Parador - Baiona, Spain

Photo Credit @parador.es

Want to visit a castle that dates back to the 12th century? And the first place in Europe to receive the news of the discovery of America in 1493?

Look no further than the Parador in Baiona. Spain has converted many old castles into luxury hotels, spas, and restaurants. The parador in Baiona is one of many throughout Spain, but it is the only one with ties to Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. For more information about the history click here. For more photos and videos click here. 

Dayna's Recommendation: There is a 2-3 kilometer walking path that goes around the outside of the castle wall, with beautiful views of the ocean. Or you can go inside the grounds and have a meal or an afternoon coffee in the restaurant. The meal or coffee will be expensive, but it is definitely not something you can do in the U.S., and the views must be breathtaking. Sadly, we haven't done it yet, but it is on our list! 

Fun fact: Julio and I walked around the castle at three o'clock in the morning after one of our first nights out. We got stuck in the rain, and our first kiss happened under the roof of the security area just inside the gate. It was magical...

Faro Silleiro

Photo credit @ http://vueltaibericafaros.blogspot.com.es

Faro Silleiro is the lighthouse right next to the hotel where we are getting married and it has spectacular views of the coastline. We are planning on taking pictures there during our "trash the dress" photo session with our photographers after the wedding. 

It has a 3,000 watt lamp that can be seen for 40 miles. Parts of it date back to 1862 and it was originally lit with vegetable oil! The majority of the structure standing today is from 1924. 

Definitely worth the drive up the hill to see the views if you have a car, or have a taxi take you up on the way to the wedding!

Photo Credit @ http://www.farosdegalicia.es/faro-de-cabo-silleiro-baiona/

Photo Credit @ http://www.turismo.gal/

The lighthouse is even more beautiful at night. 

Photo credit Diego Charlon Flickr - https://www.flickr.com/photos/diegocharlon/

Above it there are some old remains of artillery batteries, canons and a military headquarters. During the day its neat to explore the old graffiti covered buildings and take advantage of the gorgeous views. 

Photo Credit @ https://www.flickr.com/ph

Café con leche

photo credit @ www.thespruce.com Lauren Aloise/ Spanish Sabores

Listen to our conversation about this word here:

The literal translation for this is "coffee with milk" but that definition doesn't really do it justice. It is similar to what Americans would call a latte, but it's got a little bit different flavor, and like all things European much smaller in size, typically 6 oz - 10 oz. It is my favorite coffee here in Spain and it's typical for breakfast, mid-morning, and in the afternoon. Prices usually range from 1 euro to 1.50 

Pro - tips: 

I usually ask for a "café con leche grande" to get the biggest I can! 

Unless you specify it will come with whole milk, to get it with skim it's "cafe con leche desnatada". 

The world of ordering coffee in Spain is quite varied with lots of options, for more coffee types and ordering info, check out this blogpost by Trevor Huxham, another American who did the same teaching program. He also has lots of great information about Galicia worth checking out. 

Our Lady of the Rock - Baiona

Our Lady of the Rock is a monument located on the outskirts of Baiona, the best thing about it is the view from the little boat in her hand. It might not seem like it from the picture but it is big enough to fit two people and you can climb to the boat via a circular staircase inside. 

There is a 3 euro fee to climb up but it is definitely worth it for the spectacular views of Baiona and the Cies islands. Below are some pictures from my trip there with Julio back in May of 2015. It was one of our first "dates" when we were getting to know each other, how time flies...

Views of Baiona from the little boat

Julio and I in the little boat

Dayna in the little boat, it was windy!

R.S.V.P.

Coming Soon...

Wedding Menu

Scallops - Hotel Talaso Atlántico

Food, food and more food. If you thought Americans know how to eat, you might be surprised that I think Spaniards eat more than Americans! Spanish weddings, at least in Galicia, are long and all about the food, typically a full service five course meal that lasts anywhere from 2 to 3 hours. Ours will be...

Appetizer/Cocktail Hour
Location: Ocean View Terrace (weather permitting)
5 cold appetizers and 5 hot (including octopus and grilled scallops)           
Beer, wine, and soft drinks 

Dinner
Location: Banquet Salon 

- Cold Seafood Course (crab, prawns, mussels)

- Scallops (baked)

- Sorbet

- Steak 

- Dessert

The north of Spain has some of the best seafood in the whole country. They know it, their proud of it, and they like to show it off. In fact, most Galician people judge a wedding by the quality and abundance of the seafood. Galicia is also very famous for its octopus. We will have both at our wedding. Some of the seafood isn't the easiest to eat, so be prepared to dig in with yours hands and get a little dirty!

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Do I need a passport to travel to Spain?
• Yes, you do! If you don't have your passport already, get on it, because it can take up to 6 weeks to process. For more information click here.

• Do I need a visa to travel to Spain?
• No, you don't. The U.S. has a 90 day travel agreement with the European Union. For more information about entry into Spain and the European Union, click here. 

• Should I rent a car?
• It is up to you, but driving in Spain is nothing like driving in the United States. The roads are much narrower, they are not well marked (most street signs are on buildings), free street parking is difficult to find, or you end up paying for parking in a parking garage. 
• My two cents: If you are adventurous, prepared to pay a premium for an automatic car or know how to drive a stick shift and are good with maps, GPS, and parallel parking, go for it, if not I don't recommend it. There is plenty to see and do in Baiona that doesn't require a car and taxis are readily available.

• Do I need an international driver's license?
• It depends on the car rental company, some require an IDL, some don't. You can get one at AAA. 

• Is there public transportation?
•  There are fantastic transportation systems in Spain both private and public. ALSA is the most common private bus for all of Spain and Europe, as well as a public bus ATSA, which travels in our area, and the train . These options should allow you to travel nearly anywhere you want in Spain. 

• Do people speak English?
• It depends, in airports and major metropolitan areas like Madrid, Barcelona, and touristy areas like Santiago de Compostela and Baiona you should have no trouble finding people who speak English, not necessarily well, but enough to communicate. However, if you go off the beaten path to small pueblos the likelihood that people will speak English decreases dramatically.

• Can I visit Portugal?
• Yes, absolutely! Portugal is very close, less than an hour by car, and the borders are 100% open. If you rent a car, or take the train, there is no border check, making travel to Portugal very easy. Julio and I do it at least once a month if not more! Portugal generally has a good English level, higher than Spain, because their economy depends largely on tourism. Another benefit, is that it tends to be a bit cheaper than Spain because the average salaries there are lower.

• When are the Spanish meal times?
• The Spanish daily schedule is a bit different than the U.S. 
• Breakfast: 9:00 - 11:00 am
• Lunch (the biggest meal of the day) 2:00pm - 4:00pm.    FYI: Most stores and shops will close during this time.
• Snack: 6:30pm - 7:30pm (a coffee or a small sandwich)
• Dinner: 9:00pm - 11:00pm (lighter than lunch)