Rias Baixas
On the seventh day after his hard work creating the world God stopped to rest and while doing so touched his hand to the earth and created the five rías on the North west coast of Galicia. This was one of the stories I was told on my drive to the Ría Arosa to meet my friend Teresa´s parents and to see the region she grew up. My current housemates also come from that area, so I have heard a lot about it and was excited to finally see it.
I was told there was no English translation for the word ría, but it seems it is quite similar to word estuary which might sound more familiar. The definition the on-line Collins dictionary gives is that it is a long narrow inlet of seacoast, being a former valley that was submerged by a rise in the level of the sea. Rias are found on the coasts of SW Ireland and NW Spain. The word Baixas is Gallego and I think it means low level.
As we got closer to the Ria Arosa we started to see cars with bunches of yellow flowers in the front grate above the license plate. It continues to be a tradition on the first of May to attach these yellow flowers to the front of your car or house for luck and to ward of witches who come out on the night of the first of May. I wish I had known earlier to have put some outside
my door.
The first town on the coast that we drove through was Noia, but we didn´t stop because the tide was out. Legend says that this was the location where Noah´s ark settled after flood and that is where the town´s name comes from.
Some of the houses we saw were covered in bright coloured tiles and my friend explained that bathroom tiles were put on the outside of houses to help with humidity and sometimes even ship paint was used. I think a similar strategy was used in Portugal however the effect of the intricate blue and white Azulejos is quite different.
About mid-morning we stopped to see the ruins of the Baroña Castro (celtic village). It is beautifully located on the edge of the water. I was told that a Gallego version of Asterix & Obélix called ´Os Barbanzos´ is inspired from this castro.
We continued down the coast and stopped in the town of Xuño, or Juno in Spanish because I wanted to see the Spanish Juno Beach. There were no military landings here, but the scenery is well-known from the Spanish film ´Mar Adentro´ by Alejandro Aménabar.
We stopped in a few more towns and saw some beautiful views, but it wasn´t until we climbed to the top of Mount Curota I got a sense of the rías and the coast.
We stopped for a Paella lunch at her parent´s house in Puebla de Caramiñal. Looking at some of the photos in her parents house I started to understand the damage the recent development has caused to the coastal area. Less construction would be better because most of the beach has been built on and the port has almost taken over.
Despite the development the town has managed to keep a rather unusual tradition alive and on the third Sunday of September they celebrate ´Divino Nazareno´. On that day all those that have made a promise to the Nazarene Christ, which could have been to be cured from a disease, will celebrate being alive by buying coffins and carrying them through the street. If you are really grateful you will lie inside one. Another variation is to wear a purple tunic, like the Nazarene Christ for an entire year.
I was told there was no English translation for the word ría, but it seems it is quite similar to word estuary which might sound more familiar. The definition the on-line Collins dictionary gives is that it is a long narrow inlet of seacoast, being a former valley that was submerged by a rise in the level of the sea. Rias are found on the coasts of SW Ireland and NW Spain. The word Baixas is Gallego and I think it means low level.
As we got closer to the Ria Arosa we started to see cars with bunches of yellow flowers in the front grate above the license plate. It continues to be a tradition on the first of May to attach these yellow flowers to the front of your car or house for luck and to ward of witches who come out on the night of the first of May. I wish I had known earlier to have put some outside
my door.The first town on the coast that we drove through was Noia, but we didn´t stop because the tide was out. Legend says that this was the location where Noah´s ark settled after flood and that is where the town´s name comes from.
Some of the houses we saw were covered in bright coloured tiles and my friend explained that bathroom tiles were put on the outside of houses to help with humidity and sometimes even ship paint was used. I think a similar strategy was used in Portugal however the effect of the intricate blue and white Azulejos is quite different.
About mid-morning we stopped to see the ruins of the Baroña Castro (celtic village). It is beautifully located on the edge of the water. I was told that a Gallego version of Asterix & Obélix called ´Os Barbanzos´ is inspired from this castro.
We continued down the coast and stopped in the town of Xuño, or Juno in Spanish because I wanted to see the Spanish Juno Beach. There were no military landings here, but the scenery is well-known from the Spanish film ´Mar Adentro´ by Alejandro Aménabar.
We stopped in a few more towns and saw some beautiful views, but it wasn´t until we climbed to the top of Mount Curota I got a sense of the rías and the coast.
We stopped for a Paella lunch at her parent´s house in Puebla de Caramiñal. Looking at some of the photos in her parents house I started to understand the damage the recent development has caused to the coastal area. Less construction would be better because most of the beach has been built on and the port has almost taken over.
Despite the development the town has managed to keep a rather unusual tradition alive and on the third Sunday of September they celebrate ´Divino Nazareno´. On that day all those that have made a promise to the Nazarene Christ, which could have been to be cured from a disease, will celebrate being alive by buying coffins and carrying them through the street. If you are really grateful you will lie inside one. Another variation is to wear a purple tunic, like the Nazarene Christ for an entire year.
I have to agree that the rias are the most beautiful part of Galicia I have seen so far.
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