BLOG: Our daily adventures,
Week 38 - Punta Cameiro to Praia As Catedrais
March 26th to April 1st 2023
- Day 260: March 26th: Punta Cameiro to Miradoiro da Insua (Viveiro) - 13 km
It rained cats and dogs last night, we ended waking up on a little river that formed itself underneath our tarp. .Casey's drying his shoes in the morning sun.
Our two usual companions on the shoreline: eucalyptus and pine trees
How did they manage to built a lighthouse on this island surrounded by steep cliffs?..improbable but done!
Who says boardwalk says no hiking sticks: They always find their way to get stuck right in the holes between the boards....more demanding for our knees and ankles...
A cross in the memory of 4 people lost in a wreckage...disproportionate ? A monumental commemoration we all hope to one day deserve.
Hiking on the coastline means climbing up and down hills and cliffs...the reward is always breathtaking on top of them.
We wanted to walk to the tip of this peninsula. They have built a succession of wooden decks and staircases leading up to it..unfortunately one of them seemed to have collapsed on itself... after consideration it would have been a regrettable mistake probably requiring another monumental cross to be set but in our own memory this time...
Our little tradition now is to pause our walk mid-way for a "rewarding carrot to keep you moving" : a cafe con leche and one or 2 "durst loscher" ...the advantage of this, in Spain, is that you also get free tapas on the side. Today, for example, it was a pile of empanadas stuffed with anchovies...miam
Sometimes the trail requires a little dip in a fresh river to avoid walking twice the distance in order to cross over a bridge located further inland. Today we tried our luck...and it worked! The water was shallow enough to let us pass safely knee-high...we've experienced far more challenging crossings last year...4 km gained!
Miradoiro da Insua.
Picnic with a view...Casey's trying not to let any food slip between the wooden planks of the viewing platform.
We 've already spotted where to set our camp for this evening: a perfect square of nicely cut green grass is waiting for us downhill...
13 km done for a total of 3105 + 13 = 3118 km
- Day 261: March 27th: Miradoiro da Insua (Viveiro) to Playa muinelo - 17 km
The next morning at the miradoiro da Insua, is quite challenging for me...I barely slept because of the freezing temperatures during our night here...I wake up grumpy to a very bouncy and cheerful Casey ready to set sails.
We enjoyed a lazy morning here, dangling our feet from the wooden deck extending itself over the bay of ViVeiro.
We played with the shadows and did a little portray-with-guitalele photo shoot, just for fun.
Casey's taking in the splendor of the bay at Covas.
Dancing with the shadows...
Charming fishermen's town of Viveiro...tiny alleyways and spanish style window balconies.
A trash can that tells you rather honestly where your garbages will end up...
Could be what our dreamhouse would look like..
A map of today's and tomorrow's up and downhill "réjouissances".
First time seeing chesnut trees on our way this year..Casey's telling me that's the reason why wild boars are so good in this area: fed with chesnut, they become a real delicacy.
We stumbled upon a surfers- friendly bay/beach. Everything here is designed to welcome a tribe of surfers with their vans.
The owners of the van-friendly parking lot have also bought a beautiful plot just overseeing the beach that they turn into an outdoor bar in summer ...off season, this easter island statue is what's left behind to watch over what must be a very coveted piece of land.
After a small singing/ guitalele session in the moonlight, we jumped in bed.
The chesnut trees on the previous hill might not have satisfied the wild boars mentioned by Casey...we had a quite frightening visit tonight with cracking branches and growling sounds all around us...we had to scream like a damsel in distress to scare them away...least to say, I've slept with one eye open...
The chesnut trees on the previous hill might not have satisfied the wild boars mentioned by Casey...we had a quite frightening visit tonight with cracking branches and growling sounds all around us...we had to scream like a damsel in distress to scare them away...least to say, I've slept with one eye open...
Our little nest set between pine trees with a stunning view of the sea...our campsite, despite the wild boars, is one of the best pitching spots we've found so far...pine needles are the best, they create additional comfort, soft ground and natural mattress guaranteed.
17 km done for a total of 3118 + 17 = 3135 km
- Day 262: March 28th: Playa muinelo to Playa das Cruces - 13 km
Dinner on the rocks.
Playa das Cruces, our own secluded beach...camping at its best!
13 km done for a total of 3135 + 13 = 3148 km
- Day 263: March 29th: Playa das Cruces to A fonte Corval - 16 km
Our little dance in the morning: packing up the tent, wrapping up our night gears, applying thick layers of suncream and attaching our solar panels at the back of our bags. I have my own little solar panel this year, a gift Casey gave me for Christmas, that make us fully independent energetically, cherry on top: it fits perfectly on my guitalele.
It's not to windy today so I'll try my luck and wear my new stray hat for a change.
It's not to windy today so I'll try my luck and wear my new stray hat for a change.
Behind our beach, more inland, we passed by a a series of fish farm ponds requiring obviously a massive cooling system...the cones of ice attached to the bottom were spectacular.
For once, this dog didn't bark at us angrily, quite the contrary...he came to us running and pushing a little tennis ball our way... He just wanted friends to play with.
Traditional home in this area with its stone walls and roofs made out of slate with rounded stone to keep them from flying away when the wind picks up.
Little break to enjoy this field of gold...
So far we couldn't find any gas bottle to make some coffee in the morning...we then decided to always stop for a cappuccino at the nearest cafe. A Klein one today.
A roman bridge at the entrance of San Cibrao
On the rocks, a mermaid is waiting for her sailor.
Old fashioned ovens...
A perfect model of traditional houses here: stones and slate roofs.
Charming little house we fell in love with, covered with ivy.
Secluded little beach, turquoise blue water, little river to get rid of the salt, hot sunny weather = bathing time and our first jump in the sea!
The the train tracks follow the coastline from Ortigueira to Ribadeo...if you ever want to get a beautiful ride that's the train you should hop on.
After the unicorns comes the rainbow.
Nature provided a comfortable sofa...the fluffy grass welcomed our tired bones.
I'm Walking on sunshine
Paradise
16 km done for a total of 3148 + 16 = 3164 km
- Day 264: March 30th: A fonte Corval to Praia de Paixas - 21 km
Feels good to open your eyes in the morning.
This poor fisherman might lose half of his daily catch to the relentless seagulls.
The shoreline has been neatly domesticated: barbecue stations, km-long paved walkway, strategically located benches and viewpoints.
Carpobrotus acinaciformis ...a succulent perennial native to South Africa has colonized the Portuguese and Spanish coastlines. This beautifully magenta-blooming plant created drapes of flowers falling over the cliffs.
The colourful streets of Burela
What our lunch break looks like..
The wind is so strong that the waves are crashing backward. In these weather conditions, you'd better hold on to your hat...Casey's solar panel also almost flew in the Ocean.
Casey, the horse whisperer...
The definition of the male alpha: elephant pants and rockstar haircut.
Sometimes our feet need a breather...barefoot in the field of pink flowers.
The happiest chicken on earth.
The whole day was extremely windy. We found a forest of pine tree along the shoreline and thought it would create a perfect shelter against the powerful gusts but still our gear had a tendency to fly away. So Casey decided to build a natural wall with broken branches. It could go both way...protecting us or flowing against our tent..luckily for us, the former happened and Casey's little Castle held on.
21 km done for a total of 3164 + 21 = 3185 km
- Day 265: March 31st: Praia de Paixas to Basilica de San Martino - 14 km
A beautiful morning on the blooming cliffs of Foz.
Perfect location for this little house full of charm.
Acrobatic pose dedicated to Josh and Clara.
After a little coffee break, Casey found us good crispy chocolate croissants to savour with a view of Foz lagoon.
Getting semi-lost in the streets of Foz...
We did an extra detour to visit a historical monument here in Galicia: the oldest "cathedral" of Spain. Built in the IX century, the basilica of Saint Martin was supposed to be open when we arrived at 6:30pm after 2 hours of walking (7pm was the indicated closing time)..but the lady at the entrance pretended otherwise..probably too lazy to let us in right before the end of her shift...This was a fail.
At least we enjoyed a little copa de vino with a beautiful view of the countryside.
14 km done for a total of 3185 + 14 = 3199 km
- Day 266: April 1st: Basilica de San Martino to Praia As Catedrais - 18 km
18 km done for a total of 3199 + 18 = 3217 km