Four Days under the Spanish Sun

A brief 1h40min plane ride from Paris and we were in the northwest part of Spain, Galicia.
In the non-summer months this region has a climate similar to Ireland,
with lots of rain and clouds, which gives it a lush, verdant landscape.
In theSummer months, however, it is typical Spanish sun. Four days was
quick, but it was a great fix of sunshine that lasted until almost
1030pm each day...the typical hour of dinnertime tapas.Pontevedra is about 45min south of the famous Santiago de Compostella, the mecca of religious pilgrims who flock there to see the great cathedral constructed in part due to the rumor that the bones of St. James turned up on this site long ago. Pontevedra lies on a river, a beautiful bridge by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava
connects one side to the other (although of course their are other
bridges). A lovely old town anchors the town, full of restaurants and
bars. Shopping is so-so but with the sales going on, was more
appealing. We filled up on seafood--mussels, clams,octopus, and delicious albarino white wine. A short 20 minutes in a taxi brought us to a lovely beach called Montalvo. The coast here is lined with national parks/beaches that are relatively untouched. The Galician coast definitely makes for a great alternative to the typical Costa Brava along the Mediterranean.