The buildings in the picture on the right illustrate a type of construction that is typical in Galicia. Like in many European cities, the ground floors are mostly businesses, although a few may be parking garages. The upper floors are mostly apartments or offices.

This particular area is called Los Cantones and is located on a main boulevard in a newer section of A Coruña, an old, historic city and the closest city to us. These buildings face the city's inland port, which is separated from the street by a large park and garden (Jardines de Mendez Nuñez).

In some buildings, the galerías still use the old wood-framed windows but most newer - and refurbished - facades use aluminum-framed windows, which withstand the weather better.

These particular windowed facades, or galerías, face southwest and provide the occupants with a lot of sunlight and warmth, as well as a nice view of the harbor. But this type of construction is also typical of inland towns and cities in Galicia, including Betanzos, the town nearest us. (below)

Betanzos (about 7 miles from us) is a historic town that dates back to the Roman days - and maybe before that. There are a lot of small side streets and many, if not most, of the buildings there have galerías. The two photos below were taken from the porch of the church in the main square.