Category: Galicia
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The blonde cows of Galicia
Readers of my blog may know that I am a frequent visitor to the Province of Galicia, in NW Spain. There are many reasons to visit this attractive region, tucked away on the shoulder of the Iberian peninsula: the beautiful countryside, the empty beaches, the cold waters of the Atlantic!, the cuisine, the rustic architecture,…
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Just a tree, but also a work of art!
A came across this amazing tree earlier this year in Galicia, Spain. It was partially prostrate, but still growing. The beautiful, plate-like bark was adorned with mosses and lichens, which gave it a strangely artistic effect, almost like an abstract painting! It is, I think, the stone pine (Pinus pinea L.). What struck me most…
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Airport frogs
If you find yourself passing through La Coruña airport in northern Spain any-time, make sure you have a look at the frogs. This small airport is located in the suburbs of La Coruña – also called A Coruña in Spaanish – and is one of a number of gateways into the province of Galicia. A far cry…
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Selecting from Nature’s patterns
We humans can create ‘works of art’ in many ways. We might collect shells and drift wood and use them to make representational works like Picasso did so skilfully. Or we could grind up natural elements like soil or minerals and apply them to a canvas. Or we could rely on Nature to produce a…
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Galician ponies: an ancient breed adapted to life on the hills
Galician ponies are a hardy breed of short-bodied, semi-feral horses which live on the mountains of Galicia, in NW Spain. They are said to be derived from a mixture of Celtic horses, Roman horses and horses brought to Spain by ancient Germanic tribes (the Swabians), and subsequently cross-bred with other breeds. They are however, superbly adapted to…
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Bath time for linnets!
I came across a small flock of Common Linnets (Carduelis cannabina) having a bath in a small stream flowing onto the beach at Fornos, near the town of Cariño, in Galicia, Spain (1). Linnets (Pardillo in Spanish) are quite common in Spain, and flocks can be seen throughout the year along both sides of the…
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Pick up a polariser!
Polarising filters are easy to screw onto a lens, and if used with care, add a whole new dimension to your photography. In particular they darken blue skies and alter the tone and translucency of water as well. I fitted a 77mm polarising filter onto the front of my two favourite Nikon lenses (17-55mm f2.8…
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Happy New Year! Am I a goat or a horse?
It is now the year of the goat. Or is it the year of the sheep? Or the ram?! According to one site on Chinese Astrology (1) “goat people are elegant, charming, artistic, gifted and fond of nature”! Well I certainly identify with that! So I looked it up and it turns out I was…
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