Galicia is a province in the north west of the Iberian Peninsula. As we were traveling the roads in Galicia, I spotted marble structures with little crosses on their roof tops. I knew they could not be tombs as they were right in the middle of the owners’ gardens. (Though that is what they looked like to me). I remember thinking -This is what travel is all about...learning about new and different customs and cultures. When we stopped for lunch, I gently asked what these objects were and what was their purpose. I was told that they were granaries. The Spanish word is horreos. They were built on stilts and the grain was stored in them. The purpose of the granary and its stilts was to keep out moisture and, of course, animals and mice. I thought how clever these people were, so many decades ago, to figure out a unique method to outfox the critters and the damp. You know what they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. These granaries are a perfect example of that saying. In Galicia in recent years, one of the top 5 historical attractions is the granite granaries. As you travel through Galicia, see how many granaries you can locate in the farmer’s gardens. I learned another fascinating historical fact on my trip to Galicia...that the granaries were invented to protect food for the family. I just love to travel and learn.
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Galicia's Granaries
Galicia is a province in the north west of the Iberian Peninsula. As we were traveling the roads in Galicia, I spotted marble structures with little crosses on their roof tops. I knew they could not be tombs as they were right in the middle of the owners’ gardens. (Though that is what they looked like to me). I remember thinking -This is what travel is all about...learning about new and different customs and cultures. When we stopped for lunch, I gently asked what these objects were and what was their purpose. I was told that they were granaries. The Spanish word is horreos. They were built on stilts and the grain was stored in them. The purpose of the granary and its stilts was to keep out moisture and, of course, animals and mice. I thought how clever these people were, so many decades ago, to figure out a unique method to outfox the critters and the damp. You know what they say, “Necessity is the mother of invention”. These granaries are a perfect example of that saying. In Galicia in recent years, one of the top 5 historical attractions is the granite granaries. As you travel through Galicia, see how many granaries you can locate in the farmer’s gardens. I learned another fascinating historical fact on my trip to Galicia...that the granaries were invented to protect food for the family. I just love to travel and learn.
