On the rails

 Day Four in Compostela - The Railway Station




I should be a little bit ashamed to have thought Spanish railways would be dowdy, grubby and cramped. Where this image came from I don’t know. It was a glorious October day and having spent a couple of days in the city we were heading for Astorga. Much to the shock of the family, we were going by rail. Yes, it does take longer but what views. The mist slowly gave way. We headed out and slowly rose to higher and higher green plateaus and then crept along the ledge above some river or flooded valley. Rural Spain in the Autumn, all hazed sun and golden colours is a glorious thing.

All this started at Santiago Station. The original black, built in 1943 [to replace the original 1873 affair] has that solid but a bit functional look. That look was updated over time to look more modern but still in the dowdy-functional end of things. This does matter a jot. The pixie dust of the magic of travel is illuminated by the autumnal sun and who cares. The first line went to Carril, a once important port. The line to Pontevedra - where I think we changed trains - came soon after and so he link to Iberia was established.

Reviewers have been busy on our behalf. A little over a month a go Lia Cabral said [in Portuguese] ‘I would say it is a good season. In terms of beauty, it's not surprising at all, but it's practical.’ Daniel Martinez Almedia clearly has non-British standards. He complained ‘The medium-distance train from Vigo to Coruña always arrives 10 minutes late on Sundays, which forces me to have to run with a 20 kilo suitcase throughout the’ station. If you set some schedules, comply and if not, change them.’

The cafe is open from 6.30 to 22.30. Recent reviews are not very impressive - mind you, they perhaps exect more than the average Brit from such establishments. It does seem to have got worse recently.

Tomorrow, we head back into the city.

Today's local photo. Where the railway was. We had a railway for about 60 years. It had a passenger service for half of them.

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