Pazo de Oca

Continuing my spring break car adventures, Noé, Chelsea and I went on a little morning adventure to Pazo de Oca and Pico Sacro just outside Santiago. The Pazo (Galician for palace) is about a half hour drive outside Santiago, or maybe less since we had some difficulty finding and staying on the right highway. 

In the past, pazos were something of a noble's house and local government center combined. It was where the local lord lived and from where he ruled over his villages. There are some pazos that are still private residences to this day, but many have opened their doors to the public. Or at least the gardens, as is the case at Pazo de Oca.

These Camelias were all over the gardens

On the way back to Santiago we stopped for a mini-hike at Pico Sacro--the highest point for miles around, as far as I can tell. You can drive almost to the top, where there is a parking lot and a little church. (Sacro means "sacred")

path up the hill

All the little towns carved out of the woods