HappyTrvlr

We enjoyed O Grove too. Beautiful scenery as menrioned above. Classic old hotel there. Look at Baiona too. The Parador is right on the sea and walkable into the town for dinner.

massimop

If you are going to be in Leon, consider Lugo for for your other base, or maybe Ourense for octopus (but I like Lugo)

http://www.galiciaguide.com/Ourense-index.html

ekscrunchy

Thanks to you both!!

Leon is for beef steak, and cathedral, and parador:


http://www.bodegaelcapricho.com/

After buying the chatter that USA beef is the best, I had a chance to taste the Spanish txuleta a few months ago. I never knew!!!! Might be one of the best kept secrets in the food world...

ribeirasacra

Do not use O Grove as a base . Being situated on a "peninsular" you will be finding yourself travelling the exact some roads a number of days.
I would suggest you look at Cambados. The self-proclaimed capital of the Albariño grape.
Easy to find your way to other locations along the coast and SdC.
This year the wine capital of Europe.
https://www.cambados.com/turismo-cambados/
Michelin stared restaurant, http://yayodaporta.com/contacto/
Ruins.
http://www.turismoenxebre.com/2013/0...aria-dozo.html
Wine festival (if you are there at the correct time)
http://fiestadelalbariño.com/
Map of area: https://www.google.es/maps/d/viewer?...700000002&z=14
Map of O Grove area.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...YCtROzlS8pmX5k
Keeping south and toward León:
you will find Ribadavia.
http://www.spain.info/en/que-quieres...ribadavia.html
Famous for it's Jewish centre.
http://www.redjuderias.org/ribadavia/
Fiesta
http://www.festadaistoria.com/
Ribeiro Wine
http://rutadelvinoribeiro.com/
map
https://www.google.es/maps/d/viewer?...149999991&z=13
South of Ourense is Allariz
http://www.allariz.com/turismo/en/index.asp
And then Ourense
http://turismodeourense.gal/en/
Of coarse I have to mention the Ribeira Sacra.
http://turismo.ribeirasacra.org/rs/index.php?lang=en
maps
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...499999996&z=12
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...CU&usp=sharing
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...UE&usp=sharing
Lugo is around an hour's drive away.
another Fiesta.
http://www.ardelucus.com/
map of Lugo and area.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...000000033&z=11
The other side of The Ribeira sacra is Pobra de Trives.
http://www.turismo.gal/localizador-d...s?langId=en_US
Map
https://www.google.es/maps/d/viewer?...999999985&z=12
Moving on again you will find Las Médulas
http://www.turismocastillayleon.com/...urales/medulas
Bembibre http://www.turismocastillayleon.com/...ricos/bembibre

route between Astorga and Ponferrada has many things to discover, like
El Acebo de San Miguel or Molinaseca.
Colinas del Campo de Martín Moro is a "secret" location.
Lastly there is also the city of Astorga.
http://www.ayuntamientodeastorga.com/inicio.htm
There are many many places I have missed off. But when you are in an area then it is always best to ask at your accommodation what there is to see and do.

ekscrunchy

Wow! So helpful!

So for a base, you might suggest Cambados, Ourense (or Allariz?), Ribeira Sacra (must look this one up) and Ribadavia?

I took a look at the Repsol guide and was tring to figure out where some of the best eating would be....I don't care about Michelin stars and we prefer places that are not "fancy" but have a generous good budget.

I think you have a B&B in this area and will now try to find that information....

This is a tought trip to plan since I really know next to nothing about the area. Good thing our time is flexible. Woule probably likek to be away about two weeks give or take a few days.

Next question will be how to fly there.....

ekscrunchy

Sorry, but what about Pontevedra..not a good place to stop?

ribeirasacra

Forget about organising where to eat every day. Spain has some great restaurants/bars where you can eat cheaply, and transnational meals for very little money.
Just eh other day upon leave SdC along the N 525. It was about 14:30 and we (the wife and I) were hungry. Stopped at an unassuming bar/restaurant Menu del Dia for 8.50 each. 3 cause, bread and a drink with the meal (wine or water etc) After meal coffee too.
Later the same month my wife met her daughter at the airport in SdC and again stopped off for a drink. The amount of Pinchos/tapas that came with the two drinks was incredible. I have always said just look for somewhere that is busy and away for tourists. I have not eaten in the centre of SdC for a number of years. The food is good, but you certainly get less on your plate, charged slightly more and sometimes a non traditional mix. For example Pulpo; (octopus) served with potatoes which are there to bulk out the plate and are cheap.

Yes, Pontevedra too. Pedestrian city centre. But some like to think this as a seaside town, it is not thus no beach either. It is on an estuary and the part of the river banks, nearness the sea, are taken up by a huge paper making factory (from wood pulp). This is of some concern pollution wise. Sometimes the small city is overwhelmed by the smell from these works. Shame, but there is no real urgency from anywhere to clean this up.
http://www.visit-pontevedra.com/ing/8/1/home.html
Personally this could be "done" in a day trip for O Grove or Cambados.


There a loads of B&Bs (Casa Rurals), Pazos & Paradores around here. By giving this information I am not asking you to stay here. I do it because I love the area and the people. But it would be nice even just to meet up if you cannot make it here.

massimop

If you go to Pontevedra as a day trip you will completely miss the evening scene which is so lively with everyone pouring into the centre to socialise. There was no smell in Pontevedra when I was there. There are many nice places sleep and spending evenings in Galicia. But most of them are extremely quiet in the middle of the day. You might want to use that time to visit scenic places and eat countryside lunches or go to wineries. But if you want to see towns, be there in the evening.

ekscrunchy

Pointevedra looks like a good addition to the mix. Thanks, Massimo...will add that city into the plan. For some reason I am not a big fan of daytrips in any case.


Ribeira, thank again so much for your help. Your B&B looks lovely and has stellar reviews online!!


http://www.ribeirasacra.com/


Food is one of my main interests. So I would likely be researching places to eat based on their reputation. While I know I can eat well just about anywhere with a modicum of asking around, I will be seeking out the "best" which might mean a cheap spot at the edge of town or a more upscale place. Again, Michelin stars do not factor into the mix for me but I do look at Repsol. I am interested especially in sampling the best examples of regional foods, so expect to be chowing down on lots of shellfish. I admit that I am one of those people who does tend to book restaurants ahead of time, but pefrhaps this would not be as necessary in Galicia as in the Basque country, which is inundated with gtourist wanting to eat at the famous food temples. I'd like it so much better if the trip did not have to be driven by getting to a certain town at a certain hour to partake of lunch at tal spot.



This is the article, along with info from Robert2016 here on Fodors, who has been an invaluable help, as has Maribel from IberianTraveller.com,
that pointed me towards the acclaimed beef restaurant near Astorga; this one is a must and I would certainly book ahead.


http://www.abc.es/viajar/restaurante...7_noticia.html


These agents are experts in Spain and Portugal and I would encourage anyone thinking of visiting and not knowing where to begin, to start by reading their online guides and perhaps contacting them for arrangements.


http://www.iberiantraveler.com/

ekscrunchy

Oh my, just read a tip on this place whidch sounds very very good, near Ourense and Pontevedra. Any one have comments on this?



http://obarazal.es/

ribeirasacra

Restaurante O Barazal? nope we would never go there. The wife hates 99% of anything that comes out of the sea plus I have found some shell fish not to my liking either.

As you say Iberian Traveler is run by Robert of this forum. He is married to http://www.maribelsguides.com/

massimop

A lot of the best food exploration of Galicia has been done by wine travelers/professionals, so if you google and research using wine as the focus of your search string you might come up with a lot of interesting tips on restaurants and specialties for specific locations.

By way of warning, the thing to watch out for is that Galicia's biggest English-speaking tourist draw is the Camino, and the walkers/pilgrims who blog about their eating experiences have a really strong bias for cheap & plentiful when it comes to the places they recommend. Prices in Galicia are very friendly, so cheap eats are not necessarily bad eats. But it's not the end-all be-all either. Also, in this part of Spain, Michelin-approved restuarants are not necessarily super-ultra-modern. They are just high quality restaurants serving local cuisine.

ribeirasacra

"A lot of the best food exploration of Galicia has been done by wine travelers/professionals, so if you google and research using wine as the focus of your search string you might come up with a lot of interesting tips on restaurants and specialties (sic) for specific locations."

I am going to run against that tide of thought.
The secret is really do not be a snob about the looks of a location. Certainly do not go for the "nouvelle cuisine" style of restaurant. A man is easily separated from his money; the saying goes. If you want to try traditional food around here,one should note that the "locals" eat hearty and meals that are simple in taste. Traditional meal are not heavily tainted with spices or herbs.
Read "Everything but the Squeal" https://www.amazon.com/Everything-bu.../dp/B005DI9ZMS
That is not to say you have to always hunt down the cheapest priced restaurant. Just be aware of what is on offer.
Re travel blogs: a little known never disclosed fact is who has sponsored them. That is never ever written about. I have found several recently one with a few spelling errors, some with photos which do not fit the location and one raved about the meal they had but we have never had anything but less than existing quality meals from the same restaurant. Have you never noticed a blog never says this or that was bloody awful?

massimop

Many if not most wine professionals who know their stuff understand that wine and traditional cuisine develop together hand-in-hand, so it's quite a misinterpretation of what I suggested (and not much understanding of wine professionals) to think they hunt for nouvelle cuisine or spicy foods (especially not wine drinkers). As I mentioned before, there are not many restaurants in the style of nouvelle cuisine in that part of Spain, even ones Michelin recommended.

I will push back on "Everything but the Squeal" (although not discouraging you from reading it) as in the genre of those out-to-make-you -laugh books about Europeans and their in-the-end seductively earthy ways. But since I mainly went to Galicia to eat seafood it's possible pig heaen doesn't resonate with me.

I didn't think it needed to be said that you need to read blogs and restaurant advice with a critical eye (I would add Fodor's advice too!) But I would add that some restaurants in Galicia charging premium prices for high quality food & preparation of same are not ripping anybody off and are worth researching.

ekscrunchy

Luckly I eat seafood and am salivating just thinking about the restaurants in Galicia. Not to mention the famous Galician beef.

I don't know anything about nouvelle cuisine but I do know that I want to sample good regional food, whether it is in a simple bar or a nice restaurant.
I do try to read the blogs and reviews with a critical eye; there is a lot of silly stuff written out there!

Last fall we had great food in the Basque region, both a plain bars where no English was spoken to internationally famous restaurants like Elkano and Etxebarri. Not to mention the lechazo temples in Ribeira del Duero. I was too lazy to write a report but if you ever get to this area, near Aranda and Valladolid, please do not miss out on Asados Nazareno in Roa and Mannix in Campospero. And, oh, the wines in that area, which I am sure you know much about, Massimo!

http://restaurantemannix.com/photos/...urante-mannix/


http://www.asadosnazareno.es/fullscreen/la-carta/

ribeirasacra

"I will push back on "Everything but the Squeal" (although not discouraging you from reading it) as in the genre of those out-to-make-you -laugh books about Europeans and their in-the-end seductively earthy ways. But since I mainly went to Galicia to eat seafood it's possible pig heaen(sic) doesn't resonate with me."

What are you saying? The book was written by an Englishman thus he is European! It has nothing to do with "seductive earthy ways of Europeans" (BTW we Europeans live in more than than one country so we have more ways for us to live). Having lived here I understand everything he has written about. I have visited the areas, see the traditions he writes about all still very much practised.
Fish and shellfish are a diet from the coast of Galicia the Majority is land locked. Thus the pig was the meat for everyone. Cows were very expensive and usually gave the family it's milk so was hardly slaughtered.They were expensive to purchase too. Chickens were kept for the eggs and only when they stopped laying were they eaten. Then we have rabbit. Still very much on the menu for houses in the countryside. But not so much in restaurants Whole rabbits can be purchased in supermarkets or butchers.
In the days before refrigeration the only products from the sea which were eaten inland was salted cod (Bacalao)and Octopus. It is said the best Pulpo (Octopus) is to be found in and around Carballiño. I personal have not found that to be so.
No NC in Galicia. I would suggest you went to a different Galicia to where I live.
http://davidsbeenhere.com/2014/03/19...galicia-spain/ I quote" Like the scientific exhibits housed within the building, the dishes here are also works of art in their own right. A Michelin Star cements Domus Restaurant as one of the best eateries in the city. Each plate at Domus is laced with bold flavors and infused with high quality ingredients. It is the perfect place for those new to Galician cuisine to sample its essence." What proteinous crap.
Here is one of my favs. Look at the great load of meat you get on your plate. http://bit.ly/Escarion
We are not the only ones. Just look how full the car park is. Sometimes with no reservation one has to queue for an hour or two. Have to admit some of the deserts are not the best.
Want something a bit up market? There is still not need to get all "NC" pretentious. This one is extremely good http://bit.ly/Lugo-España
This appeared in the local newspaper today It shows that some traditions and a lot of buildings are still very much alive after one hundred years.
http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/video/g...8230567001.htm

ekscrunchy

Casa Pepe looks like my kind of place, for certain!! Every year now we've been doing a mini-tour of barbecue shacks in the Carolinas, so will have to try a churrasqueria in Galicia. Those partridges look scrumptious, the steaks, too.

We like to mix down-home spots with fairly high-end (not fancy) places. Only caveat is that they serve food of the region. No sense going to eat Italian fare in Spain, or so I think.

Unfortunately, looks like the parador in Leon will be closed this fall for renovation, so have to give that up.

I'd love to hear more about which paradors are recommended in the areas we are going to visit, besides the ones already mentioned...

ribeirasacra

we have two Paradores in the Ribeira Sacra. One has a great location but some design details leave me cold. The other has just the right vibe of authenticity but the location is not so good.
The only meal I have eaten in these tow was the one in Monforte de Lemos. It was a Christmas meal for the association of tourism . We were served the meal on chipped plates and the quality was ok. Nothing to write home about. The saving grace for Monforte is the Restaurant below. Maybe our third fav in the area. Our second has now closed ...so does this make this our second. The third was España in Lugo.
Santo Estevo de Ribas de Sil.http://bit.ly/SantoestevoSil You can see the wood detailing looks a bit Ikea-ish.
Monforte de Lemos http://bit.ly/MonfortedeLemos
O Grelo below the Paradore in Monforte.http://bit.ly/MonforteOgrelo

Other paradores you could take on this trip are;
Parador de Cambados
Parador de Pontevedra
Parador de Baiona
Parador de Tui
Parador de Villafranca del Bierzo
None of which I have entered not even to explore or have a cup of coffee. All can be found on Booking or on the parador website.

Robert2016

We've stayed at all of the Paradors listed except Baiona. And of course Leon was our favorite!

Baiona has one of the best locations, gets one of the highest ratings and is worth a stop. Friends stayed there a few years ago and loved it.

The Parador de Cambados is also worth a stop and is highly rated. Parador de Pontevedra is in the city, best for spending time in Pontevedra.

Parador de Villafranca del Bierzo is always worth a stop for a day or two or three when exploring the El Bierzo wine region, but closes for the season just before Christmas.

TRAVELS IN EL BIERZO Exploring Castilla y León’s El Bierzo Wine Region PARADORS AND THE CAMINO On a journey through northwestern Spain

Parador de Tui is well located for visiting the Miño River valley. It's easy to cross over the bridge into Portugal.

ekscrunchy

Robert how happy I am that you "showed up" here......Riberia Sacra has been generous with advice but I need your opinion.....!!

So Leon parador closed and El Caprichio is onen ofo main drivers for visiting that area...any idea where to stay near both Leon and the restaurant?? Astorga? Or just stay in Leon city? (Do like cities for overnights)