Xacobe Pato, writer: «Area Maior, in Muros, is one of my favourite beaches, and one of the most spectacular in Galicia»

His dream is to wake up to see the sea every day. Following the success of his diaries, “Seré feliz mañana” (Espasa), which were conceived on Instagram —where he has almost 23,000 followers—, writer Xacobe Pato (Ourense, 1987) decides to take a breather from a busy day of studying. Aside from preparing for his impending entrance examinations, he is writing a new book, which he says lies somewhere between a novel and a diary, inspired by the works of Alejandro Zambra. Although he will spend the coming summer cooped up in the library of the Cidade da Cultura in Santiago and will only be able to enjoy the odd weekend getaway, this literary millennial is happy to share with us his favourite beaches, towns, bars for sitting outside with a cool drink, restaurants and festivals in Galicia... those places that fill him with happiness.

—Are you writing?

—I don’t have a lot of spare time, what with my upcoming entrance exams, but I’ve put the novel I was writing on hold and started something else that I’m looking forward to much more. It sort of interposes chapters of the novel and diaries about my life. I’ve thought hard about the structure and what I plan to say. It’s inspired by a book I read a few months ago by Alejandro Zambra, called “Formas de volver a casa”, which I really enjoyed. That’s what convinced me to switch project. It’s set in Santiago, which just happens to be where I live. I’ve spoken to a publisher, though I can’t tell you which one yet because nothing has been signed.

— What are your plans for the summer?

—I’m going to have a library-bound summer. I’m studying to sit an entrance exam for a position at the Cidade da Cultura, which would be a really nice, quiet place to work. I’ll still try to get away for a weekend or two.

—What are your favourite beaches?

—I really like Barrañán beach, in Arteixo, because I used to go there when I was a boy; and Combouzas beach, which is next to it and happens to be nudist. I also love the one in Area Maior, in Muros. At the end of the beach you can see the Monte Louro outcropping and it’s definitely one of my favourite beaches, and one of the most spectacular in Galicia. There are no buildings... the landscape is completely unspoilt. I also love the beach at Carnota nearby, which is huge. And in Cee, you have beach at Gures, which is a bit of a pain to get down to and is usually quite empty. It’s very quiet and my favourite one.

— A favourite bar to sit outside with a drink and enjoy the view, even if not of the sea?

—When I was a child I used to spend the summer in Santa Cruz, in Oleiros. We would sit outside El Preludio, a traditional restaurant where we would have a pincho de tortilla tapa. It overlooks the harbour and the castle of Santa Cruz and on the horizon you can make out A Coruña. It’s a great place. When in Santiago, I really like to sit outside Daca, which is a place to eat hamburgers and sandwiches, but it's really cool because it’s right in front of Parque de Belvís park and the terrace is pretty big. If you wake up with a hangover on a Saturday or Sunday morning, it’s a great place to head out to for something refreshing to drink. I also like to sit outside Costa Vella, in Santiago, because it has a really nice little garden. In the old town of A Coruña, it’s pretty cool sitting outside at Árnica because there’s always a good atmosphere. It’s one of my favourites.

—A place that does great lunches?

—In Caldebarcos, in Carnota, there’s a place called Fontevella that I really like because it overlooks the beach and serves amazing fish and rice dishes. In Santiago I love A Maceta, which is on Rúa de San Pedro street and is my favourite place to eat there. They serve traditional food with innovative ideas and have a garden terrace. I also really like Anaco, which is only open from Monday to Friday and is right next to the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Santiago. They do experimental cuisine there and have a lot of wines; I always let them help me choose. In A Coruña, I go to La Escondita to eat sea bass, which is fabulous.

—Your favourite dish?

—The huevos encapotados egg dish that my mother makes and my maternal grandmother before her. They make them for me whenever I have lunch with them. I think they’re a bit fed up with them to be honest, but I never get bored. In fact, I’m now starting to see them in restaurants. The eggs are mixed with béchamel sauce and deep fried in batter. It’s my favourite food. Very simple, but very delicious. 

—An unforgettable bolthole for a summer holiday?

—When I was a boy I spent a whole month of my summer holidays in Trasmiras, in Ourense, with my paternal grandmother, and then another whole month in Santa Cruz, in Oleiros, with my maternal grandmother. It was like the two different sides of summer: one inland, where you’d head to the outdoor swimming pool with everyone else from the village, and the other on the coast, with my sister and cousins. They are two places where I really like to spend the summer. In recent years, I've been heading to Louro because it’s surrounded by beaches, Muros is nearby and it has a great atmosphere, though perhaps not as much as in other parts in Galicia.

—A romantic spot?

—The Lariño lighthouse is pretty romantic. You can watch the sunset there so it’s great to take someone special.

— Somewhere inspiring to disconnect and write?

—I would go to the village of Trasmiras to write because it’s nice and quiet, with not too many people around to distract you. You can head out for a walk and at the end of the day go to a bar to get some inspiration from the conversations going on around you. That’s where I’d go.

—Somewhere you’d take your non-Galician friends?

—To San Vicente do Mar, in O Grove, to see a concert at the Náutico, and to the Area das Pipas beach, which has a really nice beach bar that does great food. I have friends who spend their summer holidays there and they always throw us a party once the concerts are over. Whenever my friends come to visit from outside Galicia, I like to spend at least a few days there. It’s a bit more peppy than other things you could do.

—Where would you like to retire?

—A coastal town somewhere along the Muros and Noia estuary... somewhere not too busy but with people, because while I’m that sociable, I do like to be around people and head out to bars. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere too isolated. I would retire in Muros. I’d like to be able to see the sea every day, which is something I can’t do now that I live in Santiago. That would be the ultimate luxury for me... something to aspire to.

— Your favourite popular festival?

—There are quite a few: the Carrilanas de Esteiro, where in recent years they’ve also been holding festivals; the Fiestas del Carmen in Muros, which are really buzzing, with concerts in the street and everyone getting very involved; and also the Carnivals in Xinzo and Verín.

—Have you done the Camino de Santiago?

—It’s a bit weird doing the Camino if you live in Santiago, but joking aside I’d like to do it at some point. Ten years ago I did the route from Santiago to Fisterra, with a friend of mine from Zaragoza. It was amazing, a really cool experience, especially the last stage. Finally reaching Fisterra was incredible. It also happened to coincide with their local festivities and we had a lot of fun getting together with other people on the pilgrimage, with some Hungarian guy, and with some Catalans.... I have very fond memories of that experience.

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