The week after I went to Cedeira, I classes resumed to normal, with the kids adjusting ever more to my accent. They're finally beginning to regard me as a professor, and are definitely settling down, which has been great.
Every week, I buy whatever groceries I can at the local covered market. There are actually two markets, one in the street behind my house, and the other closer to downtown. The mercado that is close by tends to close earlier, as it is mostly farmers from the small towns right around here, and people leave to eat lunch at home. The other market (which I will get a photo of eventually) has set stalls, is indoors (very helpful lately with the succession of storms we've been having) and tends to stay open a little later. The stalls are full of fruits and veggies, meats, dairy, baked goods, spices, and a few other random groceries. I already have specific vendors I go to for different things, and last week I bought local organic honey for three euro from an incredibly nice woman who gave me countless samples of delicious fresh cheese. There is a second building that contains all local fish, and I've made friends with one of the women there, who tells me not to worry that I don't know how to cook yet, because when I have to cook for my husband, I'll learn quickly. She's a riot. She also gutted and boned two cod for me, and then ate a tiny piece of the fish raw to show me how delectably fresh it was.
Anyway, here is what I bought last week for about 7 Euro. There was also an avocado, but I forgot to put it out:
Ok, enough with the vegetables, on to my adventures!! That weekend, (some time in early November... the specific dates escape me) my Sheena and I went with one of my colleagues and his wife, Rita, to Ourense, an inland province bordering La Coruña, where Rita was born.
The region was breathtakingly beautiful, and though there was quite a bit of fog on the coast, as the morning hours waned, and we moved more inland, the fog dissipated as well, and we ended up with beautifully clear skies. We stopped first in a village called Allariz, a small Medieval town with narrow stone streets, and a lot of charm. We wandered around taking in the fresh autumn air and the sights, and stopped in a small bar for some tea to warm up. The walls were covered with old black and white photos, and antiques, including a display case of bottle openers of every age and design imaginable. As I found out later, the bar tender is actually the cousin of one my coworkers. Small world.
here are some highlights of Allariz:
We also stopped in to the toy museum, which had everything from three hundred year-old wooden tops to barbies from the states. There was a small room with carved dollhouse furniture from all over the world, which was really interesting.I also learned that the original Fooseball table was invented by a Gallego man. It was obviously quite a different game originally, but it morphed into what we know and love today. Thanks Galicia! This is one of the original games. I unfortunately don't remember when it was invented, nor do I remember the name of the man that the bottom picture is of, the one who reformed the original design into the more contemporary style with armless, soccer playing paddle-foot little men...
After the game museum, we bought some specialty cookies that are typical of Allariz. They were almond macaroons, made only with almonds, sugar, and egg whites. Oh, and there were some dipped in dark chocolate. Absolutely heavenly.
Needless to say, the cookies roused our appetites, and we set off to the Castillo (castle) of Maceda for lunch. (That's right.... we ate lunch in a castle, overlooking the countryside of Ourense. And our amazing hosts treated us. I couldn't believe it.) The countryside in Ourense had beautiful fall foliage, as the region has fewer non-native evergreens, like the eucalyptus and acacia that are everywhere along the coast in La Coruña. Castañas (chestnut trees), Robles (oaks), and sycamores are octóctonos (natives) here. Here are some views from the castle:
Oh, and our delicious lunch (or at least one of the dishes). It was venison stew, hunted that morning. I know, I know, deer. It was my first time, so I figured I would try it, because I trust the quality of the meat, know it's local, and it was in season. The stew was simple, delicious, and hearty. Not too gamey, either. We also had a "revuelto," which is basically an egg scramble dish, with mushrooms, peppers, and nettle greens. It was amazing, but the photo didn't come out.
After lunch, we headed up above the town to see the small village where Rita was born, and went to a viewpoint to overlook the valley. Here are some random old stone things.... (articulate, I know)
After taking in the views, we descended otra vez into the valley, and stopped at a local ceramics shop. I bought a small bowl for "caldo galego," the typical, and VERY delicious stew here made with turnip greens, potatoes, and of course, pork parts. The style with brown and yellow is typical of Ourense ceramics.
We then headed to the region's capital town of Ourense, and walked around at night. Another beautiful stone town, with bridges and water. This one also has hot springs!!! They're scaldingly hot, and wonderful. Here's the town's central cathedral:
...and the overwhelmingly ornate chapel in which there was a funeral taking place:
...A beautiful building in the old part of town:
And a gorgeous old pharmacy:
Last but not least, the most typical tapa here. "Orejas," or pork ears. I tried it enthusiastically, but had to make a concerted effort not to grimace while chewing the simultaneously gelatinous and crunchy combination of pungently pig-flavored ear fat and cartilage.
It was a cultural experience, to say the least, but I think I'll be pretty content if I never delve back into the world of pig ear.
That's all for now, tomorrow I will try to get up the following weekend's activities in Pontevedra!
Ciao!
