Flat Earthers (Lugo's Terra Chá)

To round off a perfect summer weekend, on Sunday we decided to spice things up and explore the waters of A Terra Chá-- a region in Lugo which literally means ¨flat Earth.¨ A Terra Chá includes nine municipalities, flat and fertile thanks to its many rivers and streams. And all of those grassy pastures mean a lot of cows. This region is one of the biggest producers of milk in the European Union.

View from the observation deck

Because the day started off cool and covered in clouds, we first checked out A Lagoa de Cospeito. This little lake is a nature preserve home to all sorts of wildlife. The trail surrounding it is about 2 miles, to give you an idea of its size. It used to be even bigger, but in the last century it was slowly conquered to make more of that aforementioned fertile farmland. On the trail around the lake we identified honeysuckle, birch, European alder, chestnuts, oak, and what I swear were olive trees (I am currently working on my plant-identification skills that I learned as a Girl Scout but have since forgotten.)! Along the way there were also few cabins on stilts to observe the lake and birdwatch. We didn't see any of the park's resident mammals or birds, but I did hear an unidentified bird we don't typically hear closer to the city.

Dam and non-existent ¨waterfall¨
in the background

Our next stop was Caneiro do Piago. For those of you keeping track at home, it technically isn't in A Terra Chá, since Outeiro de Rei is part of Lugo's capital region, but close enough. Caneiro basically means dam and piago means pool (It's also the name of the nearby village. Funny how toponymy works). Attached to the dam is an old  hydro-electric plant which still works. In summertime the waterfall produced by the dam was a trickle compared to what it must be in winter. But more exciting than the dam and virtually non-existent waterfall were the rock formations carved out by the river. We hopped along the riverside boulders until we found the perfect place for a picnic. By the time we had taken a quick post-lunch sesta, the sun had come out! We didn't go swimming like other people, but I did stick my legs in. We could see trout as well as some tiny fish that will nibble dead skin off your feet. Just like at the spa! I definitely hope to return here to cool off on another hot summer day. Can't resist those amazing rock formations!

Lastly we went to another swimming hole, this time in Guitiriz. Sete Muiños is the name of the recreational area of this village because it has several abandoned mills. They made the river into a pool by putting cement borders and ladders to get in and out easily. It gets progressively deeper: on one end you can wade, and on the opposite end you have to tread water. The nice thing about river swimming is that there is usually plenty of shade on both sides. We got their later in the afternoon, at which point less than half of the river was in the sun. I went for a dip in a sunny section and then dried off in the shade. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of this peaceful river pool.

After living in Lugo for four years, discovering these great ¨flat earth¨ spots reminded me that there is still a lot to be seen nearby. I've started making a detailed list of places in Galicia to visit. With Coronavirus still looming, travelling by plane just isn't in the cards. The plus side: it's the perfect excuse for everyone to finally explore places close to home!