"Gargoyles & Graffiti"chronicles architectural elements that I find interesting or unique in my travels. Gargoyles are my passion, but today graffiti (which I hate but am learning to love as it is everywhere) is as much a part of architecture as the gargoyles and decorative railings that thrill me.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Combarro: A Room with a View

On the cruise from Barcelona to Dover, we toured a few small towns outside of Vigo, Spain with funny names like Poio (pronounced like chicken in Spanish, pollo) and Combarro.  Combarro is a sleepy fishing village with the most amazing grain storage facilities. It is also famous for witches and a special pomace brandy called orujo. But for me, Combarro felt like a mystical, magical place where anything could come true. Witches rode on broomsticks in the shops and people gathered in the narrow streets speaking in whispers and laughing. 

It is a place where time stands still. I relished the few hours we spent in Combarro.


Combarro, Spain


Grain storage houses called horreos



As I stepped from the minivan, I felt the warm sun on my back and gazed out on a perfect scene with small, colorful boats. Walking slowly through the town, I felt as if I was in a trance. I gazed at the granary houses made of sparkling granite. I snapped a photo of a plastic table and chair set with a perfect view and thought to myself, “a room with a view.” 

My room with a view




I yearned to sit down but didn’t dare as witches in the form of dolls and statues hung everywhere, from every surface in the shops to sprawled out on the sidewalks. I found a stone staircase to nowhere.



Stairway to nowhere

Witches everywhere


If you would like to know more about Combarro, check out:
Combarro Travel Guide

And here is a little more information on the area of Galicia, Spain where Combarro is located.
wikipedia Galica (Spain)



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