..::Dominican In Madrid::..: Galicia - Santiago de Compostela

After a long 8 hour bus ride from Madrid to the Northwest region of Spain (Galicia), we arrived in Santiago de Compostela. This is the oldest city I've ever been to in my life. It's very renown around the world as millions of pilgrims travel (most on foot from central Europe) to the beautiful cathedral; some for religious purposes as it is believed that Saint Santiago was buried here in the 1st century. Some people believe that completing the pilgrimage will cure illnesses or simply confirm their faith. We got the privilege to stay at a really nice hotel that is also extremely old; If I'm not mistaken I believe it was completed in the early 1800s by the royalty as a hostel for pilgrims who come from very far.

We also got opportunity to visit Paz de Galegos, one of the top wine vineyards. We were able to see the grapes, learn about the cultivation and maintenance process as well as the production of the wine. Albariño, the type of wine they produce is officially my favorite. I've learned to not drink the wine to get drunk but instead appreciate it and pay respect to the makers of the wine since they devote so much time and care to making it. It was a humbling experience.

A great addition to this trip was a quick visit to Portugal. It was literally on the other side of the river from where we first were in staying. We were in a small fortress town called Valença do Minho, where we were able to see the fort that is built around this small city that was previously used to protect it from Spanish, French or Moroccan invasions. I was also able to walk around the town markets and practice my portuguese with one of the vendors. I bought two really nice scarfs: one with the Portuguese flag and another with a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo (very fitting).

We finished our trip in Baiona, the town where Christopher Columbus' Pinta voyage returned to Spain from the New World with "goods." This town also gave our group more exposure to Spanish night life. We went out and came across a Cuban bar with a live band where the owners recognized my Hispanic ass and started conversation. They were very welcoming and curious as to why a dominican was roaming the streets of this small Spanish town. Anyway, to sum it up, the rest of the night was incredible but I regretted it the morning after.. Check out the pictures below: