The province of Ourense is mostly a mystery to me (except for a bunch of its rural carnival celebrations, plus visits to
Ourense city,
Allariz, and
Ribadavia). It's the one Galician province I've never lived in, although I think I would like Ourense city. So then why did I go back to Ourense city rather than exploring one of its nearly 100 towns? Because it was worth it!
Ourense was also our choice to be able to enjoy a train ride, something we hadn't done in ages. The city's bustling train station boasts great connections to most of Galicia's other cities as well as an AVE (high speed railway) to Madrid. This fact led me to constantly wonder if the gaggles of passersby were on a weekend getaway from Spain's capital.
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Pretty Praza Maior, on a slant
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When in Ourense, do as the Romans would do: hit the hot springs. Free and pay-to-enter hot springs line the Miño River on the outskirts of the city. As I had been before, I knew that we'd have to wait in order to get into the Japanese-themed private hot springs. What I didn't know was that apparently I was out of my mind to try to go on a Saturday evening in winter. Two and a half hour wait! We could have taken the AVE to Madrid in that time! The place has a large outdoor cafeteria to pass the time. Needless to say, it was packed. We decided to take our chances on the public hot springs we had passed after crossing the river. And actually, that was all for the better! While the private hot springs have more amenities and offer two choices of circuits (each including small pools of varying temperatures for contrast), there was no wait at the public pool and the water was just as hot. We got there right in the nick of time, an hour before closing. Amazing to be outside in bathing suits in the middle of January, but the water was hot enough to keep you warm and relaxed. It was actually steaming, it was so hot!
Going to the public baths instead was also a plus because that way we didn't end up completely worn out afterwards. Since there were only two pools, we got back to the hotel by 8. So here we come, Ourense nightlife! That was something I hadn't gotten to do on other visits. The atmosphere in the old town was great! Tons of people out and about, filling the myriad of bars. We also really lucked out in terms of the bars we chose. One was dedicated to all things pig: pork loin, snout, ears, you name it! They also had dozens of pitchers and bowls hanging for wine, something very
enxebre (authentic). At another place, the waiter came around with creative tapas constantly. We had noticed and that's why we went in. Turns out, they do it Donostia-style: you save the toothpick from what you eat, and pay for it at the end. There is no such thing as a free tapa in this city.
Speaking of food, the other highlight of this whirlwind tour was our first ever Michelin-star experience. At modern Nova, we were seated in the ¨hallway¨ to the entrance, so it was more secluded than the full dining room. I had to wonder if they had noticed an uptick in plebeian customers like myself thanks to the show The Bear. We opted for the 8-course tasting menu which included 2 appetizers, 2 first courses, 1 fish, 1 meat, and 2 desserts. Normally with these kind of fancy restaurant tasting menus, you leave hungry. But that was not the case here. I think my favorites were the very flavorful miso soup or the slow-cooked egg with cream of pumpkin. All in all, it was a different experience apt for a special occasion.
Despite taking advantage of our 24 hours in Ourense, we still didn't get to everything (Cathedral, Japanese-style hot springs). Guess that means that I'll be back again.
