Deportivo La Coruña! – Sunday Afternoon Match(es)

Sunday, May 17, 2015

With our wonderful meal at d’Berto restaurant in O Grove now completed, it was time for me to hit the road to Coruña in the hopes of getting a ticket to the Deportivo La Coruña soccer match – fútbol!  At 4:50 p.m. I left O Grove in a big hurry to get there before the 7:00 kickoff … and promptly took a wrong turn!  Once I got turned around and going the right way, I went to pull onto the main road … right when José and Montse were passing by in their car.  José gave me a full eye roll with maybe even a shake of the head as if to say “oh dear, you’re never going to make it”.

One of the main topics of conversation during lunch was discussing whether I should even bother trying to get to Coruña since José had heard that the match was, or would be, sold out.  There had been a big promotion all week on social media to fill Riazor stadium to capacity (34,600+ people), utilizing the hashtag #33000deRiazor.  There were only two matches left in the season (this was the last home game) and without a win in this game, they were facing relegation down to the second division. It was a very important game!  I just kept explaining that I had to go since I had been following along with this team through the entire season (which started shortly after I returned from my first Camino, on the Camino Inglés, located in the province of Coruña).  I couldn’t even fathom being this close to the match and not being there. Even if I couldn’t get a ticket I at least wanted to be in the city just in case they won … which was a real long shot!

Leaving O Grove.   Will I make the match?

It was a quick trip to Coruña and pulled into my parking spot at 6:15 p.m. It worked out nicely that the taxi driver I had on Friday evening pointed out the parking garage entrance, conveniently located right off of the main road that enters the city. I quickly changed into my new Dépor t-shirt (in the car) then hustled upstairs to the hotel to make sure they knew I was in the parking garage and would be checking in after the match.

Parking! Pro Tip: take a photo of where you park!

While I certainly don’t run, there was quite the pep in my step as I walked what was nearly a mile to the stadium along with the crowd heading in the same direction. Approaching the ticket window, I saw it was open and people were lined up. Hooray, I was going to get a ticket!

A quick jaunt from the hotel to the stadium.

 

Dépor swag!

As luck would have it, I was able to purchase a ticket from a nice, normal looking group of people who has an extra ticket from a season ticket holder for only €10 (the price would have been €35 at the ticket window). It was just minutes before the start so off I went with one of the guys to find our seats. His name was Brais (pronounced like “Bryce”, but with a Spanish rolled “r”), which I learned was a ‘muy gallego’ name. (I have a cousin named Bryce in Iowa, so this came as a surprise to me.)

Super nice guys. Brais in plaid. Yes, my eyes are closed, but we were capturing a moment. No time for retakes!

The seats were pretty high up, but had a great view of the home goal box for the first half (HELLO, Fabricio!), and enjoyed the excitement of the Riazor Blues cheering section right below us. Brias ended up leaving shortly after the start to go sit with his friends who had empty seats next to them, but I didn’t mind since the match was such a blast; really a great time.

Fabricio! (in yellow)

Cheering on a goal!

The Riazor Blues cheering, chanting, singing … so exciting!

And wouldn’t you know… Deportivo La Coruña ended up WINNING the match against Levante – by a score of 2-0. The following week, in the final match of the season, they tied Barcelona and remained in the first division of the Spanish fútbol league! Forza Dépor!!

Final score: 2-0

Sunday, October 18, 2015
Let’s fast forward to this October now, when I returned to Galicia for a quick 10 day visit. More on the details of that whole trip to come, but I just wanted to mention that I went to another Dépor match in October. Our return flight home was timed perfectly so that we were in Coruña on Sunday evening before flying home on Monday morning. This time, again, I was coming into Coruña from out of town (from Santiago de Compostela) and arrived JUST in time to grab a ticket and find my seat right as kickoff was happening.

This time I did end up buying my ticket for full price from the ticket window, as the only guy I saw selling secondhand tickets seemed kind of, um, sketchy (and that’s about as nicely as I can put it). Since I was purchasing at the last minute, there were only the most expensive tickets left, but they ended up being very close to the field.

Great seats!

Proudly sporting my team swag again!

At halftime, lots of folks take out large sandwiches to snack on. Sunflower seeds are also a very popular snack.

Lucas!!!

Final score on the new big screen.

There were quite a few improvements made to Riazor stadium over the summer, including new seats in two sections and big new signs on either end.

New seats (1906 – the year the fútbol club was founded)

New seats – Dépor!

The match against Athletic Bilbao was exciting, and ended in a tie at 2-2. That means that each team received 1 point towards the season tally, rather than the full 3 points that a winner would receive. The older gentleman I sat next to, clearly a season ticket holder, proclaimed that the result was “menos mal, menos mal” (less bad). Despite not getting the win, it was another really fun experience! Forza Dépor!!

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O Grove, Illa da Toxa, and d’Berto Restaurante – Sunday Fun!

Sunday, May 17th, 2015

 

Hey, no getting lost this time!

After sleeping in a bit, I was up and ready to go (finally!) at 11:15 on Sunday morning, which is when I set off from my charming casa rural in Merza for the beachside town of O Grove.  This time it really was just an hour and 30 minute drive, which left me a little time to sightsee on the Isla de la Toja (Illa da Toxa in Galego) before our lunch reservations at d’Berto Restaurant at 2:00 p.m.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passing over the Camino de Santiago. This was part of the Via de la Plata – Sanabrés Route.

 

A beautiful drive through the hills near A Estrada, Galicia.

 

Mar a la vista! First sight of the ocean! Approaching Sanxenxo, then O Grove.

 

Beautiful ocean view from Isla la Toja (Illa da Toxa).

 

12th century Chapel of A Toxa, covered in scallop shells. Dedicated to St Caralampio and the Virgin Carmen.

I first heard of d’Berto Restaurante from José with Turismo Verde de Galicia (Turvegal), who had given me a list of the best restaurants in and around Pontevedra.  Around that same time I was also following along with @Docsconz‘s incredible food and wine adventure with Gerry Dawes across Spain via Twitter, a trip that went through many parts of Spain before stopping in Galicia to enjoy the shellfish and wine.  When Docsconz posted the recap of their dining experience at d’Berto on his blog (seriously, read his review here), I decided right then that I absolutely had to go there during this trip.

The only potential hiccup was that the restaurant takes an annual summer vacation for a couple of weeks at the end of May each year.  Since José lives nearby the restaurant in O Grove, he was able to stop by to inquire in person about the exact dates that they would be closed.  Once those dates were known I was able to plan my trip so that we could visit, even though it ended up being the very last day before their two week vacation.

Arriving at d’Berto Restaurante.

I arrived a few minutes before our 2:00 p.m. reservation, which gave me a chance to meet and chat with Berto himself.  When José made the reservation, he mentioned that I was coming to Galicia from Arizona.  My accent when speaking Spanish gave me away immediately as the visitor from abroad, so we chatted for a moment about my trip and his previous travels to the U.S.  It’s always so nice when dining out to be greeted so warmly, it really sets the mood perfectly to enjoy the fabulous meal.  He explained was that since it was the day before they closed (they were off to Istanbul for two weeks), they didn’t have the normal amount of seafood options available.  What they had was still, obviously, the best quality, but just limited in quantity.  He offered that rather than having us order from the menu, they would do a tasting menu for us of small plates of this and that.  If we wanted more of something, we just had to ask, otherwise the next thing would come.  It sounded perfect to me.  He then invited me to enjoy a glass of albariño (local white wine) while I waited for my companions to arrive.

With Berto of d’Berto Restaurante. So welcoming!  I felt right at home!

 

A nice glass of Albariño to start off.

 

Montse and José, my delightful and entertaining dining companions.

When José and his lovely wife, Montse, arrived, our feast began at just a few minutes past two o’clock.  The kitchen is run by Berto’s sister, Marisol, and restaurant prides itself on obtaining the best shellfish from the local waters.  One thing that our waiter was very clear about from the onset is that they cook their shellfish a su punto, which is “just cooked” (meaning just barely cooked).  He at one point joked that they are “half Japanese” in the kitchen because some consider the “a su punto” to be a bit raw (like sushi).  He offered that if we found that to be the case at all, we only needed to mention it and they could cook whatever a bit more.  That wasn’t necessary and we found that everything was just perfectly done.  This is truly a case of taking excellent products, freshly sourced, and serving them in the most minimalist way to let the quality of the seafood shine.  And shine it did!

Albariño wine from the area, naturally, pairs perfectly with the local shellfish.

 

Mejillones con pescado en escabeche con verduras.  +Mussels with fish in a vinegar sauce with vegetables.  A tangy cold starter to begin the meal.

 

Galician bread!  A few different types (including one with raisins) to accompany the variety of dishes to come.

 

Empanada de marisco y pescado (shellfish and fish empanada).  The seafood empanadas in Galicia are just incredible, and this one was no exception.

 

Ostras fritas.  3 oysters, one for each of us, just barely fried.  We were given the option of having raw or fried oysters.  They assured us that the fried would be just barely kissed by the hot oil – and that’s exactly how they came.  Tender, flavorful and delicious.

 

Camarones fritos.  Whole fried shrimp.  These were tiny, but SO packed with flavor.  I tore the heads and tails off to enjoy just the morsel of meat, but others at the table (I’m not naming any names, José) ate them whole.

 

Photo just to show the scale of these tiny, flavorful shrimp.  My dining companions also insisted, strenuously, that I always had the last bite of whatever it was we were eating.  They called it the “vergüenza galega” (Galician embarrassment), a custom that the guest should always have the last of what was offered on the plate. That was all well and good, and I certainly appreciated the hospitality, but by the end of the meal I was so full!

 

Cockels – Berberechos.  Now we are talking.  THIS is what d’Berto is known for – pristine shellfish, cooked simply, and just so.  These were delicious.

 

Razor Clams – Navajas. Just when I came down from swooning over the cockels, these hit the table.  They had a slight smokiness to them from the grill.  Extremely tender and oh, so flavorful.  Just perfect!

 

Clams – Almejas.  These could not have been better. At first I thought these would be very similar to the cockels, but they were perhaps even better, with that bit of their own broth and oil at the bottom of the plate.  Now is when we were very glad to have the basket of bread!

 

Cigalas – Langoustine.  Oh my!  This is where my mother-in-law falls off of her chair reading this!  These Langoustines!  So sweet and rich, with that smokiness from the plancha.  We cracked open the legs and got every little bit of meat.  A chuparse los dedos! (Finger licking good!)

 

Tools of the trade.

 

Bogavante Frita – Fried Lobster.  Large chunks of lobster, with roe still attached.  Just incredible.  So delicious!

 

Dessert assortment – fresh fruit, tarta de queso (cheesecake), and requesón con miel (local fresh cheese – like a ricotta – drizzled with honey).  Coffee was served as well, but I was at my maximum.  These tiny desserts were perfectly sized after our shellfish feast!

It was about 4:50 p.m. by the time we finished with our incredible marathon lunch.  Montse had a girl’s spa afternoon to get to with their eldest daughter, and I had a soccer match to get to back in the city of A Coruña – an hour and forty minute drive away – for a 7 p.m. kickoff.  And I didn’t have a ticket yet!  We said our goodbyes to the lovely staff at d’Berto, I said my goodbyes (for now) to José and Montse and off I went back to Coruña with high hopes of getting a ticket to see the last home game of the season.

d’Berto Restaurante
Avenida Teniente Domínguez, 84, O Grove, Galicia, Spain
+34 986 773 447
www.dberto.com

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Restaurante O Refuxio – Merza, Galicia

Date of visit: Saturday, May 16th, 2015

Welcome to Restaurante O Refuxio

After a whirlwind day seeing so many great sights, it was finally time to sit down to a nice dinner.  I had selected my accommodations for the evening (Casa Goris) based upon its close proximity to the restaurant, knowing that it was likely to be a late evening.  Well, eating at 11:30 p.m. is late to me … but is a completely normal time to cenar (have dinner) in Galicia!

We had actually stopped by Restaurante O Refuxio earlier in the day to confirm the plans for dinner with Natalia, the owner. Meeting her was absolutely lovely and I learned later that she took over running their restaurants (there are two additional smaller locations) in 2007 when her grandmother retired.  O Refuxio is known for serving traditional Galician dishes with a modern touch.  It was nice that when we got to the restaurant after the Luis Davila / Carlos Blanco show, everything was all set for our degustación tasting menu.

 

A nice amuse to start.  Little toasts with paté … and a bit of caviar!

 

Zamburiñas! Little bay scallops grilled on the shell on the plancha. So good!

 

And a salad to keep it light … topped with the most delicious grilled shrimp.

 

Almejas a la marinera.

Oh my!  Historically, I’ve not been a huge fan of clams (more into mussels), but this trip to Galicia has me changing my ways.  This dish of Almejas a la Marinera was fantastic!

The bread isn’t pictured, but you know we went through a basket of it while sopping up that delicious sauce!

Served on Sargadelos plates, puro Galego!

 

Seafood rice.

I didn’t think the clams could be beat, and then this seafood rice came out. Soupy and rich, and with a surprise in the middle, a nice sized scallop shell.  It is tradition to carry a scallop shell when waking the Camino, so since I was going to be walking on two different Camino routes in the coming days, the shell was pulled aside to be washed up for me to take with.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take it with me when we left.  Well, that just means I’ll have another opportunity to get one the next time I return to Galicia!

Surprise! Scallop shell in the seafood rice. Would have been perfect for the Camino.

 

By this time we were getting stuffed, but this steak with veggies was excellent!

 

Chocolate desert!

 

Homemade tiramisu. Rich and decadent!

Whew, what a meal!  We didn’t finish until 1:30 a.m., so I was very happy my room was so close by.  A good rest was necessary for me to prepare for another big day in Galicia on Sunday. On the agenda: A visit to O Grove, Illa da Toxa, a memorable meal at d’Berto, and a quick trip back up to A Coruña to catch Deportivo La Coruña’s last home soccer match. Whew!!

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Restaurante O Refuxio
Bispo Xosé Dieguez Reboredo
36590 Vila de Cruces, Pontevedra
+34 986 583 572

Website: www.refuxio.com
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/orefuxio
Instagram: www.instagram.com/orefuxio
Twitter.com: www.twitter.com/orefuxio

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Vila de Cruces (Merza, Carboeiro) and Silleda, Galicia – Saturday Afternoon Adventures

Saturday, May 16th, 2015 

It was 2:30 in the afternoon by the time I made it out to the La Coruña airport to pick up my Avis rental car, a cute little white Fiat 500.

 

Beep, beep. Cute car, but not much vroom, vroom.

One thing that surprised me this year is that I met several people who had actually been to Arizona.  When I visited Galicia last year and would mention that I was from Arizona everyone knew where it was, often saying “ah, el Gran Cañon”, which they knew from TV and movies.  But this year, I was surprised when a gentleman working at the airport started telling me about his experiences visiting Arizona, Route 66, the Grand Canyon, and Southern California in his annual trip to visit the United States.  He even planned to return to Arizona next year to travel all of Route 66.

With the destination plugged into my Map app, I set off in the trusty little Fiat, a car I would drive for the next 15 days.  What was supposed to be a quick 1 hour and 15 minute drive from the A Coruña airport (located in the A Coruña province of Galicia) to Casa Goris (my hotel for the evening, located in a little place called Merza, between Silleda and Vila de Cruces, in the Pontevedra province) somehow took me a few minutes more than 2 hours.

It took me 1 hour to get to Santiago de Compostela, and another hour to Casa Goris. Perhaps a couple of wrong turns … and I did make a stop for the bathroom (and directions!).

 

But the views were beautiful – photos taken while driving 65 don’t do justice.

A little before 5 p.m. I finally arrived at Casa Goris, a charming and quirky little family run Casa Rural.  A casa rural is a rural B & B, usually (almost always) family run.  There are so many charming casas rurales in Galicia (one website showed more than 700!), I was so happy to get to stay in several more during this trip.

Front entrance of Casa Goris.

My cute second story room. So charming!

After dropping off my bags, I went to meet up with José from Turismo Verde de Galicia.  Turismo Verde de Galicia (Turvegal) is a group whose goal is to share information about the history, culture, and traditions of Gaicia and to highlight otherwise little-known special places that may be off the beaten tourist path. Those were exactly the types of places we spent the rest of the afternoon visiting.

One of the traditions that I was excited to see was the very unique handmade wood and leather clogs (zocos) at eferro.  Elena Eferro is a third generation shoe maker, still working in the old fashioned methods to make these gorgeous, playful boots by hand. They have recently celebrated 100 years in operation!

The business was started in 1915 by Elena’s grandfather, Perfecto, who sold the clogs door to door until 1936 when the shop moved to the area where the current workshop is located. While these boots fell out of fashion for a bit in the late ’70s, they are now all the rage – a blend of classic traditional design with modern style and innovation (those patterns! those colors!), not to mention being very comfortable. Elena wasn’t in the shop on this Saturday afternoon, but we had a very nice visit with the folks who were minding the store.

This way to eferro …

Gorgeous handmade boots all lined up.

How cute! Little “piggies”!

Actual treadle sewing machine.

 

All the tools of the trade!

 

Ready to put me to work?

 

John Deere boots! Should have gotten this pair to take back to Iowa!

Our next stop was a short drive away, the beautiful Mosteiro de Carboeiro, an historic late Romanesque / Gothic style Benedictine monestary founded in the 10th century (the year 936).  It may have been in its heyday between the 11th and 13th centuries, but I’d argue that it had a pretty good year in 2015 when it was featured in Enrique Iglesia’s video, “Noche y de Día”.  As a matter of fact, the video does an excellent job featuring many beautiful areas of Galicia (there are so many!), and is worth a look:

Full video for “Noche y de Día”, Enrique Iglesias: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m3We7p78XTo

Short video of Enrique thanking Galicia: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VnyuJYerWBc

Exterior, entrance

Beautiful interior

 

Interior

The light is amazing in here – too bad I only had my iPhone.

 

More exterior views.

View from the second floor tower.

 

Exterior

Beautiful hiking opportunities around the property, along the Deza river.

Our next stop was along the river Ulla, to see a picturesque Insua, a river with little islands. There was a stone marker on display with a lovely poem written by the famous Galego author Xosé Neira Vilas about the river and this area, his homeland.

The river Ulla.

Beautiful ode to his homeland, a poem by Xosé Neira Vilas. “Water, stone, sun and wind …”

It turns out that Mr. Neira Vilas lives just a short distance from where we were, in the village of Gres.  So, what the heck, we stopped by to see if he was at home.  It turns out he wasn’t, but it’s a very nice spot with a beautiful view.

Sign on the Xosé Neira Vilas Foundation building, which houses a small museum, library, and events space.

Beautiful views!

From every direction beautiful views!

 

I bought a copy of Señor Neira Vilas’ most famous book, “Memories of a Peasant Boy”. It’s written in Galego, so I haven’t quite read it yet!

By this time, it was getting to be evening and we had tickets to see a show in the nearby town of Silleda.  Artist Luis Davila (whose daily cartoon strip appears in the  Faro de Vigo newspaper) and actor Carlos Blanco have a show that they perform periodically called “Menu del Día”.

 

“Menu del Día”

The format was something I’ve never seen before.  The artist, Luis Davila, was seated at the drawing table using the computer to draw (from scratch or expanding upon an existing cartoon) images which were displayed on the screen behind actor Carlos Blanco, who had the microphone and spoke to either the cartoon itself (explaining or expanding upon the joke), or relaying his own stories of growing up and being Gallego.  One particularly memorable skit had Mr. Blanco donning a typical housecoat worn by the Galician grandmothers as they work around the house (speaking with a grandma voice and everything).

I should probably mention here that this entire performance was in Galego (Galician) language.  While my Spanish is somewhere between “fine” and “I get along ok”, I only understand as much Galego as I do because it’s like a cross between Spanish and Portuguese (I majored in Spanish and studied Portuguese for two years in college).  Even with that, this was a fast-paced, energetic show.  Immediately afterward, I reported understanding about 50% of it.  As we told more people about the show, I fessed up to understanding less and less – it was probably more along the lines of 30% that I understood from a language perspective, but the energy and history and emotions being conveyed transcended language.  See the final photo with these two artists dancing along with traditional music, and you get the idea.  It was a fantastic show and the whole crowd truly enjoyed it.

The stage is set. Mr. Davila’s drawing table on the left.

There was a LOT going on here, not that I understood much of this one, but I think the phallic symbol speaks for itself!

 

Here, Carlos explains and expands upon the humor of some of Luis’ cartoons, adding in some of his own anecdotes of growing up in Galicia.

The show took place just days after BB King and a local Galician man called “Zapatones” died. Zapatones was well known for dressing up in a Pilgrim costume around Santiago de Compostela to greet and take pics with arriving Pilgrims. This cartoon shows these two beloved entertainers taking selfies and having a great time in heaven.

 

The two artists together: Luis Davila (l) and Carlos Blanco (r). Those kilts!

Spectacular ending – traditional music and dancing!

It was 11 p.m. when the show ended.  We stopped to say hello to Mr. Davila (José knows him) in the lobby and then, well, dinner of course!  The restaurant, O Refuxio, was fortunately less than 100 meters from my hotel.  I’ll tell you all about it in the next blog post!

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A Coruña, Galicia – Saturday Morning Adventures!

Saturday, May 16th, 2015

Waking up bright and early on my first morning in Galicia (bright and early for me on the first day overseas is actually 10:00 a.m.!), I had a list of things to do before grabbing my rental car and heading out to meet my friend José from Turismo Verde de Galicia (Turvegal) in another part of Galicia.

The first order of business was to get a Spanish SIM card.  In general, one can get by just fine using wi-fi (pronounced “wee-fee“) in Spain, as it is readily available in most bars/cafés and hotels (just ask nicely for the ¨clave¨ or password), and even at the airport.  However, since I was going to be walking alone for at least 87 miles through some unpopulated areas, and traveling by myself across the length of Galicia, I wanted to have data on my phone to be able to be in touch at all times.

Having never changed a SIM card in a phone, I was a bit apprehensive about the process.  But after some internet research on the process in general, and specifically in Spain, of the main service providers in Galicia, I landed on Orange as having good coverage in the areas I’d be walking and a decent plan, price-wise (Vodafone and Movistar are two other popular companies in Galicia).  As it happened, the Orange store was right across the pedestrian street (Calle Real) from where I planned to have breakfast (which may or may not have contributed to the decision).  Since it was after 10 a.m. by the time I got over there, data came before churros.  A very nice lady at the Orange store patiently explained their process and plans and hooked me up with a Spanish SIM card (and a Spanish telephone number) with 2 GB of data for €20, which included a €15 ‘credit’ that went against the small charges I incurred when making phone calls.  In the end, I re-upped for another 2 GB when mine ran out about 4 days before the end of my trip (in Padrón), where I paid another €11 to get 2 GB added.  In all, it cost me €31 for two full weeks of being online whenever and wherever I wanted.  If you were following along with me on Instagram during this trip, the posts from the middle of the forest were actually posted from the middle of the forest.  For me, it was a great deal.  I still have the SIM card, so when I return to Galicia I can pay online (www.orange.es) in advance for some data and be able to be online as soon as I arrive.  With Orange, my SIM card remains good for 12 months from the last re-charge.  When it was time to switch the Spanish SIM for my US SIM on the flight out of Spain, I was at first at a loss since I wasn´t traveling with a paper clip (the tool used at the phone store to eject the SIM).  After a bit of pondering, I came up with the solution … the post from one of my stud earrings!  Worked like a charm and when I landed in the US, I was back on Verizon like normal.

All connected, I was finally ready for my favorite Spanish breakfast:  Churros con Chocolate!

Two iconic places! Bonilla a la Vista to feed the body and Sargadelos to feed the soul – such beautiful things!

 

But wait!  What’s this?  The Sargadelos store is right next door and already open?  Why, yes … maybe I could pop in for a quick browse.  Sargadelos is a Galician ceramics manufacturer that deserves a whole post of its own (I’ll get to it, I promise).  In the meantime, check out the storefront and some of the pendants).

Sargadelos – all manner of ceramics from jewelry to coffee / tea sets, serving dishes, whole sets of china, lamps, you name it and they probably make it. Amazing quality and beauty.

Sargadelos – a classic!

 

I already had the one in the middle, second from the top, that I purchased last year on the English Route. These are all meant to ward against something specific. Mine wards against “Those who make work more difficult than it needs be.” I love it!

 

These are from another line. The animal motifs scare me a bit!

 

Finally! Seated at Bonilla a la Vista!

If you’ve never had Spanish hot chocolate, just imagine making homemade chocolate pudding and pouring yourself a cup of the hot mixture before it sets up.  That’s it.  Thick, rich and chocolaty.  And just begging to have hot fresh churros dunked into it.  Is this starting to sound dirty??  It’s an experience, I’ll tell you!

At Bonilla a la Vista, you order how many churros you want to accompany your chocolate.  This day, I chose 4.  On a previous visit I ordered 3 and left wanting more.  This was perfect!  All of the energy I needed to keep going in my action packed day.

Ahhhhh …. churros con chocolate!

And now for a walk back through the old part of town, and on my way to the Riazor fútbol (soccer) stadium to get a ticket for Sunday’s big match against Levante!

The Obelisk

 

Map of A Coruna

 

Riazor Beach – looking in the direction of the Torre de Hercules

 

Riazor Beach – looking in the direction of Estadio Riazor!

I had checked online a few weeks before to confirm the ticket booth hours on Saturday, so imagine my surprise and extreme disappointment at seeing the sign (below) that the ticket booth was closed. My plan was to leave Coruña shortly after purchasing my ticket so I could return on Sunday just in time for the game (with ticket in hand!). Needless to say, this unexpected closure threw a big wrench into that plan!

I met a very nice couple in the parking lot who offered to use their season ticket status to get me a ticket, but the ticket booths (even the one dedicated for season ticket holders) were all closed. It was an extremely lovely gesture on their part, just one of many examples of wonderful people I met on this trip.

All was not lost. Since I had some time, I went around to the DéporTienda – team shop! Had to get all equiped for the big game tomorrow!

Mural on Estadio Riazor

 

Dépor swag – Forza Dépor!

 

Spanking new Dépor tshirt and scarf.  You’ll be seeing more of these in the future!

Next on the agenda was to visit the Museo de Belas Artes for the wonderful exhibit “O Primeiro Picasso”, which documented Pablo Picasso’s time in A Coruña during his formative years of 9 – 13 years old.  It was extremely interesting both from the perspective of seeing some of Picasso’s earliest works (including homework and a note from a teacher) but also seeing what the city was like at that time (1891 – 1895).  Excellent exhibit.  And because it was the weekend of Galicia’s Dia Das Letras holiday, admission was free (thanks, Xunta de Galicia!).

Excellent exhibit!

 

Beautiful museum – Museo Belas Artes

 

There is another museum in Coruña in the house where Picasso actually lived, which I did not visit this time: Casa Museo Picasso.

A blog I follow via Instagram, Mis Lutier, had mentioned this quaint cafe, Miss Maruja.  It was located just around the corner from the museum, so a perfect spot to get a bite of lunch.

Miss Maruja – A Coruña

 

As you can see, I’m delighted by this sentiment: “The first 40 years of childhood are the most difficult” … how true!

 

Lunch: A toasted slice of really good Galician bread topped with melted cheese and jamón serrano. Perfect!

 

View of Riazor beach and stadium on the walk back to the hotel.

 

Modernismo / Art Nouveau buildings in the old town. In varying states of disrepair …

 

This stately place is in excellent repair.

 

Back again through the Obelisco Plaza, right around the corner from my hotel, and across from the Jardines de Méndez Nuñez.

 

So, one last stop at Hotel Lois to gather my things, and to lament to the fellow checking me out of the hotel about my bad luck with the fútbol tickets.  Naturally, he and one of the restaurant patrons were convinced that the poor American lady just didn’t understand where to go. I produced the photo above showing the posted notice, and they were also stymied that tickets weren’t being sold the day before the last home game of the season (not to mention that it was a key game in determining the team’s relegation status!).  Nonetheless, they wished me luck getting a ticket the following day and I was off by taxi to the airport to pick up my Avis rental car:

Fiat 500! Ready to roll!

 

And so I was off to Vila de Cruces to meet up with José of Turismo Verde de Galicia as the Saturday adventure continued!

Bonilla a la Vista
Calle Real, 54, A Coruña, Spain

Miss Maruja
Calle Zalaeta 20, A Coruña, Spain

Sargadelos
Calle Real, 56, A Coruña, Spain

Orange
Calle Real, 63, A Coruña, Spain

Turismo Verde de Galicia
www.facebook.com/TurismoVerdedeGalicia.Turvegal
www.paseargalicia.com
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