Sunday, October 21, 2007
Noia in October 2007
We have just returned from Galicia (Noia) after 10 days of constant sun, blue skies and day time temperatures consistently in the mid 70’s. This is of course not typical of Galicia and indeed similar out of season weather engulfed the UK simultaneously.
By contrast, the whole of southern and central Spain suffered significant flooding during this period with billions of euros worth of damage – not to mention the loss of life.
Our latest Galician break was the last we shall take this year with Ryanair now suspending their Liverpool to Santiago de Compostela route over winter. It is being replaced by a mix of winter sun and Skiing based routes, but should continue in Spring next year. There are of course direct routes with Ryanair and Iberia from Heathrow and Stansted, plus connections from a number of other airports.
Excellent performance by Ryanair
I should also add that our initial disappointing experience with Ryanair 3 years ago has never been repeated, and I would go as far as to say that our 3 return flights this year were all nothing short of excellent. Indeed the flights all arrived an average of 30 minutes or more early and the baggage was removed from the plane incredibly quickly. Attendants were friendly and professional and the female ones were sometimes very attractive (no political correctness on this blog).
Noia
Noia was surprisingly busy for the time of year with the sun bringing out locals in the alameda and medieval areas (where there are many bars and cafes). The bay side boardwalk is now a major local attraction and was permanently busy with strollers and joggers – the moronic and inconsiderate cyclists have yet to make this a dangerous area.
Other notable occurrences, or more correctly absences, were the closing of several bars for “after summer” vacations. A lot of bars and restaurants close for 2 to 4 weeks once summer is over.
The BNG (Galician Nationalist Party) are now in power in Noia. I will avoid comments on the merits of this party as I can see both sides of the argument for and against the BNG. However the top BNG person, a tallish, very thin and bearded man seems to work long hours, has reverted the “alameda side” car parking back to “all access” (his predecessor reserved this area for council employees and officials only) and seems to be public spirited in the true sense. It will be interesting to see what else he does and if this continues.
Trip wise we did little travelling although we did visit Muxia, an town famed for a large stone with “healing powers” that appears on a rocky outcrop below a church and next to the crashing waves of the ocean. I will add a couple of pages about this place to galiciaguide.com as it is of clear tourist interest and very beautiful. A definite holiday town. A photo of a beach in Muxia is to the right.
By contrast, the whole of southern and central Spain suffered significant flooding during this period with billions of euros worth of damage – not to mention the loss of life.
Our latest Galician break was the last we shall take this year with Ryanair now suspending their Liverpool to Santiago de Compostela route over winter. It is being replaced by a mix of winter sun and Skiing based routes, but should continue in Spring next year. There are of course direct routes with Ryanair and Iberia from Heathrow and Stansted, plus connections from a number of other airports.
Excellent performance by Ryanair
I should also add that our initial disappointing experience with Ryanair 3 years ago has never been repeated, and I would go as far as to say that our 3 return flights this year were all nothing short of excellent. Indeed the flights all arrived an average of 30 minutes or more early and the baggage was removed from the plane incredibly quickly. Attendants were friendly and professional and the female ones were sometimes very attractive (no political correctness on this blog).
Noia
Noia was surprisingly busy for the time of year with the sun bringing out locals in the alameda and medieval areas (where there are many bars and cafes). The bay side boardwalk is now a major local attraction and was permanently busy with strollers and joggers – the moronic and inconsiderate cyclists have yet to make this a dangerous area.
Other notable occurrences, or more correctly absences, were the closing of several bars for “after summer” vacations. A lot of bars and restaurants close for 2 to 4 weeks once summer is over.
The BNG (Galician Nationalist Party) are now in power in Noia. I will avoid comments on the merits of this party as I can see both sides of the argument for and against the BNG. However the top BNG person, a tallish, very thin and bearded man seems to work long hours, has reverted the “alameda side” car parking back to “all access” (his predecessor reserved this area for council employees and officials only) and seems to be public spirited in the true sense. It will be interesting to see what else he does and if this continues.
Trip wise we did little travelling although we did visit Muxia, an town famed for a large stone with “healing powers” that appears on a rocky outcrop below a church and next to the crashing waves of the ocean. I will add a couple of pages about this place to galiciaguide.com as it is of clear tourist interest and very beautiful. A definite holiday town. A photo of a beach in Muxia is to the right.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
Noia visit immanent
We will be in Noia again in just a few days, but with no adgenda other than to relax and escape all the crap that never seems to stop in the UK.
