Galicia

whether Galicia is in its zone or not

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When on Monday, October 20, Pedro Sánchez advertisement that “the Government of Spain will propose to the EU to end the seasonal time change”, he did not suspect that he was about to reopen a much more arcane and unmanageable debate: that of Galicia and its time zone. And the Galicians are good when the subject is brought up to them. A historical claim. Internet is full of examples of this proverbial Galician anger. As they say, until 1940, Galicia (and, by extension, peninsular Spain) was in the zone of the United Kingdom and Portugal. It was a “temporary” measure that became permanent. And the consequences are more noticeable in Galicia because due to its geographical position it has very late sunrises in winter and extremely late sunsets in summer. “A scientific aberration.” In what we have been doing for centuries, the Galician Nationalist Bloc has promoted again and again the proposal of place Galicia in the same zone as Portugal. What’s more, in 2016, all the Galician parties asked that Spain returned to Greenwich zone. Without much success, really. And, despite the fact that it has been defended and studied a lot, the national response It’s been a permanent no. Because? Let’s go in parts, because this has a nutshell: during the Second World War, practically all of the countries of Western Europe changed time zone. In some cases, it was because of the invasion of Nazi Germany, yes; In others, it was a (more or less) voluntary decision by the different countries. Be that as it may, one after the other, they all switched to Berlin time. However, that is not what is striking. After all, in war situations, exceptional measures are taken. What is really striking is that, after the War, none of those countries returned to their previous zone. Not just Franco’s Spain, no: everyone. And the explanation, although it may not seem like it, is much more solid than it seems. But let’s talk about time zones… When in 1912 is celebrated the ‘Conférence internationale de l’heure radiotélégraphique’ and the 24 time zone system was approved, the lecturers turned to a very specific (and very useful) astronomical phenomenon: the fact that noon is stable throughout the year. That is, noon occurs almost every exact twenty-four hours and, therefore, establishing the time of each place in the world (adopting the time zone) turned out to be something really simple and revolutionary. Satisfied, they returned to their countries aware that they were making history. The whys were very clear… Although the First World War meant that the international time convention was not ratified by its members until 1919, everyone seemed convinced. After Versaillesthe different countries began to progressively unify their schedules. It didn’t really affect us. Spain was on the Greenwich meridian since January 1, 1901, like most European countries, under the Meridian conference of 1884. But there were many countries that did have to make important changes. After all, having a different schedule for each city (as was the case until then) made everything much more complex than necessary. “Normalizing” and “standardizing” the time was a key element for the desired ‘boom’ in rail transport, airships and incipient aviation: coordination costs were beginning to be unaffordable. Martin Olalla Martin Olalla …but people had other ideas. Despite rationalist optimism, the greatest experts knew that none of this was a magic solution. In 1844, the “father of spindles” Sandford Fleming had already said that, “The adoption of correct principles of time reckoning will not change or seriously alter the habits to which they are accustomed. They will not lose anything of value. The Sun will rise and set and regulate all social usages. (…) People will get up and go to bed, start and stop working, have breakfast or dinner at the same current time intervals, and our social habits and customs will not change.” And, indeed, people continued doing their thing. The problem is that this “his” consisted of something strange: suddenly, we began to realize that societies did not establish their schedules around noon, but around dawn. The most curious thing that almost all the countries in Europe discovered when changing to the Berlin time zone is that, in reality, what they were doing was adapting the civil time to the one that citizens actually had. That’s why no one went back to the old spindle: because it works better. Martin Olalla How does it work better? The best way to summarize it is with a phrase: “in winter, when it is daytime in Ourense, in Madrid, or in Barcelona; it is not daytime in London.” In fact, it is even daytime in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This does not depend on the time zone, it depends on the fact that the sun illuminates the spherical surface of the Earth. Does it work better for all of Spain? During autumn and winter, yes. Without any doubt. In spring and summer, things are not so clear. During these seasons, the sun hits much less obliquely and this means that the sunset fits much better with the time zones. The result is that the imbalance that we carry causes nightfall in Galicia much later than would be “normal” or desirable. This is a real problem, of course. But since the central issue is the variability with which the sun affects these areas, it is also not clear that introducing an extra time zone for Galicia (in the portuguese way) or for the Balearic Islands (as has also been claimed) will solve all the problems. I would trade one problem for another — let’s remember that Portugal has been one of the countries least open to eliminating the time change. But in addition, it would generate many coordination problems and very few comparative advantages. Image | MrMingsz (Wikimedia Commons) In Xataka | The war that ended at two different times: the time change has been giving Spaniards headaches for almost a century

In the nineteenth century, Spain made the strange decision to build its ways in Iberian width. Now they will be a gift for Renfe in Galicia

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Renfe can breathe calm. The company has a huge business in the Galician corridor. The volume of travelers Between Madrid and Galicia he has shot to the point that airlines are retreating. Time savings since high speed arrives is such that many are choosing to pass to the train due to pure comfort or time flexibility. The Galician corridor is part of the next package of liberalization of the roads, next to the trains with destination Asturias, Cantabria, Cádiz and Huelva. It will not be, at least, until 2028 when the competition is palpable on the tracks because Adif is not complying with the deadlines planned. But Madrid-Galicia has another peculiarity. It is very likely that in 2028 we will see competition on their ways. To find the reason we have to travel to the nineteenth century. The particular Spanish railroad Each new technology arrives with a good rosary of standards of all kinds. It has happened with electric cars and passed with electricity itself. Also with measurement standards or, as in this case, train tracks. The railroad had started in the early nineteenth century. Although the steam machine was already born in the 18th century, it was not until 1804 when Richard Trevithick built A prototype in which the concept applied to transport. The steam locomotive was born. That one of those huge irons with wheels will pull a kind of drawers and could move the goods faster than they had done seemed like a great idea. So great that it soon caught and in 1830 the first train line was opened with passengers. They were the famous 50 kilometers that separated Liverpool from Manchester whose first trip headed George Stephensonwho was the ideologist of the construction of those first route. Those first trains circulated through some roads of 1,422 millimeters, 4 feet and 8 inches. Shortly after, those same ways widen half inch until reaching the famous 1,435 mm. Then they did not know but they had just adopted the “international width”, which is mounted in most trains in the world. Those measures also served to establish Two categories: narrow path (below those 1,435 mm) and wide via (above). The good results of the first trains made the railroad make the leap to continental Europe and the United States. But, like everything in this life, there were those who thought the system could be improved and that it was worth trying. That person was Isambard Kingdom Brunelan excellent British engineer who would create the Great Railroad of the West, joining London with the southwest, western England and much of Wales. Brunel thought that the higher the width of roads, faster speed could reach a train because the greater the stability achieved. Thus, it extended the track width up to 2,140 mm. Then a war of standards began that ended up resolving the Commission of Railroad Widths in favor of Stenphenson and its width of 1,435 mm. It was 1845. In Spain, at that time, we were engaged in the same fight. Railroad yes, but … how? That doubt was the one that set fire in the middle of the 19th century. Observing the good results that were being achieved outside our borders, the Government began to receive requests for the granting of licenses that allowed them to exploit the roads. Aware that it was necessary to harmonize the matter, they consulted a commission of engineers led by Juan Subercase, number one in the Corps of Engineers, acting president of the Advisory Board and director of the School of Engineers since 1837. He was helped Calixto Santa Cruz, number one of his promotion of 1839, and José Subercase, who in addition to his son was also the number one in his promotion the following year, 1840. Together they drafted the report 17.10.1844, on the Madrid Railroad to Cádiz, which recommended to reject a concession to build a railroad from Madrid to Cádiz. This concession was requested by the French engineer Juqueau Galbrun, which was certainly ironic over the years. Explains J. Moreno Fernández in a document in which the whole story of that controversial decision tells that none of the mentioned engineers had left the country and known firsthand how the railroads were abroad. That, perhaps, was one of the reasons why it was omitted that France had opted for international road width. And it is that Subercase was a firm defender of a width of six feet Castilians. The 1,672 millimeters that would end up receiving the name of “Iberian Width”. The defense is that a higher track width forced to use more powerful locomotives. In those days they thought they could increase vaporization with a wider boiler and that this was essential to, in a mountainous country like Spain, to have sufficient power to move the train. They also defended that a higher track width allowed a more stable step per curve but the truth is that time showed that neither one thing nor the other were key. The international width has been versed enough to be used in mountainous areas and the largest boilers in the trains had the problem of increasing the weight so the gain was diluted. In the government they thought that Subarcase motivations They were correct and they didn’t care that in the neighboring country they bet on a narrower track width. To import, they did not care that our other neighbor, Portugal, also promoted their railroads with the international width. In 1844, it was finally decided that the Spanish measure of the six Spanish feet was the one that should be protagonist for its orographic peculiarities. However, that did not condition the government that gave the approval to two routes built on that international width that was quickly imposing. Portugal pressed to have a railway exit to France that Spain ignored. And that created an urban legend that remains until today First in a line between Barcelona and Mataró, projected from the beginning with that exceptional width for the Spaniards … Read more

For years summer is synonymous with gastronomic parties. In Galicia, hoteliers believe they are unfair competition

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If you travel to Galicia in summer it is likely that in addition to beaches, seafood and tourists In search of the best cove in which to plant your umbrella, find something else: Gastronomic parties. There are tens. To hundreds. From entrance spring to Autumn well advanced It is possible to meet throughout of the region quotes dedicated to percebe, Carneiro Ao spongrazors, Albariño or hamburgers, between a long long etc. They are so many and so many people move in Ribadeo (In the province of Lugo) local hoteliers and merchants They have said enough. The reason: where others see a mass celebration they have detected something else, one “unfair competition”. In a place in Galicia … Ribadeo is a small town of the Eastern Mariña (Lugo Province) of somewhat less than 10,000 inhabitants. However, in summer thousands of tourists attracted for their heritage, landscape, gastronomy, environment and especially their great jewel: The beach of the cathedralsone of the great natural monument of the Peninsular North. The INE calculates that only between June and August were housed in the hotels of the municipality 28,200 travelersthousands of potential clients for shops, coffee shops and restaurants in the town. Local trade … and something else. The fact is that in Ribadeo (as in many other villas in Spain) there are not only stores and bars. Throughout the year and especially in summer, fairs, markets, gastronomic parties are held … events organized in the most central streets and squares and that capture the interest of neighbors and visitors. The large dating calendar serves for the people to be more attractive, but the local merchant association (Acisa Ribadeo) He just lifes his voice to alert that not everything is positive. In his opinion also represents a “unfair competition” For businesses that work throughout the year, not only in summer. “Without Control” celebrations. The matter is serious enough for the organization to have been treated as a great point of the day in a Extraordinary Assembly held this week. Has even dedicated A reportunanimously ratified and in which he exposes why (in his opinion) the celebration “without control” of this kind of quotes undermines its profitability. “It includes the arguments for which Acis emphasize. “Acisa is not against the celebration of these markets and events, what we reject is that they be held without control, on the poorly appropriate dates and with excessive durations,” claims The Association Manager, Jesús Pérez. “In recent months, events with little planning have been held, without transparency with respect to the promoters or the purposes to which the benefits are dedicated, becoming scheduled every little time and in the middle of high season. This implies direct and unfair competition for local trade and hospitality and a deterioration of the ribadeo image.” Why’s that? Acisa complaint That kind of specific quotes “take advantage of the work that takes place throughout the year” to boost the people and capture visits. And they also do so by taking advantage of the high season and “the best locations” of the town in exchange for “minimum or null taxes for the benefits they get.” “The rates that pay for occupying public roads are in many cases symbolic, ridiculous or non -existent,” Crows. In summary, merchants and hoteliers feel that the fairs stand up during the high season while they are responsible for serving, paying rent and taxes and generating employment in the town throughout the year. “In addition they do not always comply with the basic regulations, such as the issuance of purchase tickets, nor are they subject to health, labor or fiscal controls. They do not generate employment in the municipality and use municipal services such as works, hooks of light or cleanliness, which we pay all ribadenses,” Pérez argueswho also clarifies that these celebrations “do not contribute anything new” to customers. “The products and services they offer can be found in local businesses with higher quality.” The debate, served. That in general (not only in ribadeo) the markets, festivals and gastronomic parties They attract people It is difficult to discuss. The key to Acisa is when and how they are celebrated. And especially the impact they have on small businesses entrenched in the town. Hence they speak of a “direct unfair competition” for entrepreneurs who do assume fixed expenses, taxes and “normative obligations” that, denounce, “are not always assumed by the organizers” of that kind of appointments. “They seek to place themselves in the moments of greater tourist influx in ribadeo, taking advantage of the previous effort and investment made by the sector to attract visitors to the town,” insists The collective. Moreover, in its report it warns that “in many cases” specific events “lack clear planning” and transparency, which can compromise “the tourist image” of Ribadeo. “Prioritize improvised and very poor quality activities compared to the value of trade and local hospitality.” What do they suggest then? In Your report Acisa demands “order, regulate and compatible” these events with the “legitimate interests” of the merchants and hoteliers of the town. They even speak directly of limiting authorizations to “protect the local economic fabric”, restricting permits for those appointments that enter direct competition with local businesses or extend for too many days or repeatedly in the same year. Aware that fairs, festivals and markets help to boost the town, even suggests rethink the calendar of the celebrations. What in practice translates into organizing them “preferably” outside the high season or dates in which the flow of customers, such as Holy Week, summer or Christmas months, “when local trade and hospitality already make an extraordinary effort to meet the demand.” “We don’t need them”. “Ribadeo does not need this type of event in high season. We consider that they can be held promptly in low season following the premises collected by the report prepared by Acisa,” its president concludesCarmen Cruzado. The group leaves out the bag, yes, the events of a solidarity and non -profit nature and those with a limited duration, a … Read more

Altri’s megaplant has caused a huge social response in Galicia. And now the government has given him the lunge

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In April 2022, the Portuguese company Altri chose Palas de Rei in Lugo to install a large plant initially destined for textile fibers (Lyocell). It was presented as “The most important project” From the Galician candidacy for the Next Generation funds and received early political support. However, according to They met The procedures and the real scope, collective and critical means began to refer to the initiative as a large cellulose panel, with much broader impacts than the “biophabic” label suggested. Three years later, the star plan runs out of plug: the central government leaves it out of electrical planning until 2030, and the project enters the risk zone. The decision that changes everything: without substation, there is no projectThis week, the Ministry for Ecological Transition He has left out of its 2025-2030 planning both the substation and the access to the network that Altri claimed for its plant. According to El Paísthe Executive has prioritized “more viable” investments, with greater socioeconomic return and lower environmental impact, and avoids loading consumers with projects associated with projects With financial uncertainty. Greenfiber – the promoting society participated by ALTRI and Greenalia— maintains that it is of a “purely political” resolution and announces resources; The PP of Galicia speaks of “punishment” to the Lucense industry, while neighborhood and environmental platforms celebrate the pass, without lowering their guard. He No of the central government. The Secretary of State for Energy claims that the substation and connection requested would only serve this project, whose execution is not yet guaranteed its financing, including request of 250 million euros in public aid (decarbonization belong). “We cannot assume a network investment that could be idle,” Sources from the Ministry transfer. For its part, According to El ConfidencialAltri warns: “Without connection there is no investment”, but progress that will exhaust “all resource mechanisms.” The position of the Xunta. The Galician government argues that the project meets and that the favorable day (published in the DOG) support your environmental viability under conditions and surveillance program, waiting for other authorizations. The Xunta insists that the factory It would be “energetically neutral” and that its electrical exclusion “takes Lugo from the industrial map.” Therefore, as they detail in the confidentialhas translated into a political confrontation has resulted in hard crosses between Alfonso Rueda and the leader of the PSdeG, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, who advanced the government’s decision. The project from within. Different groups of neighborhood platforms such as Ulloa Viva, Brotherhoods of Marshamers of the Ría de Arousa and NGOs such as Adega and Greenpeace alert three key impacts: Water: Collection of 46 million liters daily of the Ulla and discharge of about 30 million liters/day – part at 27 ° C— in a river already tensioning for episodes of eutrophication, with potential condition to the Ría de Aruous. Raw material: estimated annual consumption of wood between 1.2 million m³ and even 2.4 million tons of eucalyptus. The divergence of figures underlines the controversy over eucalypticization and its effects on biodiversity and fire. Emissions and air: 75 -meter chimney and compound emissions acid rain precursorswith corrective measures subject to regulations. The Water War reaches courts. While the electrical board clears, the judicial one is turned on. Adega and the Da Ría de Arousa (PDRA) platform, together with the CIG, have filed contentious-administrative resources to declare the water grant file, having exceeded the legal deadline of 18 months without resolution, According to the jump. To the offensive They have added seven brotherhoods of the Ulla-Arousa and the entire sector of the Galician mussel. The Xunta replicates that the complexity of the procedure justifies the delay and that there is no damage to third parties, an interpretation that the plaintiffs reject to generate “legal insecurity.” And now what? Electrical exclusion opens a period of allegations and probable more intense prosecution of the file. Although the favorable day of the Xunta keeps the administrative channel, the “Electricity Class” and Water Concession alive places the project at its most fragile time. “Without water and without connection,” the detractors agree, “there is no macrocellulose.” Galicia returns to live a pulse between industrial promise and territory protection. Between an investment that the Xunta considers a tractor and a social license that, for now, does not arrive. The Palas de Rei plant, a symbol of that conflict, remains in the air: aside, the lack of network and the judicial front; On the other, the political effort to keep it afloat. The outcome is no longer settled only in offices: also on the banks of the Ulla and in the Ría de Arousa – and in court. Image | Greenpeace Xataka | Renfe is delighted to have competition in Madrid-Galicia. Especially since he knows that he will not have competition

United Kingdom will be just the first client. Spain raises a colossus in Galicia to build war ships like churros

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While Spain does not count With f-35 fighterssoon he will do it with what will be a source of pride for the nation: The Bonifaz frigatefirst of the F110 class, whose launch took place in the navantia shipyards in Ferrol. In fact, Navantia has received a commission that will place her in the world showcase as a reference construction: United Kingdom has asked her to do her Your next frigate. In the background: a plan to become the elite of the sector. A naval milestone from Spain. Navantia is carrying out in Ferrol the largest investment of the last hundred years in a shipyard in Spain: the creation of the Digital Block Factory (FDB) conceived to place military naval construction in the world technological avant -garde. With a budget of 110 million eurosan area of ​​45,000 square meters, 500 meters in length and 90 wide, the plant will double the productive capacity of the Galician shipyard and mark the final step towards the model of shipyard 4.0where automation, artificial intelligence and robotization will be protagonists. The day. Its inauguration is scheduled for the First quarter of 2026after a construction process that began in March 2024 and has included the creation of a digital twin to monitor in real time the progress of the works, control cost deviations and anticipate failures. Unpublished productive capacity. The new factory will allow Navantia to manufacture in Only one year the blocks equivalent to a air holder such as Juan Carlos Itwo F-18 frigatesfour European corvettes EPCfour maritime action ships (BAM) or up to two combat supply ships (BAC), in addition to logistical support ships such as the FSS that already produces For the Royal Navy. In practical terms, the plant may generate simultaneously The blocks of two frigates, with a production cadence of one section every ten days (about 26 per year), which will reduce construction deadlines by 20-25%. In the case of the F-110, about 85% From the structure of each unit it will be manufactured in the FDB, while the singular blocks (such as the dome of the sonar or the multimission mast) will continue to be built in the traditional workshops. This scheme will simultaneously add the commitments to the Spanish Navy and the eventual Export contractsa strategic aspiration in the current context of International Rearme, where the armed demands to have their ships in the shortest possible time. Automation, AI and Robotics. The factory has been designed under an optimized workflow scheme, divided into three major areas: steels, prearmament and flip. In the first they will be installed Robotized welding lines Equipped with hybrid laser technology, guaranteeing higher structural dimensional precision and robustness. In the prearmament phase, the subblocks will be transferred autonomously by vehicles not manned with IoT sensors, and robots will be integrated for welding, manipulation and palletization that will work collaboratively with the operators. Finally, in the voltage zone, the blocks will be assembled with subcomponents previously manufactured in an automated assembly system that combines speed, flexibility and reliability. The whole process will be supported by a system of Complete digital traceability: Each piece will generate information associated with its digital twin, which will automatically readjust the following phases and detect real -time deviations using smart cameras connected to 3D models. The Innovation and Robotics Center. Navantia digital transformation is not limited to the plant itself. He Innovation and Robotics Center (CIR), directly linked to the factory, acts as technological nucleus where the latest innovations in automation, automatic inspection, advanced welding and dimensional control are tested and validated. The CIR not only develops solutions applicable to immediate production, but also works as Training and Transfer Space of knowledge, ensuring that advances are quickly integrated into productive processes. The ecosystem, reinforced With collaborations With the University of La Coruña and with specialized consultants, it guarantees, a priori, that the Ferrolano shipyard remains on the border of naval innovation. Labor impact. From the company it has been ensured that, despite the high level of automation, the factory will not involve a template reduction. On the contrary, it will maintain a volume of Between 270 and 400 workers In turn, including both direct employees of Navantia and personnel from auxiliary companies. In each turn they will operate Between 300 and 325 peopleconfirming that robotization is raised as a tool for support to human capital and not as a substitute. The combination of specialized manual labor and intelligent systems ensures that flexibility is maintained to meet specific demands of each naval program. Reference at the military plane. Once finished, the FERROL FDB It will not have equivalent in the world of military construction. The only comparable reference is the Alemán Meyer Werft Shipyarddedicated to luxury cruises and has been gradually applying automated systems for fifteen years. Navantia, however, will be the first company to move this industrial logic War shipswhich, according to the company, will allow you to offer a competitive, sustainable and higher quality product in a sector where the speed of delivery is practically a strategic requirement. In addition, the possibility of producing blocks to Other international shipyardsexpanding his role as a key actor in the global naval supply chain. New era in the estuary. If you want also, with this bet, Navantia aims to turn Ferrol into a World Reference Pole For military naval construction, combining tradition and modernity in a project that represents a before and after in Spanish industrial history. As Rafael Morgade underlinedresponsible for the digital transformation of the company, it is an authentic “new era” in which the Galician shipyard will go from a disorderly growth accumulated in a century to a concentrated, efficient and technologically advanced model. In a marked geopolitical context For the rearmethis megafactoría not only reinforces the capacities of the Spanish Navy, but also positions Navantia as a industrial partner in the elite of the international defense market. Image | Navy In Xataka | The United Kingdom wants to remain one of the great powers. So he will not … Read more

that Castilla y León and León and Galicia pay him

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In the middle of August, with the return or start of the holidays for many, Renfe encountered an unexpected problem, the icing on a summer of delays and cancellations: the fires. Although these caused delays throughout Spain, the Zamoran and Galician fires They brought together the greatest delays to the company. In fact, For more than a week Renfe met the obligation to Cancel or delay trains that cover the link between Madrid and Galicia. The company has many hopes in this corridor since it is the only company that, for technical reasonscan operate in it and also has achieved a spectacular increase In the number of travelers. During those days of August Renfe ordered buses in the first hours But then he chose to change the dates of the tickets or offer a completely free cancellation. At the same time, The airlines took the opportunity to raise prices of the tickets thanks to the traveler transfer. Now, Renfe is studying to denounce Castilla y León and Galicia for the economic damage suffered. The first complaint “Renfe is studying for the first time a claim of patrimonial responsibility against Castilla y León and Galicia. Because it is not a receipt that Renfe and Adif had to lose three million euros during those nine days. There are some administrations that have to dimension a prevention and fire extinction service and have not done so and the consequences are paid by Renfe, and on top service” The words are from Oscar Puente, Minister of Transportation, in an intervention in the Congress of Deputies where he has had to give the face of the Popular Party for “The Railway Chaos” this summer. The statement has been collected by Europa Press. Bridge confirms that Renfe and Adif (The company that manages the roads) understands that, having had proper prevention, the service could have been provided normally. According to Puente, delays cannot be attrmed to either of the two companies because the infrastructure did not suffer any damage. However, it was necessary to cut electricity because emergency services understood that there was a risk if they sprayed the nearby areas with water. In his speech, Puente also assured that it was impossible to establish a bus service because each train transfers 500 people and that would mean mobilizing 10 bus buses. It is the same answer as The company already gave Xataka A month ago. However, the threat of a complaint to the Galician and Castellanoleonese institutions coincides with the confirmation that, with the latest changes in claims for delays, Up to two million passengers They have run out of compensation for arrivals that until a few months ago would have been compensated with the return of the ticket, totally or partially. Photo | Ume and Phil Richards In Xataka | If something has taught us summer is that Spain does not need more trains. Simply need to work

During centuries Galicia was a thriving land of olive groves with unique varieties in the world. What changed it is still a mystery

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If you think of Galicia, in their landscapes, probably the first thing that comes to mind is your sinuous coastline, your beaches and cliffsserpentant channels such as the Sil River as it passes through the Ribeira Sacra, castrosleafy Atlantic forests, grasslands with cattle … The list is extensive (and diverse), but probably the olive groves are not included, a stamp that usually associates more to the peninsular south. It was not always the case. There are indications that Galicia had an interesting relationship with the cultivation of the olive trees that can go back to the times of Gallaecia. When that link declined and what were the causes of the sunset and that the olive tree does not prosper are issues that still generate debate among experts. Olivos in Galicia? Yes. And its relationship comes from afar, it is rich and has inspired researchers who have identified in Galician lands A wide catalog of unique native olive varieties in the world. The indications are suggestive, although I recognized years ago The historian Lourenzo Fernández during a days held in Pontevedra and focused precisely on the olive trees, shadows are still in that bond. “There is no specific historical, nor bibliographic research that will address the presence of Olivos in Galicia,” explained. Looking at the Roman Gallaecia. The link between Galicia and the olive tree can be traced at least Roman Gallaecia. In the middle of the last century, during an excavation in an area of ​​Vigo that is called precisely Oliveira, archaeologists discovered a Roman deposit which included bricks, bases, a mortar, mills, amphorae … and an oil press, among other vestiges. “It is thought that it could be a villa or factoring by the oleic press found, the only example appeared in Galicia. The possible relationship between the obtaining of oil and the olive tree in Vigo was also pointed out, in ancient times, with the activity that would give name to the place,” Explain The Quiñones de León Museum, where the remains rest, although those responsible recognize that the scarcity of remains of oil and amphorae lamps in the environment can be interpreted as a “lack of consumption.” Leaving its mark. Vigo’s is not the only proof of the interesting historical link between Olivo and Galicia. There are ethnographic studies that show that in the region there are dozens and tens of place names related to olive trees, olive groves, oil and similar references. Years ago at least 70 were counted. The CSIC has also identified about twenty varieties of native olive trees, unique in the world, and there is a record of specimens standing from the 18th century, the oldest in the community that are still alive, according to a analysis done years ago. A “very present” crop in Galicia. The presence of olive trees in Galicia put it in value since The industry itself to the organisms public. “The olive culture was very present in Galicia since the time of the Romans. The primitive settlers ate olives, although they did not know the methods of extraction of the oil. The Romans are those that introduce the knowledge of these methods that are transmitted by the territory. Galicia became one of the conquered territories of which the most oil went out to Rome in the second and second centuries.” They detail From Ribeira Sacra tourism. In the community it is not strange either find References of traditional oil mills in which the fruit was used. “In Galicia there were olive plantations, in some cases, of large dimensions, that if we follow some sources they would have been possible thanks to the introduction of this crop in our land by the Romans,” historian Felipe Aira explained in January An article of The voice of Galicia that he remembers how the Jews and Judeoconvers used the ‘liquid gold’ in their kitchens and at least part of the olive trees were preserved in the properties of the church, even after their decline in Galicia, for their value for the elaboration of the liturgical oils. And the great unknown arises. All The chronicles that tell the link between the Olivos and Galicia end up reaching the same question: what explains that their cultivation ends up losing weight? Why Galicia It ceased to be an olive grove? Or even simpler … Why didn’t they remain expanding until they occupy a relevant weight in the Galician fields? As Lourenzo remembered in 2018, shadows are still and a long way to explore “about the presence of Olivos in Galicia. His story is splashed with legends and inaccuracies, he said recently A chronicle Fiftymil, but is usually pointed to a complex sum of political, economic, demographic reasons and the reality of agricultural farms. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Of the Catholic Monarchs to Count Duke of Olivares. When the history of olive tree is explained in Galicia there are two names that are usually repeated: the first, the Catholic Monarchs; The second, Count Duke of Olivares. An extended theory ensures that the former, Fernando II of Aragon and Isabel I of Castilla, adopted a series of decisions about taxes and reorganization that punished the Galician plantations and favored that olive trees be started in the region. But … why? There are those who say that the purpose was to favor the repopulation and crops of the newly reconquered lands of the Peninsular South. Others argue that in their decision, more political factors would have weighed and that when the Galician olive trees sought to penalize the territory and their aristocracy. The “Doma and castration from Galicia, “said the intellectual of the twentieth century, Alfonso Daniel Rodríguez Castelao about the policies of the Catholic Monarchs. The context is key and was marked by the defeat of Juana la Beltraneja, and therefore of the nobility that supported her in her cause, and the Irmandiños rebellion that developed in Galicia. The shadow of olive groves. The theory is even more extended that if there … Read more

In Galicia the orcs are hitting sailboats. And there is an unexpected reason why they are there: the octopus

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In Galicia, at least in part of the Galicia Litoral, summers begin to be marked by something more than the escapes to the beach, the pilgrims, the arrival of Fodechinchos tourists and (unfortunately) forest fires. On its coasts They usually sneak spontaneous ones that attract more and more looks, both for their spectacular and ‘encounters’ that occasionally leave with the small boats that navigate near the estuaries: the orcs. The summer of 2025 is not an exception. And for now he has already left some discovery amazing. What happened? That in recent days the Galician coast has had peculiar protagonists: orcs. It is nothing new. A few years ago We talked to you Already of their incursions in part of the coast of Spain and Portugal and how sometimes they leave the occasional scare when they run into sailboats or small boats. That does not mean that your presence continues to generate expectation, both among the media (even The Times has echoed of sightings) as among the authorities. In fact they have already forced to mobilize Maritime rescue and the Civil Guard. Where did they see? The Atlantic Orca Working Group (GTOA) includes a tool on-line which allows to follow the latest interactions between ships and orcs. His map shows sightings in the surroundings of the Gulf of Cádiz, the Portuguese coast, part of the Cantabrian and especially on the Galician coast. On Saturday Maritime Rescue confirmed the existence of three different groups in the Galician Atlantic Strip and The regional press has confirmed the presence of specimens in The Baixas Ríasalthough Gtoa has also registered interactions further north. Why is it news? For several reasons. The main one, its ‘encounters’ with sailboats. On Saturday maritime rescue already asked the navigators of the region that extreme surveillance on the Galician Atlantic coast and warned that a sailboat had to be towed to the port and another escorted precisely by the presence of orcs. The Pontevedra Civil Account too He spoke A week ago in X of incidents In Costa da Vela, north of the Cíes Islands, with several sailboats involved, and how one of them ended with damage to the helm shovel. Europa Press assures that as a precaution a regatta and maritime rescue was suspended in charge of these days of remember To the navigators a series of basic guidelines in case of these animals, such as not approaching the bands of the boat or navigating to the coast in search of shallow waters. The normal thing is that the incidents (when there are) do not go beyond blows wave loss of the helm, although there are cases of sailboats that They have ended up anxiety. But … why do they act like this? The phenomenon It is not exclusive of Galicia and has given rise to multiple theories that explain the behavior of these cetaceans. Some point to food scarcity, the possibility that ORCAS consider vessels as competition or even an unexpected effect of pandemic and the break of nautical activities, resumed in recent years. Last year a working group of the International Whaling Commission He raised An explanation Much simpler … and curious: the orcas that ram ships are mostly specimens Young and boring They do it as a game, a fun that would not seek to cause intentional damage to the sailboats or the crews that are on board. “It is more playful than intentional,” summarize Alex Cerbino, from the CBI. If true could be a “temporary” behavior, as already Others have been seen. What exactly do Galicia? That is the other surprise they have left this summer in Galicia. Experts have long known that these animals move chasing the Atlantic red tuna, their favorite delicacy. In fact, the search for food is what explains summer migrations from the Strait of Gibraltar to the north, which in autumn look for deep waters and already in winter return to the narrow area, where they remain until spring, Remember Gtoawhich clarifies in any case that migrations of the Iberian orcs can be “diffuse” and it is not strange that they do not travel in block. Now experts have found out more than helps to understand the incursions of these cetaceans in the Galician estuaries. A recent investigation of the Institute for the Study of Mulas Vigo lighthouse either The voice of Galicia He has concluded that the Iberian Orcs arrive in Rías such as Aruouso in search of something more than atlantic red tuna. They also do it to capture other of their stars dishes, cephalopods. What are you looking for? The same as many Galicians and tourists in summer: in addition to squid, the great food of the gray calderones, the orcs look for a good ration of octopus. “They love it!” assures to Lighthouse Bruno Díaz López, director of the BDRI and Doctor of Ecology. “Thanks to the sightings made in recent years and during the weekend in the Ría de Aruous we have resolved a recurring enigma: the orcs penetrate the estuaries to feed on octopus.” Experts have appreciated “series of long and repeated vertical dives, direction changes, controlled promotions and brief ventilation pauses” that, in their opinion, correspond to the hunting methods used by the cephalopod predators. BDRI experts have even seen Orcas pull nasas for octopuses. In case there were doubts, they have also managed to “visually document specimens emerging with octopus in the mouth.” “This finding explains the repeated entrance of Orcas in the Ría de Arousa in the last three years,” they claim. Is it important? Yes. Although the orcs go behind the tuna, the finding gives us new information about their incursions in Galicia. “Beyond their main prey in the open sea, the orcs take advantage of coastal trophic opportunities linked to octopus in specific periods,” concludes The director of the BDRI, who remembers that the phenomenon does not fit only with the most recent observations, but also with the documentary records. “It agrees with historical testimonies of Aguiño … Read more

We have asked Renfe what alternatives we have to the cancellations of the AVE in Galicia. There are good and bad news

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For sixth consecutive day, the high -speed circulation of the Galician corridor remains suspended. The service between Madrid and the Galician cities is provided only partially and in extraordinary frequencies. We have spoken with Renfe and consumer associations to know what their alternatives are. Sixth day without bird. Renfe cannot provide the high speed service of the Galician corridor as a whole. So The company itself confirmed it on its social networks but On its website Information about the latest news related to the railway situation between Madrid and Galicia is not found. No, at least, with a first glance. It is the result of the serious fires that are ravaging Zamora, León and Ourense, which They do not allow for sure to the high speed line. Given the impossibility of guaranteeing an improvement in them and, therefore, an opening of the line, Renfe confirmed almost at 11:00 am that all trains of today Tuesday, August 19, were suspended. Click on the image to go to the original tweet To (or from) Zamora. The solution that Renfe is giving is that passengers who prefer can travel from Madrid to Zamora or start their trip to the capital in the latter city, if it moves in the opposite direction. It is a patch that also requires adapting to Special schedules because the usual frequencies or schedules are not being fulfilled. Arriving in Galicia from Zamora or arriving in Zamora from the Galician community has already been in charge of the client. The latter is the one who has to look for life to take the train or reach its original destination. Something that, from Facua, they point out, should not happen. Buses? Jordi Castilla, Facua spokesman, explains that Renfe has the obligation to allow the change of ticket or its cancellation for free. Something that is already doing. However, it specifies that the company has to “relocate the person in an alternative environment without any cost.” From Xataka We have asked Renfe about this possibility and if they are valuing to include it in the next few days but we have not obtained an answer. Nor have those who In social networks they are asking Link Galicia with Zamora by bus since the main roads remains open. From Facua they emphasize that if the suspend and Renfe service does not offer this possibility, the client has the right to use a public transport means (such as a bus) and claim the money from the company. Not so a private transport, so the airplanes would be discarded. Cancellation expenses could also be claimed, such as a hotel night. What if I want to travel to or from Zamora? In Xataka We have contacted Renfe’s customer service. From Facua they point out that if we have a ticket with departure in Madrid to a Galician city and cover the journey to Zamora (or we start it in this city to Madrid) we have the right to receive part of the previously paid ticket. The same has been confirmed to us from the customer service of the railway company but, unlike the change of tickets or its cancellation, it cannot be done by telephone. In this case, you have to perform a online claim by filling out the form which is facilitated on the web or attending the office of the origin or destination station. Little in advance. Until now, Renfe has preferred to hurry until the last moment the cancellation of the trains. To the point that the confirmation that no train would circulate today in the high -speed line has not reached almost noon. That is causing many users to ask the company through social networks like Twitter what will happen to their tickets. The answer is repeated in that case: the client will be informed by social networks, mail and SMS. The telephone service and the website are being referred to change or cancel the tickets but in X only reference is being made to the confirmed cancellations and not to the trains that, it is not confirmed, if they will circulate in the next few days. What if I travel the weekend? In Xataka We have asked Renfe’s customer service if possible change or cancel a ticket for next Friday. They have confirmed that yes, there would be no problem even without the company having not yet confirmed the cancellation. From Facua they explain that in this, and in any other case, there is no minimum anticipation time with which Renfe or any other company must operate. “It remains in the good or bad faith of the company because if you know that it will be impossible to travel, you should inform you as soon as possible so you can look for alternatives and not have to adapt at the last minute.” Despite this, we can confirm that by telephone, these returns are being admitted even though there are still no confirmed cancellations beyond today, August 19. Photo | Ume and Nelso Silva In Xataka | Renfe has a new and gigantic project in progress: a night train to connect Europe from this to west

With the bird between Galicia and Madrid cut by the fires, someone has taken advantage of it to earn money: the airlines

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Spain burns. And Zamora, León and Ourense are taking the worst part. The number of spotlights and their virulence is such that it has forced to cut the circulation of high speed between Zamora and Galicia. Some roads are cut. Renfe does not offer a solution. And, in the background, the airlines win. Cut. Rail traffic between Zamora and Galicia is cut. Renfe has confirmed today that trains will not circulate again in what remains during the day and there is not a single glimpse of hope that The situation can be reversed in the short term. In the Last DGT updatethere are six lonely cut roads and two in Zamora. None of them correspond to the great highways such as A-6, A-66 or A-52 that structure the northwest of the country. Despite this, Renfe does not offer a bus alternative to those who cover Madrid-Zamora or Zamora-Madrid by train, only open section in the high-speed Galician corridor. What can the traveler do? Those who had a high speed ticket in the Galician corridor have three options. The first is evident, do only the section between Madrid and Zamora and then take a bus or a car to Galicia. The second is to perform the entire road tour. The fastest road is obviously the plane. Prohibitive prices. But those who are obliged to travel will find exorbitant prices to cover the distance that Madrid separates from Galicia. Especially if the traveler travels from Galician lands to Madrid. In that case, if you are in a hurry, you will have to assume the expense of more than 300 euros per ticket. Using the Skyscanner search engine, which offers all available flights and allows you to filter for price, schedule and time spent, we have sought what options are available in the short term, simulating the situation in which those who have to travel irremediably and have already hired a train will be found, trying to endure until the last moment. The results are as follows. Options with direct flight between Vigo and Madrid for Tuesday, August 19 Vigo-Madrid. Travel the August 19 between Vigo and Madrid It already costs at least 350 euros. At the moment, there are 14 alternatives available but only two of them offer a direct flight. In the week, the options relax their prices but it is still necessary to spend 237 euros if we want to travel on August 20 and between 130 and 114 euros if we want to fly between Wednesday and Friday. The cheapest ticket between Santiago de Compostela and Madrid is to make a 18 -hour scale in Seville Santiago de Compostela-Madrid. Perspectives are not much better Between Santiago de Compostela and Madrid. Making the trip tomorrow costs 331 euros. On Wednesday the price of the cheapest ticket is 299 euros and Wednesday is 231 euros. On Friday they fall below the border of 200 euros but only momentarily. The weekend is firing again above 200 euros. There is another cheaper option but, obviously, totally advisable. The cheapest flight between Santiago de Compostela and Madrid costs 249 euros and a scale of more than 15 hours in Seville. Same situation for Wednesday (with almost 22 -hour scale in Malaga) or for Thursday (this time with a stop in Barcelona). Cheaper options to fly between A Coruña and Madrid tomorrow, August 19 A Coruña-Madrid. On direct flights, The cheapest flying alternative Between Galicia and Madrid he is in A Coruña. Leaving from this airport, the ticket for tomorrow, August 19 costs 272 euros late at night. If we wanted to leave early in the morning, the border of the 300 euros is exceeded. Of course, unlike the previous cases, the rest of the week can be traveling for less than 150 euros. Almost an oasis watching the rest of Galician alternatives. Among the Madrid-Galicia flights, Vigo is the most expensive journey And from Madrid? The options from the capital are not so bleeding for the traveler’s pocket. Facing tomorrow, August 19, the tickets between Madrid and A Coruña They are below 100 euros and the rest of the week in half of this price. Similar situation will be those who travel To Santiago de Compostela. Vigo, again, is the most expensive option. In this case, the cheapest price from one day to another is 142 euros. If you want to travel in the morning, you have to pay more than 200 euros. Of course, prices the rest of the week move between 50 and 40 euros. Although there are no clear data that confirms it, everything indicates that prices from Madrid are not so high because the march of travelers from the capital is motivated by a holiday getaway that can be postponed and, nevertheless, the flow between Galicia and Madrid may be motivated by a return to the office, which entails less flexible plans. Not only Renfe. The pressure on short -term flights and the fall in later days shows that travelers are waiting until the last moment to confirm an alternative to the reserves of their trains but is also motivated by an offer that has been reduced. The voice of Galicia He pointed out a few weeks ago that Iberia had reduced her daily offer in the Galician corridor in 80 seats. To this movement we must add the Partial output of Ryanair This same year of Galician airports, offering 61% less trips in Vigo and 28% less in Santiago de Compostela. This reduction in the offer and the most expensive prices have led to a reduction in the number of passengers. In A Coruña, the number of passengers flewing at the Galician airport until last July was 0.3% higher than 2024, According to AENA data. However, the figure fell 6.5% in Vigo and 12.4% in Santiago de Compostela. Photo | Ume In Xataka | The megaindios of Ourense, Zamora and León have paralyzed the Galician bird. It is the nth setback in a horrible year for Renfe

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