CurioiusG1

Thanks again, all. I'm comfortable with my itinerary, even knowing that it might be a bit ambitious. I have been to Galicia before, as I mentioned, and have traveled a good deal throughout Spain. I am looking forward to Cambados and will definitely overnight there; and of course seafood (although I have developed a taste for pulpo just yet). I will end up in Asturias on my swing around and stay overnight two nights in that lovely region. I will post pics, etc., as I can. I leave next Friday evening - can't wait.

CurioiusG1

Joannyc - your pictures are beautiful! Looks like a fantastic trip - how long were you there? Any place you would return to or not?

IMDonehere

I must get better at trying to ascertain who actually wants advice and who just wants affirmation.

sandralist

No, IMDonehere. I think you need to question why it would be important to anybody that you are "against" their trip. I think it is fine that you and ribierasacra are committed to traveling one particular way in Spain or elsewhere. I'm not against you doing that. But what is puzzling is when people here announced they are against other people taking a different kind of trip. I have even seen people make these announcements AFTER somebody took the trip and wrote a trip report saying how much they enjoyed the trip they just took. Someone else like you makes a big show of being against it, saying it is wrong, etc etc.

It appears that you and ribierasacra have never taken a road trip through Galicia, and why would you or should you given your philosophy and your belief in the absolute rightness of it. But rather than continue to blindly insult people who are seeking advice here for failing to fall lockstep into your private travel religion, why don't you read their posts and see what they are really asking for? In this case, the OP was looking for logistical information, not a lecture on the One True Way To Travel Or You Will Be Damned. (Or post on Slow Travel and join the cult there.)

sandralist

CuriousG1,

I am curious if you meant to write that perhaps you have NOT "developed a taste for pulpo just yet." My swing through Galicia was a birthday present to my husband to eat pulpo in as many places as possible. The place I most wanted to return to was Pontevedra. The entire area is quite interesting and tasty. But the real surprise for me was Tuy, right at the border of Portugal.

IMDonehere

Sandralist

You are one of those one week wonders, who makes one trip and then makes a career out of it and then blindly questions someone else's experience. Yes yes you been other parts of Spain.

And of course you ignore that I gave the OP a dozen suggestions.

BTW, I have traveling to and through Galicia for over 40 years. And I am in almost daily contact with friends and family there. And my wife walked the 500 mile Camino that ended in Santiago and then walked the extra 12 miles to the farm where her father was born. So obviously your one week pulpo stuffed week trumps everything.

And then you demean the OP for not liking pulpo as much as you.

What silly arrogance.

ribeirasacra

I work in the hotel trade. I have done for around 11 years and in that time I can certainly say (100%) those who visit a place for just one night, or less, never ever see anything. However what they never see they will never miss. ;-)
Those years of experience and if you add in the man hours means my experience adds a lot to what I post.


As for pulpo there is pulpo and then there is pulpo. Not everywhere is the same. Boy there are some crappy joints around. The coast is especially known for worse puplo in Galicia.
Still Galicia is not only about eating Pulpo is it? Or maybe it is for some

joannyc

<< I work in the hotel trade. I have done for around 11 years and in that time I can certainly say (100%) those who visit a place for just one night, or less, never ever see anything. However what they never see they will never miss. >>

Respectfully, I disagree about one night stays. And do not understand the comment about working in the hotel industry having any impact on what people can or cannot see in one night or less.

I spent one night in Bilbao and saw everything that I wanted to see. As horrible as it may seem to some, I don't enjoy modern art and was sorry that I wasted my money to go into the Guggenheim... I enjoyed it much more from the outside. 1 night gave me time to see the great architecture of the city, visit the old town, including some interesting back streets, and cathedral and waste my time in the museum. Also got to walk around a large part of the city and have a good dinner. I saw everything I had on my itinerary, other than that boat mall thing as it was closed when I went by. Honestly, I could have not gone here and not missed it... in hindsight.

Luarca, a small fishing town, was the other one night stay that I had. Again, I had enough time to see what I wanted but it would have been nice to spend another leisurely day there, such a cute marina area!

So, OP... I would add a day or two to small fishing towns, I could have used a day in Cangas de Onis rather than the few hours it took me to see what I wanted (it worked for me) on my way to Our Lady of Covendanga shrine (for a couple of hours) before landing in Oviedo for a few nights.

I really did enjoy the old town area of Gijon and that amazing market area on the opposite side
of the beach that they have that sells everything from clothing, jewelry, housewares, cars, trucks, pools, food, everything!!!! It is next to the outdoor museum and allows you free entrance from within. The outdoor museum is quite worth it.

Lots to see in Oviedo. Most think a day in Santillana del Mar is ok, I enjoyed spending two nights there in a lovely hotel after the day trippers left. The walk along the coast in A Caruna is beautiful, need to get out of the downtown area.

If you are going to Avila, a great little town, no reason to go to Lugo. Both have the preserved walls but Avila is more interesting IMO. Spent 2 nights there on a previous trip and really enjoyed it. Stopped in Lugo last year but didn't find any reason to spend much time there.

Did stop in Astorga to see the bishop's palace and cathedral for a couple of hours... May have been interesting to see more of that town but I didn't have anymore on my list.

I think I had 25 days... 23 nights on the ground with 2 travel days

IMDonehere

Please note

Avila is a long drive form Galicia.
Santillana del Mar is not in Galicia.
And if you look at road maps Gijon is about 4 hours from Santiago and Santillana is about 1 hour further.

I like all those towns but it just increases the driving time.
______

We once went to pulpo festival in Santiago and the pulpo was OK, and the wine was like listerine. You can get bad meals in Spain.

joannyc

IAmDone, OP has Avila on their itinerary,

I understand that SdelMar is not in Galicia but OP did ask me as to where I would or would not return. Many of of the places I noted are not in Galicia specifically but in northwestern Spain.

joannyc

BTW, mine was a road trip... picked up the rental car when leaving Burgos and dropped it after checking into my Madrid hotel.

ribeirasacra

joannyc on Jun 21, 14 at 6:27am

Respectfully, I disagree about one night stays. And do not understand the comment about working in the hotel industry having any impact on what people can or cannot see in one night or less.

I never said anything about any impact. I said my experience has illustrate what it has on someone’s vacation. I have had many one nighters here and I know what they miss. One arrives, one eats and one leaves. Many have a siesta if they arrive early.


Moving onto your visit of the Our Lady of Covadonga shrine. Did you not have a wonderful walk around the lagos? I agree you need not stay in Covadonga so long, but at least stay in the Picos for more time. The village is just one of many locations you could stay in.

Another point I think I had 25 days... 23 nights on the ground with 2 travel days
That does not make any sense all the days of your vacation you spent some hours travelling.

There are many things you did not see , like the walled city of Lugo.
The Celtic Castro of Viladonga.
The historic village of Taramundi, where they make knives the historic way.
The beach of As Catedrais, voted by TA the best beach in Spain.
Avilés with it’s wonderful historic centre.
Plus many many more locations.
Yes they may not be of interest to you, but you went to Bilbao even though did not hold much interest for you.

Reading about this trip, I feel you are a prime example of the what you never see you will never miss brigade.

IMDonehere on Jun 21, 14 at 7:04am

That wine could have been Rioja ;-)

IMDonehere

It was a red wine.

ribeirasacra

As for eating pulpo.
here are 8 different ways of eating it. I have not tried them all and I do not wish to. This is in Spanish.
http://www.traveler.es/viajes/placer...n-galicia/4920

rialtogrl

I don't agree that you don't see anything out of a car, train or bus window. My first experience of the Ribeira Sacra was seeing it from the car en route to a one nighter in the north of Galicia

Now I have been back many times. If I had not driven through it, it would never have been on my radar.

And I have had some memorable one night stays in various places... seeing plenty. Sometimes the journey is the destination.

That link to pulpo has a pizza with pulpo on it... I would LOVE to try that!