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Showing posts from 2016

Photo Post: Ons Island, Galicia’s Isolated Beach Getaway

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Icy-cold water I’ve raved and raved about the Cíes Islands on this blog, an archipelago of pristine islands that form part of a broader national park on the western coast of Galicia in northwestern Spain. They’re one of the region’s true natural wonders, boasting everything from white sands beaches and impossibly cold clear water to rugged hiking trails and cliffside panoramas. But I’ve been holding back a secret from: the Cíes have a little sister called Ons Island. This slender island is situated just to the north of the Cíes and is a natural breakwater that protects the ría  or estuary from the worst blows of the Atlantic. The whole beach to ourselves When a few of my friends and I visited Ons during the shoulder season, we shared a beach that was a 10-minute walk south of the docks with only two or three other people. There’s something so very refreshing about having an entire white-sands beach essentially all to yourself while also looking back out toward the mai

How to Spend 24 Hours in Santiago de Compostela, Spain

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During the two years I spent living and working in Santiago de Compostela , I hosted around half a dozen or so friends in this rainy northwest corner of Spain and showed them around the comfortable, lively place I had grown to call home. Santiago is a wonderful city, but I’ll be totally honest with y’all—you can see the city in a single day. I usually took friends who visited me on daytrips to A Coruña or the hot springs in Ourense after we had gotten our fill of Santi-town. But that fill was almost always overflowing with endless tapas , walks through parks , and ancient granite churches . View this post on Instagram glazed with rain water A post shared by Trevor Huxham (@trevorhuxham) on Mar 22, 2014 at 10:46am PDT I don’t live in Santiago anymore, having traded cathedrals for cactuses and tapas for tacos in Phoenix. But even though I can’t personally lead you on a jam-packed itinerary through the Galician capital

Memories from Jaén, Spain: Andalucía’s Most Underrated City

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Of the eight provincial capitals in Spain’s southernmost region of Andalucía, Jaén too often gets short shrift in favor of historic cities that overwhelm you with their monuments— Sevilla with its gigantic Gothic cathedral, Córdoba with what remains of the Great Mosque, and Granada with the country’s crown jewel, the Alhambra palace—or in favor of coastal cities that entice you with their beaches and fresh seafood— Málaga , which needs no introduction, Cádiz, Europe’s oldest city, Almería , secluded away behind deserts and mountain ranges, and Huelva, where Columbus set off for the Americas. Jaén cathedral I ponder this as I grow more and more impatient with the intercity bus I’m on…and more and more nauseated. The air coming from the A/C vents smells like a dirty bathroom, the advertised on-board WiFi has ground to a halt, and that hot summer sun is really bearing down on the windows. I’m reminded of the bad first experience I had with Jaén (pronounced “khah-EN” [xaˈen])

Fisterra, Muxía, and a Sunset at the End of the World

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If you happen to find yourself in Santiago de Compostela and have run out of things to do , I’d recommend going on day trips to check out more of Galicia’s beautiful cities and natural wonders, from the “Glass City” of A Coruña and Roman-walled Lugo to the pristine beaches of the Cíes Islands and the natural hot springs of Ourense . You can reach some really exciting places on a one-hour train ride, but if you know how to drive stick shift, it’s best to rent a car and head out west to hug the coastline until you reach the Atlantic Ocean. Lighthouses at Muxía The historic fishing villages of Noia and Muros will whet your appetite for Gothic architecture and seafood tapas, whereas coastal Carnota has kept an entire beach reserved just for you. Just around the corner, the Ézaro waterfall is the only point in mainland Europe where a river empties into the sea via a waterfall. The cherry on top (the shrimp on the paella?) is without a doubt Fisterra, also called Finisterre,

All Roads Lead to Santiago de Compostela

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The Camino de Santiago phenomenon has completely taken Spain by storm over the past decade or so. This pilgrimage route originated in the early Middle Ages, fell out of popularity, and only recently has enjoyed newfound popularity with modern-day pilgrims, who are drawn to the trek by religious devotion as much as they are by adventure. The Camino or “Way of St. James” terminates in Spain’s green northwestern corner, in the rainy city of Santiago de Compostela —the purported burial place of the Apostle St. James. While the most popular route—the French Way—trickles across north-central Spain from the Pyrenees toward the Atlantic coast, there are also around a dozen or so other trails that thread routes across the diverse quilt that is modern Spain. Some are brief, requiring less than a week on foot—the English Way, for example—while others recall the great overland trips from Roman times—like the Vía de la Plata that starts in Sevilla. During the three years I spent working in

Photo Post: Watching the Ézaro Waterfall Empty Into the Ocean

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Ézaro waterfall Northwest Spain continues to amaze me the more I learn about it. You’d think it’d be hard to top a region that happens to have coastal islands with pristine white-sands beaches, one of the most beautiful historic town centers in Europe, or the only city that is still completely enclosed by its original Roman walls. But Galicia’s got yet another stunning treasure: the only river in continental Europe that empties into the sea via a waterfall. On the boardwalk The Xallas River pours down the glossy hillside of Mt. Pindo, having trickled out of a dam that’s been generating hydroelectric power since the ‘60s. When friends both Galician and expat alike raved to me about the Ézaro Waterfall —pronounced “EH-thah-row” [ˈe.θa.ɾo]—I always imagined a river rushing over something like the White Cliffs of Dover before dramatically crashing into the ocean. The real thing is a lot more subdued, as the river merely rolls down an eroded hillside into a tiny estuary befor

Photo Post: Deserted Beaches & Fresh Seafood in Carnota, Spain

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Mar de Lira beach It’s not every day you come across a deserted beach that literally stretches for miles beneath a deep blue sky. Yet that’s exactly what happened to me one warm, sunny Saturday in April while exploring the far western reaches of Galicia in northwest Spain. Gorse-covered hillside The town of Carnota (really just a collection of rural houses and small family farms) stretches across a flat tract of Galicia’s Atlantic coastline, tucked away in a bend of the Ría de Corcubión —one of many inlets of the sea that extend like fingers into the mainland. Five of these estuaries trickle down the region’s western coast, where steep hillsides contrast with white-sands beaches and where the economy depends on both fishing and white wine production. Longest hórreo  in Galicia But Carnota’s got more than just stunning, vast beaches and pretty rural scenery. This little coastal town is also home to one of the region’s longest hórreos or stone corncrib used to store

Muros & Noia, Spain: Two Charming Galician Fishing Villages

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Many folks visit Santiago de Compostela because they’re drawn to the medieval mystique of the Camino de Santiago , which ends in the city. A popular daytrip from Santiago involves heading out west to the tiny coastal town of Fisterra, the “Lands End” of Galicia, which many pilgrims consider the true ending point of this pilgrimage that runs across northern Spain. A mighty lighthouse guards craggy cliffs, what the Romans considered to be finis terrae , the ends of the earth. Outside Noia Sadly, many people hop on charter buses that make express runs between Santiago and the Atlantic coast, completely bypassing the intervening countryside. It’s a real shame because there’s so much to see and do in between those two points, from charming fishing villages to secluded beaches and even waterfalls. Over the next couple of weeks I’m going to spend some time on the blog sharing with y’all the best places to see on your way from Santiago to the End of the World. Today, let’s visit our

5 City Parks to Picnic At in Santiago de Compostela, Spain

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I fell in love with the northwest Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela for several reasons when I lived there for two years, not least the glorious granite old town and delicious tradition of free tapas. One big reason I renewed to teach English in the area for a second year—despite two consecutive winter months of endless rain —was the city’s attractive system of public parks. There’s just so many different places you can go to hang out with friends, people-watch, and enjoy a slice of empanada  or some fresh local strawberries. 1) The Alameda An  abuelo  goes on  paseo Santiago’s grandest and oldest city park might seem like an odd place to lay out a picnic blanket; after all, who wants to sit down in the way of all those joggers and fur-coat-wearing old ladies? Yes, most of the park is one big promenade that offers impressive views of the old town and a lovely curated garden. But there’s a small parcel on the far eastern side of the Alameda near a busy intersection wit

Betanzos, Spain: My New Favorite Galician Village

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As I headed back home to Santiago de Compostela after spending Good Friday 2015 in Ferrol , I took a cross between a pitstop and a daytrip in the coastal village of Betanzos, one of the hidden treasures of northwest Spain. Santiago will always be first in my heart, but Betanzos quickly won me over as my new favorite village in Galicia. Old homes with galerías Welcoming locals In the old town The single-car diesel clunker I rode to Betanzos on dropped me off at what was more a clearing in the woods than a proper train station. Seeing a backpack-clad boy scrutinizing his phone’s Google Maps app, a dad who had picked up his daughter there offered to drive me in to the old town and save me a hike. In retrospect it probably wasn’t the safest decision to hop into a complete stranger’s car (sorry Mom!) but I trusted my gut and hopped in. My leap of faith paid off, as these two kind betanceiros  dropped me off in the central plaza and were fun to chat with for a couple of min

How to Go Carless in Dallas, Texas

A little over a month ago I finally gave in and bought my very first car, a brand-new Toyota Corolla. I first learned how to drive on a 2003-era Corolla, so I couldn’t pass up this familiar yet reliable model when I showed up at the dealership for the dreaded car hunt. But in between moving back home to Texas in July of last year and getting a car this past March, I had to make do without one. Fortunately my parents did have a car that they used for buying groceries and the like, but as far as getting to work, shopping, or having fun, I was basically on my own. View this post on Instagram Bought my first car today!!! 🎉🚗 It's a Toyota Corolla, most basic of the base line model possible, but I'm excited to be able to zip around town, get to work in 15 minutes (vs. 60 minutes walking + on the bus), and make day trips whenever I feel like it. In some ways I feel like I've sold out my walkable, transit-loving soul, but I&

Big in Big D, Y’all: What to See, Eat, & Do in Dallas, Texas

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When I moved back to Texas back in July after living in Spain for three years, I felt guilty that I could give people better food or sightseeing recommendations for cities like Madrid or Santiago de Compostela than I could for the city I claimed was my hometown, Dallas. Now, part of the problem was that I actually grew up in Plano, a suburb to the north of Dallas, but that didn’t excuse me from not knowing this place as well as I should. View this post on Instagram The iconic Dallas Pegasus slowly rotates on a mini oil derrick just after sunset. Originally crafted in 1934, this porcelain-plated metal sign with neon illumination topped the Magnolia Building in Downtown Dallas for decades and became an enduring symbol of the city of Dallas. When Magnolia Oil was folded into Mobil, the red Pegasus followed, showing up at gas stations across the country. It was replaced with a replica in 2000 and relegated to a shed near White Rock

Ferrol, Spain: The Black Sheep of Galicia

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#HouseGoals Galicia, tucked away in Spain’s northwest corner, happens to be one of the most densely-populated regions in the country. Major cultural and political centers include Vigo , A Coruña , Ourense , Lugo , Santiago de Compostela , and Pontevedra …and if we were to continue rattling off the region’s biggest cities, the coastal town of Ferrol would hold the spot for seventh-biggest, at 70,000 ferroláns . Ferrol (pronounced “fair-ROLE” [feˈrol]) doesn’t have the best reputation among Galicians, as it’s kind of the black sheep of the region; many folks call this place “ugly” and say “it doesn’t have anything to see.” Of course, I was told the same thing about Almería on the Mediterranean coast and ended up really enjoying the city when I daytripped there three years ago. Still, there’s a lot about Ferrol that makes it, uh, different  from the rest of Galicia. Military heritage Military arsenal Situated deep within one of Europe’s most strategic natural harbors,

Photo Post: Holy Week Processions in Ferrol, Spain

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When I lived in Spain and taught English , I always took full advantage of the annual Semana Santa vacation during the week leading up to Easter Sunday to go on a major international trip, since you use up half your time off just getting out of the country and flying back on weekend trips. For my first year, I rode a ferry across the Mediterranean and explored northern Morocco , while in my second school year abroad, I train-hopped from Santiago down into warm, sunny Portugal . Procesión de Jesús Nazareno (Cofradía de Dolores) Although in 2015 I still planned on leaving Spain for a brief getaway to Germany , I wanted to be back in the country before Holy Week was over. After all, Spain throws one of its biggest, most unique celebrations for Semana Santa, and I would have regretted not experiencing this fascinating cultural tradition before moving back to Texas . So I decided to check one off the ol’ bucket list and spend all of Good Friday chasing religious processions in th

Chasing Charlemagne in Aachen, Germany

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As a history major, I’m not one to subscribe to the Great Man theory of history. The way I see it, inventions, movements, religions, diseases, trade, and geography play a much more crucial role in human events than mere single characters do. And besides, there have been many Great Women! Nevertheless, some people are more influential than others: think Muhammad, Christopher Columbus, or whoever invented air conditioning. Aachener Dom When it comes to European history specifically, Charlemagne stands as one of the most significant actors in shaping what we know today as Europe. Following the countless barbarian invasions that had left the western Roman Empire in disarray, Charlemagne (who was himself a “barbarian” Frank) brought the West back together under a single rule, promoted learning amid the ignorance of the Dark Ages, and conquered so much land that he became the father of both France and Germany. During my weekend jaunt to western Germany last year, I made a daytrip

The Ups & Downs of Traveling to Cologne, Germany

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For the longest time, Germany never showed up as a blip on my travel radar, even when I lived in Santiago de Compostela , whose Ryanair airport hub has connections all across mainland Europe. I was focused primarily on getting to know northern Spain, especially Galicia, or neighboring countries like France and Portugal before finally moving back to Texas. Germany seemed so foreign and distant, even though it’s as close to Spain as Chicago is to Dallas. While my fellow language assistants hopped from Amsterdam to Hamburg to Berlin, I focused on places like coastal Portugal, southeastern France , or central Italy —all southern European countries. Old town Cologne and the Rhine River, seen from the cathedral It’s not that I had anything against  Scandinavia, the British Isles, or central Europe…it’s just that I didn’t want to spend my limited savings and strategic vacation time going to places that I had almost no desire to visit. My true passions, the places that I longed to

Alcalá de Henares, Spain: The College-Town Birthplace of Cervantes

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Plaza de Cervantes Something that’s always striking to me about Spain is that in one moment you can zip around beneath Madrid on the Metro, refresh your Twitter feed at a McDonald’s in between sips of espresso, and rub elbows with visitors from around the globe at some of the world’s leading art galleries…and in the next moment—a mere 40-minute train ride—you can emerge onto the sun-baked plains of Castilla where it seems as if a village hasn’t changed much since its most famous son, Miguel de Cervantes, was born here way back in 1547. Yes, that  Cervantes, the author of Western literature’s first novel, Don Quixote . Some may call Alcalá de Henares  a mere suburb of Madrid, but this “small town” of 200,000 is a world away from Spain’s cosmopolitan capital when it comes to architectural and cultural heritage. Café con leche & rosquilla de Alcalá One warm spring morning last year I was excited to check out what made Alcalá deserve World Heritage status—but first, coffee