city in the province of A Coruña in Galicia, located on the Atlantic coast in north-western Spain. The city was the birthplace of the Spanish General Francisco Franco in 1892. Situated deep within one of Europe’s most strategic natural harbours, Ferrol’s economy has historically been linked to the sea, from trading and fishing to naval installations. Starting from the 1700s Ferrol has held some of the largest installations of the Spanish navy. We took a coach tour, leaving the port through the town with lovely balconied buildings along the coast to Pontedeume, a small but pretty town located at the mouth of the Eume River. We only had a short stop but it still maintained a medieval feel with the 18m-high Andrade Tower which was ... read more

Today is Day 1, post Camino. It’s strange not walking, and not even planning to walk. The sorting, washing, smelling what is best to wear, and is this shirt good for another day. It’s over. Carrying a pack up and down mountains, through valleys, and across spanish farms; I’m done with that. Preparing your feet for the day; tape, vasoline, double socks. That’s all gone. Sadly, so have my mates. Last night, Tim and I shared a last meal in Santiago with Dave, Darcy and Janet. We relived recent experiences as if they were the good old times. I was exposed as being a little overexposed, people wise, on the Camino. Dave reckoned that we couldn’t turn a corner without someone bobbing up with, “ Hi Steve .” I strongly denied this, but they all laughed, ... read more

It pays to be as alert to your body on the last days, as if they were the first. After a funny, delicious communal meal with other pilgrims in our Albergue last night, and a quiet nights sleep in a room for 4, set us up for a late start to walk 22kms to Ribadiso. I started off in sandals but soon changed into my boots, as we were up and down, steep gravel tracks all day. The scenery was very calming as we walked through farms, low green valleys, and very Australian looking eucalyptus plantations. We had a rest after about 10 kilometres and I changed my socks and was a little concerned about the feelings in my feet. There are many more people on the Way now, as Melide is the point where the ... read more

Die Atlantikküste und das Wetter sind so schön, dass ich immer noch hier bin. Und nur genussvoll durch die Gegend geschlichen bin. In Camelle gbt's das Museo Aleman. Der Deutsch Manfred Gnädiger hat hier viele Jahre seines Lebens verbracht und ist auch da gestorben. Er hat am Strand aus den dortigen Granitbrocken Skulpturen gebaut. Nach seinem Tod fand man in seiner Hütte Skizzenbücher, Zeichnungen und Objekte. Aus all diesem ist ein interessantes, kleines Museum gemacht worden. Manfred Gnädinger kam im Jahr 1962 in das Fischerdorf Camelle. Woher er kam, ist unbekannt. Er wurde als zu jene Zeit gut gekleidet und gebildet beschrieben. Ein paar Jahre später baute er sich eine kleine Hütte am Strand des Atlantischen Ozeans. Hier verbrachte er die nächsten dreißig Jahre und wurde zu einer Attraktion im Ort. Mit einem langen Bart und ... read more

I’ve lived in La Coruña about 4 months now, and I thought I’d summarize its highlights/shortfalls for potential travelers. The short story: it’s not too interesting/beautiful of a city to make a main part of your trip, but if you’re in Galicia, a half day would be good. There are lots of scenic sights nearby, but they’re much easier to access with a car. Top landmarks here include the world’s oldest still-functioning lighthouse, the Tower of Hercules; beaches right in the city as well as a long coastal pathway (Paseo Marítimo); the coastal lookout of Monte San Pedro; and the scenic harbor area on the eastern side of the peninsula. The more rural area of Oleiros nearby is also reachable by bus, and I would recommend a walk around the Santa Cruz port and castle area. ... read more