Al final del camino
Camino de Santiago. A trip to experience.
It’s a fact. Everyone who has walked the road to Santiago agrees, the trip leaves marks for life. But, what does Camino de Santiago have to cause such profound impression to everyone? Is it for the people you meet along the way or the amazing landscapes it goes through? Is it, maybe, the reward of arriving by your own merits to the final destination, Santiago, after many days walking?.
The numbers are compelling: every year, more and more pilgrims arrive to Santiago de Compostela, especially on Holy Years. This is a unique experience that combines a sport challenge and seeking for authenticity and discovering your own self. The final goal is to arrive to Santiago, the center of Jacobean tradition and a place of pilgrimage, after the grave of apostle Santiago was found in the 9th century.
The route has become a mass phenomenon, connecting a network of roads with Santiago as the final destination. No other city is so warm welcoming for travelers and pilgrims; this is a meeting point for people from all over the world.
The city. A great monumental complex.
Santiago de Compostela was declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1985, because of its urban beauty, monuments and for keeping the spiritual essence of an apostolic sanctuary.
The city combines perfectly tradition and modernity, in a great monumental complex. The Obradoiro square, which welcomes thousands of pilgrims, is a good example of how the past and the future coexist here, hand-in-hand. Taking a look around the square we can discover many different architectonic styles from buildings that were built during over 700 years on the making. The people look from the Cathedral to the Hostal dos Reis Católicos or from the Colexio de San Xerome to the Pazo de Raxoi, headquarters for the city council.
Along to the abundant green areas, many urban parks and forests surrounding the city, Santiago is a magic and charming place to visit.
For the food lovers.
Whether you choose a good and economic three-course menu, which recovers the energy of the pilgrims, or you prefer a casual meal of tasty portions or original mixes, Santiago is the place to go for food lovers.
Who can resist a tasty pie filled with the most daring combinations, pork with turnip tops, the best seafood, veal, octopus or a strong Galician soup? Or the distinctive taste of a wide variety of cheese: tetilla cheese, Arzúa-Ulloa, O Cebreiro or San Simón?.
Tarta de Santiago is a famous dessert, with over 200 years of history, combining the right proportions of ground almonds, eggs, sugar, butter and hints of cinnamon, under the Apostle cross drawn on sugar.
You can combine culture and gastronomy, can’t you? The place to go is Abastos market, a beautiful building from 1941. This place is the second most visited place in Santiago after the Cathedral. Around here you will find great restaurants and even places where you can ask the owner to cook the products you have purchased at the market.
So you feel like visiting Santiago, do you? Book your flights here!
more infoSantiago de Compostela For Kids
As ever more families reach the city of the Apostle, James the Elder, we decided to create a post on discovering and enjoying the city in the company of children. Listed as a World Heritage site, Santiago de Compostela is small and picturesque, like a fairy-tale city. It is also quiet, safe and very pleasant to stroll through. Here are some recommendations for getting the most out of it.
Time Travel in the Inner City
The good thing about Santiago’s old town is that much of it is a pedestrian precinct. This is a boon for parents as they don’t need to have their surveillance system switched on all the time. The old quarter is quaint enough to spawn a thousand and one stories. It is criss-crossed by endless narrow backstreets, little houses and arcades and the large, old paving stones are great for playing a variety of hopscotch. The peaceful squares have loads of space to play in and there are numerous open-air café terraces. The Cathedral, the old street names and the gargoyles provide endless props to play around with.
Once immersed in the maze of streets, one useful strategy is to visit the Cathedral. This millennial building is adorned with a host of sculptures prompting as many stories, starting with that of James the Apostle, which dates back to the time of Christ’s death. That’s just one of many there! We recommend a guided tour of the stone roofing via the entrance at the Pazo de Xelmírez, Praza do Obradoiro. There you will discover stunning panoramic views of the city and its environs.
Now that gastro-contests are all the rage on television, you won’t have any trouble persuading the little ones to gain first-hand knowledge of the ingredients used in dishes throughout the Compostela area. The best way to approach this is to visit the Mercado de Abastos, open every morning except Sundays and public holidays. The market was built in 1941, although the city’s previous market had been operating for 300 years. The building is important in that it was the first time any of the various, widely scattered, markets in Compostela was roofed.
For Children, the Park is a Must
Parks are an essential resource when you’re visiting with children. It’s edifying for them get a feel for the world of culture in the form of visits to museums, cathedrals or other urban landmarks but, for them, travelling is basically entertainment and where better to have a good time than in the park? Santiago has quite a few to choose from where kids can play and enjoy nature without leaving the city. Many of them boast playgrounds with swings, sandboxes and sports areas. There is the Parque de la Alameda, the favourite among locals, which is very central. It is also ideal for relaxing while the children play. It has a pond with ducks accustomed to being admired, an interesting pigeon loft, an elegant bandstand and an unusual “sound bench” – a large, semicircular stone seat which conveys sound very clearly – among other things. The area adjoining the Campus Universitario Sur (Southern University Campus) is also a well equipped playground, while the campus itself is great for short bicycle or tricycle rides, skating or doing other sport. It has a meadow with a lot of shade and a variety of trees – white cedar, camellias, magnolias, pine, cedar, juniper, gingkos… Our favourite, however, is the Parque de San Domingos de Bonaval, on the grounds of the former Convent of San Domingos. This is a monumental, mysterious and highly alluring park offering an array of possibilities – an oak wood, a small garden, large lawns and even a desacralised cemetery. It is ideal for lying around, running about, picnicking and even taking panoramic photos, as it faces the historic town and the point where the sun sets.
Santiago de Compostela clearly offers everything a holidaying family could want. Come and discover it! Check out our flights here.
Text and images by Santiago de Compostela Turismo
more infoParis est magique!
By Panenka www.panenka.org
Beyond the obvious attractions of the ‘City of Light‘, Paris hides large and small secrets for the travelling sports fan. Pioneering and revolutionary in all senses of the words, the banks of the Seine witnessed the first final of the Europa Cup competition, the first game of football at the Olympic Games and the creation of the Ballon d’Or. And as man does not live by football alone, every year, the eyes of the world turn towards the French capital to greet the king of Roland Garros, in the Bois de Boulogne, or the ‘Maillot amarillo’ of the Tour de France, with its victory run down the Champs Elysées. Apart from the ancient Stade de Colombes, where the final match in ‘Escape to Victory’ was filmed, there are important venues in Paris that must be visited including the hallowed ground of the Stade de France in Saint-Denis and for rugby fans, the unmissable Parc des Princes, home of Paris Saint-Germain. From these terraces, fans shouted at the tops of their voices: “Paris est magique!” And how right they are: all you have to do is take the step and discover the magic for yourself.
The eleven sporting venues
1 Yves-du-Manoir The stadium in old Colombes that featured in Escape to Victory.
2 Philippe-Chatrier Rafael Nadal’s back garden.
3 Parc des Princes Home of the PSG and Luis Arconada’s nightmare scenario.
4 Stade Bauer Last home of wandering club Red Star.
5 Stade Charléty Modest home of the decadent Paris FC.
6 Stade de France The Olympus of the heroes of 98 in Saint-Denis.
7 Paris-Bercy Hard to think of a sport that has not been played here.
8 Jacques-Anquetil Velodrome Hosted the first Olympic football contest.
9 Pershing Stadium Today it’s a baseball pitch but it was the heart of football in 1924.
10 Dominique-Duvauchelle Stadium The home of US Créteil-Lusitanos.
11 Stade Salvador Allende The Noisy-le-Sec reds stadium.
Eleven tourist spots
1 Versailles It was not by chance that Louis XIV was called the ‘Sun King’.
2 Ballon d’Or The golden sphere was born at the headquarters of France Football.
3 Trocadero at night, the best place to enjoy the Eiffel Tower.
4 Arc de Triomphe Napoleon’s caprice to celebrate Austerlitz.
5 Hotel Delaunay Named after the former president of UEFA and its trophy.
6 Café de Flore The second home of Sartre and Simone De Beauvoir.
7 Pigalle Like Amsterdam’s red light district but more glamorous.
8 Hotel Ambassador Bernabéu and Hanot met to create the Europa Cup.
9 Sacré Coeur The basilica of Montmartre commanding the best views.
10 Le baise The City Hall square and a photo by Doisneau.
11 Père-Lachaise Artists’ Cemetery, including Jim Morrison.
Ilustration by Pep Boatella / @pepboatella
A perfect idea for travelling with friends! Check out our flights and off you go!
more infoTouring County Wicklow
If you have the chance to go to Dublin, we recommend you set aside a few extra days to go on some outings in its environs, where magnificent scenery and picturesque villages await you. While a few posts ago we recommended taking the DART, the rapid rail transit system which plies the Dublin coast, to visit some of the beautiful villages there, today we propose a getaway to County Wicklow, which lies south of the Irish capital. You may well wonder what is so special about this region that you ought to extend your stay and devote some extra time to it. Well – nature walks, Celtic legends, lakes, waterfalls, mansions, historic heritage and a large dose of magic. How do you feel about that? Well worth it, isn’t it? Here, then, are some pointers to touring the area and a rundown of the venues you shouldn’t miss.
The Garden of Ireland
The splendid Wicklow Mountains National Park is one of the county’s major attractions. Situated just 30 kilometres from Dublin, it contains an area of approximately 20,000 hectares. Known as the “Garden of Ireland” for its size, variety and beautiful plant life, it is the favourite getaway destination for weekend trippers from Dublin, who go there to enjoy its natural surroundings or to do sport, such as trekking, cycling, fishing and white-water rafting.
The standout feature of this nature reserve are the Wicklow Mountains, which traverse it from north to south. The highest peak is Lugnaquilla, which rises to 925 metres, followed by Mullaghcleevaun at 847 metres and Kippure at 757 metres. Other landmarks include the river Slaney, which runs through the mountain range for a distance of 72 kilometres, and lakes like Lough Tay – also known as Guinness – as a stretch of its shoreline forms part of an estate belonging to the family that make the popular beverage.
The best way to enjoy this lovely park is to venture along the roads that cross it as they will lead you to the multi-faceted slopes carved out by nature here. It is a veritable gift on the eyes and one of the best ways to discover the Irish countryside.
Historical Attractions
One of the highlights of touring this area is discovering some of its historical vestiges – like Glendalough, a monastic settlement located in the Wicklow Mountains. Founded in the 6th century by St Kevin, and built mainly in the 8th and 9th centuries, it has endured until the present despite assaults by the Vikings and having been sacked by the English. As its name indicates, Glendalough – meaning “Valley of Two Lakes” in Gaelic – is a historical complex located in a valley with two lakes. The area around the Upper Lake features most of the surviving buildings, while the Lower Lake area has fewer remains. They are, however, older and are all related in some way to the life of St Kevin. The way the stone constructions – often in a state of ruin – are set in the natural surroundings is really stunning and makes an excursion to the site well worth your while.
Other interesting sights in County Wicklow are some of the stately mansions, such as Avondale House, the birthplace and home of Charles Stewart Parnell, and Powerscourt House with its magnificent gardens, completed between 1858 and 1875, which are among the finest gardens in Ireland.
Be amazed by the magic of this marvellous Irish county located less than hour from Dublin – book your Vueling now!
Text by Los Viajes de ISABELYLUIS
Images by Claire Gribbin
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