This week we swapped sea views for mist covered mountains and rocks and waves for eucalyptus trees and rivers. We drove west along the coastline before turning inland toward the Serra de Meira mountains, source of the Minho River which will be featuring significantly in our life over the coming week. 

Before making the turn inland we drove through an area near Ribadeo which just two days earlier had been ablaze with wild fires. The smell of smoke lingered and we could see the burnt vegetation on both sides of the Autovia, some patches of ground were still smouldering. It brought into sharp focus the ongoing struggle the Iberian Peninsula (along with too many other parts of the world) is having with climate change. Although the weather has been unseasonably warm we were surprised to see fire damage this late in the year or this far north.

Our highest point, the Alto do Fiouco, is known for regular white outs due to dense fog. The mountains were shrouded in mist though luckily most of it had settled in the valleys below us. We descended from the alto before arriving at our stop for the night, a small Aire on the outskirts of the village of Outeiro de Rei, in the province of Galacia. 

Under a chestnut tree, beside a stone wall, next to a green space, we’d found another little gem. It was raining and we ate our lunch while watching a family with smallies, in brightly coloured rain jackets and wellies, as they gathered fallen chestnuts into their baskets. Later in the afternoon there was a break in the rain so we made the most of it and biked to a nearby nature preserve. Ínsua de Seivane is an island in the middle of the River Minho reachable by a shaky, hanging footbridge. We explored the area a bit before returning to Tigín and getting cozy for the evening. We ate a hearty meal, while listening to the rain hit the roof and being grateful for our life.