Away from the coast, the Galician night becomes acoustic. In the Serra do Courel Biosphere Reserve, darkness is so deep that sound becomes vision. The barking of a fox, the hoot of a tawny owl, the rustle of wild boar—these are the coordinates of night. Watching better here means closing your eyes and listening. Galician shepherds still practice vixía nocturna (night watch) during lambing season, a tradition that teaches that to truly see at night, you must first stop trying to see with your eyes.
The keyword is "better," not "well." Galicians don't just watch the night adequately; they watch it better than anyone else. Why? Because Galicia exists in a state of perpetual morriña —a deep, painful longing for home even when you are home. the galician night watching better