Language
In Galicia, more than 80% of the people speak Galician well, though nearly all of them will also speak Castellano (which is what they call Spanish) and may even chose to use it most of the time. Galician is known as Galego in the local language and Gallego in Castellano. Galego is one of the five Iberian languages into which Latin transmuted itself. The other four are Spanish (Castellano), Catalan, Asturian and Portuguese. In addition, there is, of course, Basque, which bears no relation to any of these or to Latin. It is said that Portuguese developed from Galego, the original language having spread south before it was standardised in Lisbon. Even now, the people of Galicia and north Portugal can understand each other reasonably well.

Interesting facts
• Housing costs are cheaper in Galicia than almost anywhere else in Spain.
• Crime statistics reported in April 2003, showed Galicia as being well down the list, at number 17 out of 19 regions. The worst were Spain’s possessions in northern Africa, followed by the Balearic Islands, the east coast and then Madrid.
• Galicia is slowly losing its population, especially in the interior. Since 1986, there has been a net loss of about 10,000 people a year. This is despite the arrival of ‘immigrants’ and returning emigrants. The main reason is that the death rate is higher than the birth rate, though departure from the land certainly plays a role. - since 1986, the rural population has decreased by 22% and in the last 6 years, land under cultivation has decreased by 35%.

The climate
Generally, the weather in Galicia is good to very good between May and September. There will be plenty of sun and temperatures will be in the 20’s most days. There may well be some rain but this will rarely last for more than a day or two. This is particularly true if you take your holiday in the lower half of Galicia, especially in the Rias Baixas. Overall, because of Galicia's location, it has both a maritime and an Atlantic climate. Galicia gets less rain than the UK but, because it is concentrated in fewer months, it may sometimes seem like more in winter/spring. Once you move in from the coast the land quickly starts to become mountainous. The weather inland is colder and wetter than it is on the coast. There is actually a popular ski resort near Ourense. When the north wind blows in the winter, night-time temperatures can fall to zero even on the coast, though
snow and ice are unknown there. To compensate for this, the days are gloriously sunny. Otherwise, when the wind is from the south-west the winter days are cloudy or wet and the daytime temperatures are around 15 degrees and the nights average around 9 or 10.

Living in Galicia
There are not many foreigners currently living in this part of Spain, although the numbers are beginning to rise. Unfortunately, there are none of the services oriented towards foreign residents that can be found on other popular costas and we found that some of the English residents had an attitude problem; most likely that they fear an invasion of yet more Brits, thus affecting the value of their homes and the quietness they currently enjoy. There is nothing in Galicia like the sort of expatriate communities that exist on the southern and eastern costas and you will struggle to find an estate agent here that speaks more than a few words in English. If you intend on buying a home in Galicia, you will probably find yourself doing much of the work yourself, with little or no help. The house prices being lower than the rest of Spain though may be some form of compensation. Prior to the introduction of the euro, in line with the rest of Spain, much of the black money economy found its way into the property business and house prices rose sharply. They have slowed a little now and are beginning to level out. If you are contemplating living in Galicia, be very wary of articles in travel magazines or on TV which portray Galicia as an undiscovered paradise. It is certainly a great part of the world but it naturally has its drawbacks and you need to be aware of these before you spend your money.

Visiting Galicia
Galicia offers some of the finest hotels in Spain, making it a pleasant place to visit. Galicia is a region of contrasts and as you explore, you will find the area offers very different backdrops. Galicia’s coast is known as the 'Costa de la Muerte' or 'Coast of Death', predominantly because of the number of shipwrecks along the rocky coast. The coast offers tiny fishing villages, unspoilt coves and fine, sandy beaches.

Our comments on visits to Galicia
We visited Galicia in July 2003 and found it to be the most beautiful part of Spain that we have ever seen. The most welcoming sight is the greenness of the valleys and plains. Rivers run wild and fast and offer great opportunities for canoeing and rafting. The architecture in Galicia is also a unique feature and much remains as it was centuries ago.