Of course, you don't come to Galicia for its 27° water, flamenco folklore and bulls, or even its overheated seaside resorts. This is green Spain. The Spain of the rías, the inlets of the sea that rip through the land, the Spain of fertile valleys and hillsides where the grape varieties that produce the world-famous whites grow; the Spain of mystery, too, with its creamy mists that cover the peaks of the round mountains, its magnificent skies all shades of grey, its meigas, creatures that haunt the sunken paths, something undefined, vaguely somewhere between a fairy and a witch...
"The end of the old world
Green Spain is first and foremost a destination for lovers of the great outdoors, of landscapes to be posterised in large format, a far cry from the outrageously tanned postcards and killer heatwaves. "Galicia's Celtic culture, its Atlantic lifestyle, which is very different from that of the Mediterranean, the warmth of its people, the colours of its nature, the rugged beauty of its coastline, the originality of its rías, the paradise-like nature of some of its beaches... but also its sudden torrential downpours, which make Galicia an atypical region ideal for incentive breaks steeped in culture and the art of living!"says José Ramon Castineira Sobrido, director of the Turgalicia congress service at the Galicia Tourist Office. Secret and truly unexpected, this corner of the Atlantic lies at the north-western tip of Spain, just above Portugal. And there's no doubt about it, "the end of the Old World", as the Greeks called it, is one of the wildest regions in Spain! A land torn between a coastline battered by cobalt-blue waves and a hinterland of hedged farmland streaked with dizzying gorges. A geography of legends and myths, stigmatised over the years by successive occupations. No less than 2,000 years of history have passed through this area of just 29,500 km²!
The first invaders were the Gallaeci, a Celtiberian people who settled as far as the River Douro around 1000 BC and gave their name to Galicia. In 137 BC, these lands attracted the Romans, who came in search of minerals. Under their rule, Gallaecia became, and remained until the 5th century, an independent Roman province with its own cities: Braga, Lugo and Astorga. Roads, bridges, including the one at Orense, and walls still standing today bear witness to the region's ancient history. And above all, the language: Gallego, which in the 21st century is the second official language!
Romans, Vandals, Visigoths and Moors
The Romans were in turn expelled by the Suevi, a people from northern Europe. Then came the Vandals, the Visigoths and the Moors... Despite their presence here for seven centuries, the Moors left little mark on Galicia. This is certainly not the case with the Celts and Romans, whose numerous remains are a classic stop-off point on any incentive trip. In particular, the castros, ancient Celtic fortified camps such as the Castro de Rei in Viladonga or the Santa Tegra camp in Guarda or, as far as Rome is concerned, the great circular wall of Lugo, the ancient capital, and, in A Coruña, the Tower of Hercules. Then there are the many castles, Romanesque churches, manor houses and monasteries that dot Galicia like eucalyptus trees in its rolling countryside! Between the 5th and 8th centuries, Galicia was in the hands of the rulers of Asturias, then Leon, before finally becoming part of the Kingdom of Spain and being definitively separated from Portugal. By 1495, the Catholic Monarchs had imposed their authority. In the meantime, Galicia's fame had spread beyond Europe's borders... thanks to Saint James!
Saint James, what a legend! Called the Greater, he was one of Jesus' closest friends, who sent him to preach the good word in Spain... without success! In 44 AD, Saint James decided to return to Palestine. But Herod immediately had him beheaded. After that, the story is a little harder to untangle. According to some, the brothers of Saint James placed his body in a boat that drifted to the Spanish coast, undoubtedly pushed by the wind blown by the Holy Spirit. According to others, his body was taken by disciples on a ship bound for Spain, then buried in an ancient pagan crypt.
On the roads to Santiago de Compostela
Be that as it may, around 810-813, Pelayo, a hermit living near the small church of San Felix in Galicia, received a revelation of the location of the saint's tomb in a dream. The Bishop of Iria-Flavia, now Padron, immediately verified Pelayo's divination and led the faithful to the place indicated, guided, according to legend, by a star. "There they discovered a marble tomb and named the site 'campus stellarum', a field of stars, which is thought to be the origin of Compostela. Less romantically, it is more likely that Compostela comes from the Galician compostum, or compostellum, meaning sepulchre", explains Richard Rivera de Secchi, a guide for the tourist office and a fervent supporter of Galicia. The discovery of this tomb, whether or not it contained the remains of the saint, gave rise to one of Europe's most famous pilgrimages and with it the city of Santiago, Santiago de Compostela, the capital of Galicia and a small architectural marvel listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
On the Praza do Obradoiro, the sun's rays scratch the crenellated towers of the cathedral, which stretches the length of the Rajoy Palace, a former 18th-century seminary housing the town hall behind its neoclassical façade and, to its left, the Hostal dos Reis Catolicos, a former Renaissance-style hospice built to accommodate pilgrims. Now converted into a parador - a hotel housed in a historic building and run by the government - the establishment continues to serve free meals to pilgrims in its kitchens. "Some incentive trips to Galicia include a symbolic walk along the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela, so that participants can feel like real pilgrims for a moment. It's also an opportunity for them to meet some of the pilgrims and make new acquaintances. Especially as most of the participants are Europeans," explains Michel Angel, from the Turgalicia agency. But the cathedral alone is worth the diversions. Built in the 11th century on the presumed site of the tomb of Saint James, it is an astonishing blend of Romanesque and Baroque styles. Inside, the altar is a profusion of gold and cherubs. "This aesthetic reminds us that in the Baroque era, Masses were a kind of opera with singers, dancers and, of course, elaborate scenery," says Richard Rivera de Secchi. Opposite the stage hangs the botafumeiro, a spectacular silver-plated brass censer weighing around 80 kilos. On festive occasions, or on request for incentive groups, it is swung by a rope pulled up to the vaults thanks to the efforts of eight men assisted by a clever set of pulleys! Also worth seeing at the entrance to the cathedral is the famous Porch of Glory, a masterpiece by Mateo and the pride of Spain.
Christian fervour and pagan myths
To mark the end of their journey, the pilgrims touch a cavity in the porch that has been carved out by the millions of hands that have touched it before them, because apart from its cultural interest, the cathedral is also the end of all the roads leading to Compostela! Here, the pilgrims, exhausted after miles of walking, come face to face with an emblematic shell carved into a flagstone on the paving of the forecourt. This Christian fervour is perpetuated in perfect harmony with certain pagan rites that are omnipresent in Galicia. For example, the figa, an amulet in the shape of folded fingers, is bought on arrival in Santiago to ward off evil spirits. And on the evening of Midsummer's Day, 23 June, the many bonfires lit in the city to celebrate the summer solstice. At midnight, to the sound of bagpipes and tambourines - a far cry from classic Spanish folklore - daring youngsters leap over the fireplaces to ward off evil spirits. It's also an opportunity to enjoy grilled sardines accompanied by beer or, even better, an excellent white wine. Your choice of wine: ribeiro, godello or albarino. In the early hours of the morning, the music becomes softer, more morrina, melancholy, reflecting the Galician temperament, sometimes shy, sometimes cheerful.
It is a reminder that millions of Galicians once emigrated. A mass exodus caused first by the great famine of 1800, then from 1931 to 1936 by Franco's repression, and finally by the economic crisis of the 1960s. They all embarked from the ports of Vigo and A Coruña, with heavy hearts but full of hope, on a mostly one-way journey to South America. Buenos Aires is said to be the most Galician city in the world. As Castelo, a Galician writer, wrote, "the Galician does not protest, he emigrates". For a long time, the lighthouse of A Coruña embodied the hopes of thousands of immigrants for a better life.
Cruise the rias on a glass-bottomed boat
At night, its lights sweep across the Bay of Ozan, with its beach of golden sand, and are reflected in the glass galleries of the buildings on the seafront, to which A Coruña owes its nickname of "city of glass". These architectural masterpieces, along with the many Art Deco buildings the city boasts, are well worth a visit. As is a trip further south, to the Rías Baixas, or low rivers. This mosaic of water and chlorophyll is a pure delight for nature lovers. "We take groups on a cruise along the rías on board a glass-bottomed boat, so they can admire the seabed, which is rich in marine life. They also sample the seafood that is our gastronomic pride and joy, before setting off on an excursion to the Cíes Islands, part of Galicia's Atlantic Islands Natural Park. According to the British newspaper The Guardian, Rodas is home to the most beautiful beach in the world", says José Ramon Castineira Sobrido. And it's true that with its white sand dunes and mint sea, the illusion of being on a deserted Pacific island is almost perfect. Except for the temperature: 19°C at best!
