My (Mis)Adventures in Galicia, the Scotland of Spain

When a friend had told me that northern Spain is “basically like Scotland”, I didn’t think he meant it so literally.

The region is known for its verdant landscapes, rocky shores, and unpredictable rainy weather, which you may not usually associate with Spain. But it also happens to have deep Celtic roots, and people even play the bagpipes.

Now I find myself in a local dive in A Coruña, a city in the northwestern tip of Spain, where the bartender has just commenced an old Celtic incantation.

As all the patrons stand quietly huddled around a large bowl, the bartender-turned-druid pours in aguardente from a large bulbous glass and then sets the spirit alight – all the while reciting spells imbuing the drink with powers to cleanse the soul and keep evil spirits away.

What I’m witnessing is the ritual of the Conxuro da Queimada which, more than just a party trick, seems to be a true Galician tradition.

For the duration of the 20-minute ritual, the bartender perfectly…