A gourmet basket
Did the traditional specialities you tasted in restaurants leave you with a taste of too little? Certainly, some local products will be difficult to bring back in your suitcases, but that doesn't mean you have to skip all the flavors you've discovered. In Castilla y León, renowned for its delicious Iberian charcuterie, you'll be able to fill up on hams, chorizos, morcilla de Burgos and cecina de León. Also worth mentioning are Galicia's renowned embutidos, lacón gallego, a cured ham made from the shoulders or forelegs of the pig; Asturias' chosco de Tineo, a half-cooked, half-raw cold-smoked sausage; and Cantabria's chorizo de Potes, spicy and oak-smoked. As for cheeses, don't forget to bring back Tetilla, the traditional Galician cheese with its suggestive shapes. And don't forget Asturian Cabrales, matured in the caves of Asturias, and Quesucos de Liébana, with its generally lighter taste. And of course, good cheeses require good wines. So don't forget to bring back red or white wines from the rías baixas in Galicia. Or the characterful red wines of Ribera del Duero, which you'll find in Castilla y León. In Asturias, don't forget bottles of cider, for their taste and also for their shape, which is rarer in France. And in Cantabria, liqueur lovers will save room for a bottle of orujo, a brandy made from grape marc. And to spice things up, there's a little corner for chillies... from Padrón, in Galicia. You'll want to introduce them to your friends and family, along with anchovies from Santoña, Cantabria. If you have a sweet tooth, yemas de Santa Teresa, egg yolk-based sweets found in Ávila, will make you succumb to the sweet tooth! In Cantabria, let yourself be tempted by sobao, a soft pastry typical of the Valles Pasiegos comarca.
The lace of Camariñas, a skillful art
Camariñas, a small town on Galicia's Costa de la Muerte, is a mecca for bobbin lace wielded by the palilleras, the lacemakers with their nimble hands. Although the art of lacemaking was already present in Galicia in the 15th century, it reached its apogee a little later, between the 16th and 18th centuries. It is said that Galician warriors who went to Flanders with Count Fernando de Andrade brought back lace models, which seduced Galician women. Linen threads, which were abundant in the region, were used. Today, this tradition has fortunately not been lost, and in the streets of this coastal town you can still hear the harmonious sound of the bolillos de boj, the small boxwood spindles. This is truly technical work, and new, younger adepts are now being trained at the bobbin school. To make this fine lace by hand, craftswomen hold a straw-filled bag on their knees, held at the sides by two sticks, known as analmoada. A pattern is attached to the bag, on which pins are pricked with linen or cotton thread, from the end of which hang the spindles. These bolillos are then swung from left to right to execute the pattern. From the simplest creations, such as handkerchiefs, to pretty blouses and table ornaments, you'll find what you're looking for in Camariñas' specialist stores. However, you can also find lace in the boutiques or markets of Santiago de Compostela, for example.
Ceramics, a Galician speciality
Just 10 km from A Coruña, the town of Oleiros plays an important role in the northern part of the province. Oleiros is the capital of the ceramics industry, producing the famous round, light-yellow "olas", as well as a whole range of kitchenware. In fact, the town's name derives from this activity, as oleiro means "pottery" in the local dialect. You can buy them directly from the producers or admire them at the Museum dedicated to them in Oleiros. Sargadelos porcelain is another Galician institution whose origins date back to 1806, with the creation of an earthenware factory in Cervo, in the province of Lugo. Decorating coffee pots, candleholders and plates, the motifs - often brush drawings - are particularly minimalist. They'll suit any home. The brand also offers some very attractive jewelry and original key-rings. In Malpica, the parish of Buño is one of the main traditional pottery centers in northwest Spain, where the art has been passed down from generation to generation. You can visit the various workshops and pick up some original pieces. Asturias is also renowned for its black ceramics, which can be found in Gijón, Cudillero and Llamas del Mouro, among other towns.
Other notable objects
In addition to the local specialties of lace and pottery, you'll find other unique handicrafts worth mentioning along the way. First of all, jet jewelry and amulets, typical of Galician and Asturian craftsmanship. This gem, known as azabache, is in fact fossilized charcoal, mined in Asturias, then worked and polished in the workshops of Santiago. In the holy city or in Oviedo, you'll see some very fine examples in jewellers' showcases. In the Taramundi region of Asturias, you'll find a craft center where you can appreciate the work of all kinds of artisans, including weavers, metalworkers and cutlers. It's a great opportunity to find beautiful, quality objects. In the same vein, let's also mention the Portillo craft center in Castilla y León, known for its pottery, among other things. In the Saja-Besaya valley in Cantabria, and also in the villages of the Picos de Europa National Park, many craftsmen still work with wood (chestnut, hazelnut and beech) in the traditional way. These include beautifully decorated wooden clogs(abarcas), milk containers (jermosos) and bowls (cocinas).
