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ANNOUNCEMENT An Anglo-Galician Association has been formed. Membership is open to anyone who speaks good English and has a connection with Galicia If you're interested, click on the AGA web page, where anyone can start a thread. Or send me a message at angalass@gmail.com Please put 'AGA' in the subject box, to avoid your message being treated as spam.
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Non-Google Ad If you're you're looking for help in either finding, settling into or managing a property in Galicia, here's the site of someone I can recommend without hesitation for integrity and quality of personal service Property Management in Galicia
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2.04.08
Hola,
Welcome to the home page of my web site.
My primary purpose is to tell you something about Galicia in general and Pontevedra in particular. Galicia, Spain that is, not Galicia, Poland. Several people have been kind enough to tell me how much they've appreciated my site and I hope you do too. Someone who links into it has recently said it's not pretty but 'does the job'. I'm happy with that.
The secondary purpose of my site is to share my view of life in Spain, or at least here in the Galicia/Pontevedra corner of it. The Life in Spain page links to things I've written on specific occasions but for a running commentary you'll need to go to my daily blog - Thoughts from Galicia
Finally, this site provides a vehicle for some scribblings that have nothing to do with either Galicia, Pontevedra or Spain but which are intended to amuse.
If you're thinking of buying property in Galicia, here's my personal view of the weather in its very different provinces. I also recommend the Weather link on my blog. Of course, if you read this regularly, you should suffer fewer shocks when you take up residence here. I also recommend Life in Spain. Plus this.
Here's a general introduction to Galicia, a surprisingly green and beautiful part of Spain. Or Galithia, as it is sometimes written. This concentrates on the area in the Pontevedra province known as Las Rias Bajas (in Castilian Spanish) or As Rias Baixas (in Galician). The rather inadequate literal English translation of this is 'Low Estuaries'. But ‘The Lower Fjords’ would probably give you a better feel for their nature and scenic beauty. This said, I recently read a guide book which insisted they were nothing like Norwegian fjords but more like Scottish firths. Which is probably fair comment.
Further up the north west coast of Galicia are Las/As Rias Altas (or ‘The High Estuaries’). These are possibly even more beautiful but certainly more dangerous. It’s here that you'll find the Costa de La Muerte, or the Coast of Death. This is something best done from the landward side. If you're attracted to such places, I think there's one in Brittany as well. And probably Cornwall. Interestingly, all three of these places claim Celtic roots. Obviously a morbid people.
I mention on the Spain page The Bible In Spain by George Borrow, written in 1834. Here's a link to the fascinating stuff he he wrote just about Galicia. If you can't face all of this, here's a sampler - his dyspeptic view of Santiago and its cathedral. He was obviously wrong to think its glory was passing away.
As I no longer update this page on Galicia, if you need further [or up-to-date] information, please try the Galicia Facts link in my daily blog - Thoughts from Galicia.
PONTEVEDRA
This is my personal guide to the city and something of the province of Pontevedra. And here are, firstly, a short dissertation on the houses that are disappearing from the city; and, secondly, pictures of the sort of monstrosities that are being built nowadays.
And these are brief - and hopefully amusing - accounts of various things that have happened to me in Galicia/Pontevedra since I set up residence 6 years or so ago. They may or may not improve your knowledge and understanding of either Galicia in general or Pontevedra in particular.
And here are photos of the Fería Franca or Medieval Fair of September 2006. And of the same event in 2007.
These are pictures of collared doves outside my bedroom window for the 10 days it took them to grow from squabs into fully-fledged juveniles.
GALICIAN LINKS
Here are links to a couple of excellent guides written by an English friend of mine, Martin Lambert. . . .
Tourist agencies:-
Spain - www.tourspain.es
Galicia - www.turgalicia.es
South West Galicia - www.galicia-suroeste.com
The Rias Baixas - www.riasbaixas.org
The Galician government - www.xunta.es
Local councils:-
Pontevdra - www.concellopontevedra.es
Tui - www.concellotui.org
La Guardia - www.concellodaguarda.com and this, which is a lot quicker www.galicia-suroeste.com/concellodaguarda.htm
Tomiño - www.concellotomino.com
O Rosal - Nothing available as yet from the council. But there is this - www.galicia-suroeste.com/o_rosal.htm
Portuguese councils across the border
Valenca - www.cm-valenca.pt
Caminha - www.cm-caminha.pt
Finally. . .
LINKS TO MY OTHER PAGES
Enjoy!
Colin Davies