Day 4 - Lobios to Castro Laboreiro

The temperature was starting to climb quickly and I determined to keep an eye on the weather. The quoted temperature would be in the 30's by late morning and the lack of cloud cover meant that the heat could be a problem. I planned an early start and told the B&B that I would skip breakfast as the 8:30am service was too late. The owner promptly responded to say that a cold breakfast would be prepared at 7am. The breakfast was spectacular - enough food for a family of four. It was far too much to eat and the lovely people even then took the freshly made tortilla and put it in a little takeway box.

The walk out of Lobios was a treat, passing the Limia after a long descent to the bridge. Across the river was a Repsol petrol station where for the first time the waymarking was a bit confusing. However I should have guessed that the right way was up the steep hill in front of me.

Passed a little chapel to San Anton in A Feira Vella. It is a shame so many of these little gems are closed.

Second coffee was in Terracha, the last place for a break on this stage. Some interesting wall art here.

The walk through the woodlands afterwards was shady and passed lots of old stone walls from long-disappeared estates. One wonders about the people who built these structures.

The last village with any shade on this stage was at A Pereira. Whilst the churchyard was too covered in gravestones to provide a resting area, there was a giant horreo nearby which was a good place for lunch. A bunch of dogs in a nearby pound - it looked like a dog breeding farm - shouted a bit, at first to warn of strangers in the village, and then to ask whether there was any spare food in the rucksack.

And then onto Castro Laboreiro, which meant crossing back into Portugal and through a rocky, indeed lunar landsacpe. The view back south, when one gets to Castro Laboreiro gives a taste of this route.

Castrol Laboreiro is in a very remote location and was quite magical. I thought that it would be full of tourists but actually it was almost empty. Apparently at the weekend it was much busier. Nonetheless it made it a delightful place to walk around, including seeing the old bridge which just had to be crossed.

There was also an interesting display next to a viewing point. I thought at first that these metal silhouettes were of muslim women but actually these were of local Portuguese women in their tradiitonal garb. Dinner was at the restaurant in the back of this photo which has a panoramic view of the valley.

Where Castro Laboreiro really excelled was in its position miles from anywhere else and its dark sky status. I can't remember the last time I could see the stars so clearly.