Taste of Galicia.

A Tasting of Galicia.

Today we are in Vigo in the north west of Spain on the Atlantic Ocean. Vigo is a major fishing port but it is no small village as I expected. It is a very large well planned city set in a very picturesque harbour. It is renowned for its mussels and shell fish.

Today we are going on a ships tour called a Tasting of Galicia. We will head south of the city of Vigo towards the border with Portugal. This tour will take us through the country side and then we will go down to the coast to see some of the wonderful beaches. On the way we will also get to taste some of the Spanish wines from this area.

We are touring the province of Pontevedra which lies south of Vigo. Our first stop is the beautiful medieval walled city of Tui, located on a hill next to the Portuguese border on the river Mino. We visit the imposing 12^th century cathedral that was later converted into a battlements-studded fortress. The cloister of the cathedral is ancient and beautiful. Everywhere you look are picturesque views of the cathedral and the cloister garden framed by the arches that are all the way around the four sided cloister. At the back of the cathedral is a garden that has magnificent views out over the river and the countryside of Portugal. Whilst we are here the church bells chime out twelve o'clock.

The Cathedral at Tui

The Magnificent View from the garden behind the Cathedral.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View over the river Mino - the border between Northern Spain and Portugal.

 

We then head to a Parador (a state owned hotel) for our first tasting of locally produced wines. This Parador Hotel is rural Galician country house set among mountains and rivers and it is truly grand.

Paradors are found all over Spain. They were originally monasteries, grand manor houses, castles etc. usually with wonderful views and gardens that have been turned into 1^st class accommodation places fort todays tourists.

After this we travel some 30klms to the coastal city of Bayona. Here we see and walk the grounds of the Castle of Montréal. This old fortress is now the site of another Parador, but it has retained its outer walls with its battlements and sentry walks, clock tower and prince’s tower. From the walls there are magnificent views out over the bays and the Atlantic Ocean. Delicious tapas and four famous wines from this area were served to us in a grand room in the Parador. No thimble sized tasting in Spain – you get a full glass to try – two whites and two reds.

 The Tasting Room at the Castle Montréal.

My Wine I did not leave any. It was very enjoyable. Whites much better than the reds.

We all had a truly enjoyable day and our voyage home on the bus was full of joviality and plenty of laughter.