Costa da Morte Rocks

I don't just mean it's cool. (It is.) The Costa da Morte also has many stones to consider. While some people prefer spending vacation at the beach, I can't travel without checking out some culture/architecture: churches, old buildings, museums, etc. This has been termed by some people as sightseeing ¨the rocks.¨ So before we part once again for the Costa da Morte next week (this time to the southernmost section), it's time to finish what I started. It has come to my attention while scrapbooking that I definitely only covered half of our long weekend to Galicia's 'deadly' coast last year. And I left out my favorite kinds of sights! Rocks! So here goes another highlight reel...

Under the Mallorcan Sun

My first big trip (re: plane ride) post-COVID was to the Mediterranean island of Mallorca. The first time I went to Mallorca it was December, so most coastal regions were essentially ghost towns. Despite being during COVID times, this time around in July it was noticeably livelier. As well as more international (to not say more German). As far as COVID restrictions go, after landing they stopped us three times in the airport to check where we were coming from. At the time, Galicia was a ¨safe zone¨ with very few cases. (Oh how times have changed!) Therefore we didn't have to provide vaccination records or negative tests. The week before we went, Mallorca had been all over the news in Spain, as teenagers from around the country celebrating graduation had flocked to the island en masse, with very little social distancing. The result was a huge spike in cases, and mandatory quarantine for many teens. Quarantine in very nice hotels, mind you. They received a lot of backlash for complaining about the situation. 

But I digress. We didn't go to Mallorca to party it up, but rather to relax with the fam. We rented a house with a marvelous patio, pool, and jacuzzi. The beach was less than 10 minutes away on foot. A pebbly cove. We ended up branching out to other sand beaches during our stay. I don't consider myself a beach person, but I guess after living for years in a region with over 1,000 miles of coastline, it's growing on me. In Galicia, however, they don't serve tropical cocktails on the beach! Lime and coconut concoctions tasted like vacay. Hard to resist. The Mediterranean Sea was not bathwater, as I had been promised. Certainly warmer than in Galicia though. And everywhere the water was crystalline!

The house location was perfect for the family fishers, who got up around 5 AM to head out in search of lunch. If these were hunter-gatherer times, we'd have been left starving. I was assured that in Mallorca there are ¨loads of fish to be caught.¨ After six early mornings and a few afternoons of fishing, they had only a handful of fish to show for it. Éche o que hai (it is what it is).

Fortunately there were also activities besides fishing. One day we did a high ropes course, something I haven't done in over a decade. The last time I went as a Girl Scout, I remember it being scarily high. And even though this time we went on a course for ages six and up, I still had my qualms. But actually it was quite easy, and all of the sets ended in a zipline. Plus, being up in the trees was a great way to avoid the summer heat. 

Another morning we cooled off on a visit to the Caves of Hams. Hams is mallorquín for hooks. These unique stalactites defy the laws of gravity! While the stalactites themselves grow downward, on some a small hook juts out and grows upwards again. Fascinating! The cave was all the more spectacular thanks to the colorful and dramatic lights they have set up. 

Kicking off 2021's Camp Season

The weather is finally warm (no need for a thick comforter anymore). Classes for me as a language assistant are over (although school doesn't get out til the end of June). I've suddenly got a lot of free time. Finally feels like summer! 

To celebrate the first summery weekend of the year, we headed to Lugo's northern coast A Mariña to go camping for a night. In A Mariña the climate is milder yet unpredictable, so I was worried it would end up raining or being really cold in the tent at night. But honestly, we couldn't have asked for better weather. It was sunny early in the day, and then in the evening although it was cloudy it was still warm. We camped at Rinlo Costa Camping, a cute little place a short walk from the village of Rinlo. I think the campground is worth mentioning because they were pleasant. Plus they didn't charge us for renting bikes because it was the off season. The tiny village of Rinlo used to be a whaling port. Now, rather than whale it is famous for its creamy rice with lobster. This was my third time having the famed arroz caldoso, compared to somebody who had never had it before. Out-galicianing the Galician! 

With our bellies full, it was naptime. For me, at least. So we borrowed bikes (for free!) and took a 20 minute ride towards a deserted cove. I had been gung-ho about biking because it's something I rarely do, plus A Mariña is generally flat with hardly any traffic on the country roads. It should have been easy. It was easy. However, the last time I rode a bike was three years ago on a trip to Amsterdam and other Dutch cities. So let's just say I'm not used to the tiny bike seat. Fortunately, I was able to rest up in between short rides to and from the secluded beach. You have to climb down a ladder to get to the inlet, protected by cliffs on both sides. They say the water on this coast is warmer than the southwest Rías Baixas, but before June I only dared dip my feet in. 

Little Illa Pancha & its lighthouses

Sunday morning after a short fishing expedition in which I did not participate, we drove a few miles east, just short of the town of Ribadeo. We parked at the Illa Pancha Lighthouse. It's a tiny island that seems like a peninsula, depending on the angle. A very short pedestrian bridge connects the island to the mainland. It has two lighthouses: one built in the 19th century was converted into a mini hotel. So now, you can only access the Illa Pancha if you're staying at the hotel. From the park area near the island, there is a coastline walkway into the town of Ribadeo. So off we went, passing a fortress and loading dock on our way into town. The fortress of San Damián is from the 17th century, meant to protect Ribadeo's estuary (Ría de Ribadeo) from attacks. You can glimpse inside, but this historical place is also off-limits. The old loading dock is from the early 1900s. Now there is a gangway and part of the stone building where they stored iron mined in A Pontenova (in the middle of Lugo province). 

Once in Ribadeo, we mostly ambled around enjoying the nice weather. Ribadeo and its surroundings have tons of indianos. There is even a route of Indiano houses. We stopped to see a few. I was also shocked to see all the stores open on a Sunday, but I guess that is normalized in a touristy town. All the terrazas were packed (especially due to COVID-19 limitations). So we got some sub sandwiches to go, walked back to the car, and enjoyed our lunch gazing at the crashing waves. We had thought about making a stop on the way home, but we were just too pooped. Besides, we enjoyed ourselves so much we've already convinced some friends into going back with us. There are more indianos and coastline to be seen!

Indiano action in Ribadeo

The Former Capital Known as Betanzos

In the Middle Ages, Galicia was its own kingdom divided into seven provinces. Most of the former capitals remain important cities today: A Coruña, Santiago, Ourense, and Lugo. But three haven't grown much since their glory days. One of those former capitals partially caught in the past is Betanzos. I'd been wanting to check the place out. After all, I had already seen all the other former capitals (including Tui and Mondoñedo). So one sunny Saturday, we took advantage of the fact that a teacher at the school I work at lives there to pay her a visit. It was awesome to have a private tour. Like the good old days of travel! Anyways, I liked what I saw, and am already planning a return visit. There is more to be seen, especially since we didn't go inside any museums. Too busy soaking up the sun and trekking all around town.

I mention that Betanzos was a former Galician capital because you can totally tell. It doesn't have an entire wall, but still holds on to three of the five gateways from its Medieval town wall. And no capital is complete without a handful of pazos. It also has multiple churches from the 14th-16th centuries. By multiple I mean four churches and two convents all within the city center. To me, the most interesting one (from the outside) is San Francisco. It has a little stone pig on top, symbol of the Andrade family-- nobles who had the church built. 

Igrexa de San Francisco, Betanzos

The wash house

One thing I enjoyed about Betanzos is all the modernist architecture. Buildings such as the school-- which is still used to this day--, the slaughterhouse, and the current graphic arts school stand out with their vibrant hues. Perhaps part of Betanzos' modernist boom was thanks to the García Naveira Brothers. Like many of their Galician peers, they emigrated to Argentina in search of fortune. Unlike many, they actually found it! Upon their return to their hometown of Betanzos, these indianos invested a lot in improving the place. Some of their donations included the aforementioned school, homes for the elderly or ill, and a large public wash house. We stepped inside the empty, echoing wash house. It has two floors: the lower by the riverside with stones for scrubbing out stains, and the upper filled with trails of boards bordering gaping holes for drip-drying. The surrounding yard also has about 100 feet of clothesline to dry clothes in the sun. It's easy to imagine the place bubbling with action and hot gossip 100 years ago. 

Another such improvement by Betanzos' benefactor brothers was the one-of-a-kind Parque do Pasatempo (the Past time Park). In its heyday, this 22-acre park brought the world to Betanzos. It was like a theme park. People could be awed by the statues of mythology and exotic animals; a house of mirrors; clocks with the time in every corner of the world; a small zoo and labyrinth; grottoes; and much more. But today, only about one-tenth of the park remains. And you can only get a glimpse of the glamorous past from the gate. The park is now closed. What's left of the place is on the brink of destruction. They'd need a lot of money to even begin to restore this historical treasure. That's where the Association of Friends of the Parque do Pasatempo comes in.  Their goal is to defend the park as the historical heritage site that it is. They also have tons of resources about the Pasatempo, and here you can even find a few in English. Hopefully soon enough the government (on any level) will invest enough to revive this gem.

Tiny part of the Parque do Pasatempo

But wait, there's more! Betanzos is known in Galicia for having great tortilla de patacas (Spanish omelet). So a visit there would not be complete without some tortilla from a bar purportedly serving the best of Betanzos. Soft, but not too yolky. Perfection! Since we had learned about the wine in Betanzos during our fabulous guided tour, we were itching to try some ourselves. Although nowadays it's not as popular as other Galician wine regions such as the Rías Baixas or Ribeira Sacra, it has a strong history of wineries. Along the river bordering Betanzos you can peek at a few hillside grape vines. But alas, official Betanzos wine in such short supply that in the bar they had none. The local gourmet shop saved the day: we picked out a bottle of white Betanzos wine as well as a jar of chocolate peanut butter. Both pending taste tests. 

PS. Special thanks to our marvelous tour guide for her insight!

Galicia's Green Countryside

As a delayed birthday present (due to Covid restrictions, of course), this weekend we finally went to a casa rural. The morning of our fieldtrip was spent in Betanzos, but that's a post for another day.Right in time for a sesta we arrived for check-in at the casa rural. A typical and refurbished Galician countryside home, it was spacious and made of stone with wood accents. We chose to stay on the first floor, in what used to be the kitchen. It still had the stone counter/basin for washing dishes. Upstairs there were five other bedrooms, as well as little nooks and a balcony. And being springtime, a few of the trees in the yard were in bloom. Lovely!

Dinner and breakfast were served in the large, open living/dining room. The indirect lighting paired with the light wood ceiling and beams gave it a chalet/lodge vibe. Because of Covid restrictions, all the couples were at their own table, spread apart. We got to sit closest to the behemoth fire place. Despite the sunshine in April, in the stone house it was still a bit chilly! The fireplace had benches around it, but not much fire going. Dinner itself was very tasty. We savored the food knowing it was homegrown: lettuce from the garden in the salad, beef from the farm's cows, and soup from the garden greens. Similarly, breakfast was bountiful and homemade. Butter from the cows, homemade jams and jellies, honey from the area. We loaded up on toast, juice, and milk to keep us going on our hike. 

Right be for noon on Sunday, we embarked on a 7 km hike through Fragas do Eume Park. Fragas do Eume is one of the best-conserved forests on the Atlantic coast. I'd been there before but hadn't exactly gone hiking. This was a circular route that went high and low. We started walking through pine trees, then through open fields with views of the Eume River in the distance below. At first we saw a lone cow grazing about 20 feet from the trail. Less than half an hour later, there were a dozen cows! They were interspersed between the trail and the grass, accompanied by their calves/teenage cows. How exciting! They're not wild cows, but belong to someone who lets them graze yearlong. At one point we passed a shack with hay for them. The landscape changed a bit as we walked downhill through a forest of birch, chestnut, and oak trees. As we continued out from between the trees, we were exposed to the sun and wind. As well as some more great views of the river! I thought that we had arrived to a miradoiro (look out). But in fact, that was still further uphill, past an abandoned house and tons and tons of blooming toxos (apparently called gorse, but I've never heard of it outside Galicia). That miradoiro was even better: the river below, the green and yellow (from the toxos) hills and valleys as far as the eye could see. 

Once we arrived back to the car, we dug into some empanada, apparently from one of the oldest bakeries in Spain. On our way home, we passed by one of two monasteries within the Fragas do Eume Park. On my last visit there, we saw the monastery of Caaveiro, and this time it was Monfero's turn. Monfero's monastery looks surprisingly modern. I imagine it's because the majority of Galicia's old buildings are Romanesque and this was Baroque. Granted, as with many Galician treasures, half of it is overgrown and completely uncared for. The only decent part is the church with its checkered façade. The monastery itself is half collapsed, half buried under brush. As I said, unfortunately this neglect is nothing new here in Galicia. 

Signs of Spring in the Ribeira Sacra

Long time, no write! Not much of interest has been happening lately. For obvious reasons. Between now and my last entry, bars/restaurants were closed for several weeks, as were most city limits. We even went 100% virtual with English classes. Honestly, for me it wasn't that bad because I was in the countryside and only had to connect to class for brief chats with each group. For the regular teachers, though, I'm sure it was a headache between bad connections, difficulty hearing/seeing students, and suddenly having to plan everything online. But classes are back in person, and bars are back open now, at first until 6 and now until 9 PM.  

Last weekend I ventured out of Lugo's city limits for the first time since October. Five months in the same place! We didn't even escape very far: Ribeira Sacra in the south of the province. By now I've been several times, but it's a lovely daytrip and the views never disappoint. I'm never sure if I want to keep Galicia and its treasures a hidden secret, or let the whole world know and discover their beauty! When we were out and about on a Saturday, there were few cars and zero tourists. The only potential tourists would have to be Galicians, since the borders are closed, but still. We had gone specifically to see the cherry blossoms. A student had mentioned that in the area of Chantada there were a lot. Unfortunately, I think we were a week too soon! That's alright. Every time I spotted blossoms, I pointed them out exaggeratedly. ¨Wow! Look at that tree! Isn't it marvelous!?¨

Archway below/next to 
Santo Estevo de Chouzán

Because we had left early and didn't have much of a plan besides to search for cherry blossoms, we had plenty of time to spare before lunch. We were planning on doing a hike, but there was a logistical error with the starting point. Anyways, we made up for that by walking uphill and downhill a few times. First, to se the Cabo do Mundo, a lookout over the Miño River. From there we observed those hilly family vineyards, complete with a smattering of folks taking advantage of the sun to work. We also climbed very far downhill to visit a Romanesque church. Galicia is all about that Romanesque art! I was surprised at the size of Santo Estevo de Chouzán Rather than a small chapel, it was a full-blown church, on a hill seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Not even next to a hamlet! Originally a Benedictine monastery, it was moved decades ago when the area was flooded to build a dam. Apparently inside there are still Romanesque paintings. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out much from the keyhole. 

For lunch we stopped at a little hole-in-the-wall, with terraza views of the Miño and Sil Rivers. On the way home, we also stopped in Portomarín. But I'll save that for another day, when we return to see the underwater remains. Like a lot of important buildings of the region, the entire town of Portomarín was moved decades ago when they built the dam. 

Os Peares: Where the Sil and Miño meet