Week three in the big brother house.
After two solid weeks of teaching, We're all getting into the swing of it here, (although I may be speaking only for myself).
On our first Sunday, Team Coruna headed off to A Coruna on a school trip. First stop was the tower of Hercules, an ancient Roman lighthouse. My grade 2 kids had told me about it in class the day before, so I was all clued up. Built by the Romans in the 2nd century, and renovated in 1791, the tower is still in use as a lighthouse overlooking the north Atlantic. It's quite spectacular. Standing at around 180 feet tall, the views from the top are breathtaking.
Just up the coast from the tower is a huge mosaic octopus sculpture perched on the cliff top.
The local delicacy here is octopus. There are loads of bars here offering good value tapas including spicy Pulpo al Galego, a speciality of Galicia. It's boiled octopus sprinkled with paprika and served on a wooden dish. Very tasty.
There are plenty of other places to see locally too. The Casa Museo Picasso is situated in a busy street in the city centre. Picasso lived here with his family for five years from 1891-95, when his father worked here as an art teacher. You can visit the apartment, much of which has been kept in its original state, and there's a gallery on the ground floor. I haven't been yet but definitely plan to do so before we leave.
the crew
Tower of Hercules
inside the tower
view from the top
the old town
Last weekend we visited Santiago. You'll see what a charming location it is, despite the terrible weather we had, and how we all had a lotta fun. It was absolutely freezing cold and raining, and we were for the most part unsuitably dressed.
downtown Santiago in the rain
looking at ancient relics in the rain
sun and a relic
Once the sun came out and we were warm and dry, everything looked and felt so much nicer. Santiago is a beautiful city, but it's also very touristy and crammed with sightseers. Many of the visitors are hikers and cyclists who have followed the Camino de Santiago, (the Way of Saint James) This is a pilgrimage to the shrine of the apostle Saint James at the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. It is believed by some that the remains of the saint are buried here. We had a look round the cathedral and a guided walk round the town centre.
For lunch, Angelo, one of our guides, took us to a really cosy tapas bar for much needed food and beer. We had delicious pinchos, whilst outside it hail stoned!
inside the cathedral
golden saint
the alter at Santiago cathedral
cosy tapas bar
later on watching footie in a local bar
The following day was beautiful, warm and sunny. My daughter had come over for a few days to visit. We took a bus into A Coruna and did a spot of shopping, punctuated with beer, tapas and coffee breaks. There's a huge Zara here, where we found a few nice bits. The founder is from A Coruna and still lives locally. He founded the store here over 40 years ago. There are also some nice boutiques, some with quite odd names!
On Tuesday, the school was closed for May bank holiday. We went to Santa Cristina, on the outskirts of the city. The weather was great. We has a lovely walk along the beach and some fresh air.
beach at Santa Cristina
That's all for now folks x
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