The Bees' Knees in O Enredo do Abelleiro

If you're around Arzúa (a town on the Camiño de Santiago), follow the swarm of bees to the nearby Living Honey Museum--also known as O Enredo do Abelleiro. This passion project was started by a beekeeping enthusiast as a hobby. Now that he's 90 years old, his daughters run the place, although he still maintains 200 hives. The museum offer tours with explanations about bees and then an on-your-own walk around the various types of apiaries. We visited in fall which is not the best time. Rather than bees, we mostly saw those wretched Asian hornets. The invasive species is three times larger than honeybees and preys on them constantly. Because they aren't native and have no natural enemies, they are taking over and leaving the bees in a dire situation. But according to our beekeeping tourguide, going in fall wasn't a total loss: that way we could see the situation for ourselves and get angry on behalf of the bees!

The informative tour was the best part. Every time our tour guide the beekeeper said a fact, my jaw dropped again. One kilo of honey requires visits to at least 7,000 flowers! That means an enormous amount of miles flown. Also I never knew that bees stick to one species of flower until they finish. That's why you can buy Chestnut Honey or Oak Honey. I also learned something I had apparently been doing wrong when it comes to honey. I'm not a huge fan of the taste, but it works wonders as a home remedy with hot water and lemon juice. Apparently, though, honey should be consumed tepid rather than hot in order to conserve its qualities. Oops. 

About their living conditions, bees keep their hives around a sweltering 100ºF (37ºC). That's easy enough to achieve in summer, but in winter that means working less and cramming together. And being a bee is hard work. That's why their life span is a mere month and a half!  Each female bee (except the queen) goes through all of the work phases, depending on its age. As a larva, it is fed royal jelly 400 times a day. That's practically non-stop! Later they're on defense and later they are in charge of leaving the hive to bring back the goods. Bees go out in search of pollen, water, resin, and nectar. And you know what they do with those. Make the sweet stuff within their perfectly-engineered hexagonal honeycombs.

Traditional apiary

Another byproduct of bees (and one that I perhaps appreciate even more than honey) is propolis. I only discovered this antibacterial after living in Galicia a few years. Here it is quite commonly used for protecting the throat. In fact, half of the year I spray some daily to ward off against sore throats, the mortal enemy of a private English teacher. Our bee guide shared a fun story about propolis. One day after she was visiting the hives and taking notes, she realized she had lost her pen at some point. The next day while doing the rounds, she discovered it next to the hive, completely ¨propolized¨ (that is, covered in sticky propolis)! The bees had seen a foreign object and had used their propolis to halt any possible infections it may have brought. Really something!

On the way out, we stocked up on honey candies, honey-infused soaps, and some handmade candles. Unfortunately, the gift shop was out of mead because that would have been a treat! I really enjoyed my visit to O Enredo do Abelleiro and think it would be great to go with kids as well. In addition to the tour, they offer candlemaking classes or beekeeper-for-a-day activities. You'll leave with a newfound appreciation of bees if you didn't already have one. 

Autumnal Feasting in Galicia's Downton Abbey

For the past 20 years, the Tourism Bureau of Galicia has sponsored a deal called Outono Gastronómico to promote tourism outside of the summer months. For 165€ for two people, you get lodging in a countryside bed and breakfast, an autumnal meal, and breakfast. It's not much of a deal for most bed and breakfasts whose nightly rate is less than 70€. But you can get the most bang for your buck by checking out the pricier accommodations. And that is how we ended up in Galicia's Downton Abbey. Because if it weren't for the Outono Gastronómico, the 150€ per night would certainly be out of our price range. 

 

Pazo de Brandeso, Galicia's Downton Abbey

  

Pazo de Brandeso was founded in 1620, not far from the town of Arzúa, which is a stop on the Camiño de Santiago.  Around 20 years ago, after its most recent remodeling, it was made into a Bed and Breakfast and Country Club (the title is Country Club in English, although it would seem that they don't fully understand the concept and chose it to sound preppy). 

As we pulled in, after being awed by the grandiose, ivy-covered manor house, our attention was drawn to the fact that they only had a Spanish flag out front, whereas the norm would be both Spanish and Galician flags. Weird. Inside, there wasn't a soul. We rang an old bell like aristocrats sending for servants. It felt wrong, though, disturbing the peace. Once the hotel receptionist got us checked in and gave us our enormous key, she accompanied us up the grand staircase to our room. Wow! I felt like Mary Crawford of Downton Abbey retiring to her chambers to write some correspondence. The door didn't open directly to the room, but a sort of antechamber which in turn led to the ornately decorated bathroom as well as the bedroom. The walls were covered with a deep green, padded wallpaper, increasing the English manor vibes. Aside from the fluffy king-size bed, there was also a hardwood desk, a fireplace (unusable), and a leather couch (shall we call it a settee or davenport in this context?). The bathroom seemed like another set design: red plaid wallpapering and towels embroidered B for Brandeso. 

 

Stately décor in our room

 

After settling in, we opted to explore the grounds. The pazo has several common areas aside from the dining room. On the upper floor a windowed hallway with tons of seats. And a lion skin on the wall! Downstairs is the library, scattered with family pictures, books, and a crocodile skin on the wall! In the adjoining sitting room, at one end a small fire slowly burned in the fireplace. Throughout the room were books, tables, couches, and zebra skins on the ground! Also, encased in the corners: stuffed wood grouse. The amount of dead animals in that place was unsettling to say the least. I guess it goes hand-in-hand with old manors and lords. But at this point, those couldn't be legal. On the walls of another building, skull after skull of some horned African species, all with the name of country and date of hunting. It gave me the heebie-jeebies. 

 

Poor crocodile!

 

 

The hunting theme continued in the dining room with large paintings of game, among other foods. Again, at one end there was a fireplace, this time with a fire roaring. Seeing as in winter we always dine fireside at home, on this occasion we let the city-folk cozy up to it. Our dinner included in the Pazo's Outono Gastronómico was elaborate and very seasonal. There were two options, so we ordered one of each. The main course was duck or cod with mashed potatoes. A simple dessert finished off the meal: a piece of Santiago (almond) cake and a scoop of ice cream or slices of local Arzúa-Ulloa cheese with quince jelly. 

After our meal, we retired to our quarters for the modern comforts of channel surfing and dozing off in a comfy bed like the lord and lady of the house. 

Cousin Fun Froilán!

Despite the fact that fall weather in Galicia can deter most travelers, my cousin really lucked out on her recent two-week visit. She was welcomed with warm weather and sunny days, narrowly missing the rain that is all around in a fall that is finally underway. The only day it did drizzle was the one day we had set aside to experience a quintessential autumn activity here: collecting chestnuts and later roasting them on an open fire. But we braved the scattered raindrops for the sake of Galician fun!

Speaking of Galician fun, her visit coincided with Galicia's best fall festival: San Froilán. Night after night of concerts, rides, and crowds! While the rides were open for three weekends, San Froilán itself began on Saturday and ended on the following Sunday with the traditional Domingo das Mozas.

Friday we went out to eat at a poke bowl restaurant, for the most part avoiding the pre-celebrations. Saturday night we jammed to the good-time Mekanika Rolling Band and then found ourselves at Dakidarria's lively Galician concert (made even better by them posting their lyrics onscreen). We then traipsed through the packed streets until the wee hours. Sunday evening we attended two very different but quality concerts: Xoel López, a Galician singer whose show surprised me for its energy (I had been expecting a boring solo singer, but he had a full band-- all clad in colored suits--including two guys posed like backup singers of yore) and Biznaga, a young punk band that my cousin had just seen in Barcelona before coming to town. After the concerts, we danced a bit around Festicultores Troupe, a roving band that is a mainstay in Galician festivals. I was a bit disappointed though, since they hardly played any fun covers like the used to. Assumedly the songs that night were from their own repertoire.

During the week, the concerts didn't stop, but we didn't meet up as often seeing as, sadly, work goes on. We did catch a little bit of Uxía, a classic Galician folk singer celebrating 40 years on stage. Our grand night out was supposed to be Saturday, so I wasn't planning on heading into town on Friday. But the allure of the orquestas is too strong to resist! I wanted my cousin to experience some good old Galician fun and we couldn't have chosen a better band! Arizona is a non-reggaeton-playing group. Their singers were dressed casually, not the norm of scantily-clad women and suited men. A lot of the songs were in Spanish, so probably not as fun for my cousin. But they also played some international hits like Proud Mary. We had been grooving for 2 hours when we had to call it quits and save ourselves for the following day.

Saturday a group of us went out to eat in the Recatelo neighborhood, a once forgotten area between the Parque de Rosalía (where all the fair rides and attractions are set up) and the Roman Wall, specifically the cathedral where there is a concert stage set up for the festival. Prime real estate! During San Froilán, the typical dish is octopus, but since our guests don't eat seafood, we had a more ¨normal¨ meal. Lunch was slow to appear, even by Spanish standards. The restaurant was evidently overwhelmed by San Froilán reservations. Afterwards, most of the party walked around the fairgrounds while I snuck away to take a nap. In the evening, trying to find something to eat was an uphill battle. Should have known! We ended up grabbing the last racións available at a bar after having scoured for tapas. Shortly after our late dinner, my cousin and I parted ways. She had a big journey ahead!

We were able to squeeze in a goodbye coffee in the main square on Sunday. There we got a glimpse of some traditional dress from different parts of Galicia, in celebration of Domingo das Mozas. And with that, until next time! Or as the most hospitable Galician will say, ata cando queiras. Y'all come back now, ya hear?

Winter Is Coming

Burs and crushed chestnuts litter the road every so often under the towering chestnut trees. Chestnuts also begin to appear at markets.

We've fired up the chimney more than once; to heat up the house and to roast some freshly-gathered chestnuts, too. 

Can you spot the early bloomer?

The pumpkin patches are replete with yellowish-orange-green gourds. (Here the pumpkin patches you may drive by aren't used as family photo ops before Halloween. Their use is much more practical: all of those huge pumpkins will be fed to the pigs in due time.) 

We've put the flannel sheets and thick blankets on the bed as the nighttime temperatures drop. 

The first Camelia flower has blossomed, a winter-blooming tree.

And yet, and yet. The highs are still in the upper 70s (Fahrenheit, 25ºC). In the early afternoon you can get away without long sleeves of any kind. Our garden is still producing vegetables known for their need for sunshine: tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. 

According to the calendar, winter is coming, but so far we haven't had even a taste of it (except for cooler nights). Apparently though, the Galician fall we all know and love is right around the corner. For the next few weeks the forecast is rain, rain, and more rain with temperatures apt for this time of year.

Aside from winter, also coming is a recap of Cousin Fun in San Froilán, so stay tuned!

Architectural Gems on the Betanzos Ría

What to do in a beach town when the weather just does not cooperate? Hop in the car and do some sightseeing! And that's precisely what we did one summer Saturday when ONCE AGAIN it was cloudy and looked like it was going to rain on our beach weekend. It's a risk you take in Galicia. Especially in the upper regions rather than the Rías Baixas.

The Windmill of Boucelo

Relatively ¨young¨ as far as the Old Continent is concerned, this windmill dates to 1840. Apparently there used to be over 100 windmills in Galicia, but now they are few and far between. This one in particular is in decent condition, about 20 feet high an 10 in diameter. Can you believe the walls are about a yard thick?! Holy cow! 

The Church of St. Michael of Breamo

This Romanesque church is all that remains of a Benedictine monastery built nearly a thousand ago. Love me some románica architecture! Nowadays the small church is famous for its romarías. (I really need to thoroughly explain Galician festival vocabulary some day). Twice a year people make the hike up the hill to the church, stopping repeatedly to catch their breath and probably take a swig of something potent. Behind the church are some picnic tables and stone grills used only on these days. 

I (sort of) hope to be able to update this post in the future with two more architectural treasures in the area: the Castle of Andrade and the Pazo of Mariñán. They are definitely on my list, but going to them means that it will have been another dreary day at the beach. 

Galicia on Fire

Last month the local and national news barely talked about anything else. Galicia was on fire, along with neighboring Castilla y León. This summer, the biggest wildfires on record in Galicia engulfed the land. Dozens of forest fires burned rampant, mostly in nearly-vacant southern Ourense.  In August alone 270,000 acres burned in Galicia. And these official estimates provided by the Galician government are perhaps exceedingly optimistic, as Coppernicus (the EU's observation of Earth) calculates a number closer to 341,000 acres. That's half the state of Rhode Island! When you put it that way, it doesn't sound very big seeing as Rhode Island is such a tiny state. But imagine all of that ablaze and destroyed for years to come. Alarming!

Uncontrolled wildfires leave a trail of helplessness and destruction. I can only imagine what it's like to see your house threatened by mile-high flames. In addition to helplessness, rage. The wildfires have many causes, the most unthinkable being thoughtless people who intentionally start them themselves, either pyromaniacs or people who think it's easier to burn the brush than clean it up with machinery. Rural abandonment doesn't help, either. With the countryside ¨emptied out¨ in some places, highly flammable brush plus the thousands of Eucalyptus trees planted far and wide to make a buck make the land a matchbox. Call it an indirect result of Galician policy. There are direct political causes, too. As this is a recurring problem in Galicia, there are protocols to prepare for wildfire season. The Galician government (known as the Xunta) dropped the ball on this one. One example: vacant public positions were left unfilled so that in the middle of the chaos caused by the flames, the Xunta desperately sought to hire 300 forest fire fighters. Too little, too late. 

Luckily the end of August brought a drop in temperatures and that typical Galician rain. The good news is all of the wildfires have been put out. The bad news is, as they are no longer making headlines, soon they will be forgotten. No changes will be made nor blame accepted until next year's wildfire season. Here's hoping I'm wrong on that.