Roadtrippin' to Santiago de Compostela
This past weekend Elena, our friend Chis and I rented a car and drove from Santander to Galicia! We stopped first in the small, ancient city of Lugo to stay with one of Elena's college friends (Morgan) and spent the rest of the time in Santiago. I have to say, it was quite the roadtrip... complete with a few necessary caffeine stops, tons of good tunes, gorgeous scenery and one serious hail storm.
The 6th of December (this past Friday) is Spain's Constitution Day meaning that there is no work or school to allow for full appreciation and celebration of this special occasion. Since we had a long weekend, Elena and I had planned a trip to visit some of her college friends and we invited Chris along to join us!
Leading up to Friday, I was quite under the weather after trying to do TOO much the weekend before and getting sick :( The combination of swimming in cold saltwater, surfing all day and going out is a guaranteed recipe for sickness.
However, we still managed to throw a Friendsgiving in the mix with both my roommates and Elena's! It ended up being a lovely celebration and a very Spanish version of my favorite holiday. I had cooked an entire chicken (one of Elena's roommates brought it from her family's farm in Galicia!) for the occasion and was very nervous for people to eat a dish that I hadn't tasted. However, it got good reviews all around and I felt quite accomplished for having undertook my first poultry roast.
But, back to the roadtrip! We left Santander after work on Thursday evening and arrived in Lugo around 11:00 pm. It was a bit daunting being thrown right into driving in a new country in the dark while it was raining, but thankfully we had no mishaps! I was our designated driver since I'm the only one with an international drivers license and although I was nervous to start off, I settled right in once I was behind the wheel.
Morgan, Elena's friend from college, had graciously invited us to stay with her for our two nights in Lugo and we had such a lovely time all together. We started off our Friday morning off strong with a delicious breakfast at a local spot that is very popular in Galicia. This particular cafe has an immense spread of brunch options that were the perfect mix of sweet and salty.
The rest of the day was mainly a washout so after a walk around the wall that encloses the old city, we grabbed some empanadas and went back to the apartment. The four of us spent the afternoon and evening playing many different card games, talking, and drinking wine (aka my idea of a perfect rainy afternoon).
We finally decided to reemerge to see the Christmas lights and find a spot for dinner since we had been hunkered down for the entire afternoon. After wandering around the bustling, windy streets of the old town, we opted for a spot that had an open table tucked away inside (it was a LOT colder in Lugo than Santander and I think we were all looking to warm up).
The most traditional and famous dish in Galicia is pulpo a la plancha (octopus over potatoes) and almost every restaurant offers this meal. Elena, who is really not a fan of seafood, wanted to give the octopus a try to see if it would change her mind, so we ordered one for the table. She was a trooper and tried it twice, but in the end, seafood is just not her thing.
The next day we had a quick breakfast at home and hit the road with our final destination being Santiago, a city famous for its cathedral that marks the end of El Camino pilgrimage. As we were leaving Lugo, there was a moment where I thought we were getting pulled over, but the police were actually after the guy who illegally went around me...phew!
After dropping our overnight stuff at Gabi's, a friend of Elena and Morgan, we went searching for a little treat. Santiago is known for its tarta de Santiago which is an almond cake covered in powdered sugar. I had previously tried one when I went to Galicia last spring, but Elena and Chris both got one and loved the little cake!
The rest of the afternoon consisted of wandering to different gift shops, admiring the beautiful cathedral and spending WAY too much time in the largest bookstore in the region. Even though I had previously seen the cathedral, it was still a shock to be back in front of it in person. It is truly one of the most impressive and intricate buildings I have ever seen and I am looking forward to one day finishing El Camino there.
After grabbing some items to make a little cheese and snack board, we went back to Gabi's apartment and played a few rounds of Uno with her roommates. It was an international collection of people since her roommates are students from Brazil and Italy. I love when the common language, in this case Spanish, is no one's native tongue so we are all just doing the best we can to communicate.
We had a fun time checking out the nightlife scene in Santiago and visiting Gabi's favorite bar Momo. There is a traditional coffee liquor from the region that was super popular with our group and definitely contributed to a late night...it has caffeine in it!
The next day Elena, Chris and I started our journey home with a preplanned route that had several stops in it. We were hoping to hit some of the smaller villages and spots that are not accessible with public transit since renting a car will not be an every weekend endeavor. I think we chose the perfect route since we got a great mix of mountains and coastline on our way back to Santander.
Our first stop of the morning was in the pueblo of Mondoñedo which is a tiny village known for their special cake and beautiful cathedral. It had been raining on and off during the drive from Santiago to Mondoñedo and we were hopeful that we wouldn't get wet as we explored the town, but unfortunately we were not so lucky. But, as they say in Galicia, if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes. (This really holds true!)
We found a cafe serving the cake and each tried a slice along with a hot drink to warm ourselves up. I wasn't a huge fan of the almondy orange tasting cake but it was still worth the stop! Before hopping back in the car, we passed by Morgan's school and saw the town's nativity scene decked out with mailboxes for the Three Kings (the Three Kings bring Spanish children presents instead of Santa).
From Mondoñedo we drove to the coast to visit a beautiful beach called Playa de las Catredrales that is only accessible at low tide. We had timed our arrival to be right around the low tide for the day so we were able to explore the majority of the beach and take some awesome pictures. There was a warning for a coastal event that day and the waves were HUGE! Some almost 18 feet tall...
We decided to drive to an ocean overlook at Isla Pancha to have our packed lunch and refuel before heading back to Santander. This island has a lighthouse and a small restaurant that was closed for the season when we visited. The views from the peninsula were so worth the stop and it was a lovely place to hole up in the car and eat lunch (the wind killed any outdoor dining dreams).
Once back in the car, we headed straight to Santander and despite multiple patches of heavy rain and hail, we made it back safely and just in time for the drop off. I was exhausted from driving all day but the places we were able to visit made for the best adventure! Also, it helped to have such wonderful and helpful passengers to make the driving so much more enjoyable :)
All in all, I am happy to report that my first Spanish road trip was a success and I am looking forward to exploring more parts of the country that way in the spring! Tomorrow Elena and I are off to visit Elisabeth in Vienna for some proper cold weather and Christmas markets. I am so excited for mulled wine and all the festive decorations!!
A week from now I will be back in the USA and I cannot believe how fast this fall went...it feels like I just arrived! I am really looking forward to some quality time at home with family and friends during the Christmas season. I think it will be just the right kind of recharge to start 2025 off right!
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