We are so blessed with this incredible day. Each time we are outside it is clear and not raining.
When in the van, or having lunch, it poured.
Love it.
Our tour group, from left to right.
Myself, Conti and her husband from Malaga, Spain. Maria and her Dad from Venezuela/Miami. Deb and Jennifer from South Korea/LA.
Maria spoke excellent English and her Dad a bit. Jennifer's english was better than our Spanish.
Arriving at Muxia, pronounced 'Moo chia.'
First stop....lunch.
Another picturesque serene photo of the Bay of Camarinas.
The tide is actually out thus why my feathery friends are sunbathing.
Interesting colours of houses in this part of Spain. Golds, pastels, and even rock buildings decorate the villages.
Can't get enough of this stunning harbour. So calm.
I am pretty hungry now...it's 2pm.
First course; clams in wine sauce...unbelievable.
Deb had pork which is quite common here and very good.
But I ate freshly caught tuna (atun in Spanish) and boiled potatoes.
So good...can't stand it.
It's not called Creme Brulee....but that is very much what this spectacular dessert taste like.
My favourite....of course.
Not the best photos because the van didn't stop near any of this traditional and ancient 'hurros' used to store wheat and other veggies to keep.
In this area these are made of stone with 'mushroom' like legs to keep the mice out.
The Spanish believe that mice will not crawl upside down....so they can't access the storage units.
We are in the municipality of Camarinas which is in the province of La Coruna.
Fishing villages dominate the area...which is my favourite to see, explore and photograph.
We drive the very hilly, narrow and winding road to......
The Sanctuary of Muxia, Virgin de la Barca or Nosa Senora da Barca, roughly translated 'The Lady of a Boat.'
A stop and rest for many Camino walkers on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
The original church was built in the 11th-12th century, and rebuilt many times since. According to legend, it was erected where the Madonna appeared in a boat surrounded by angels.
Ruben was explaining, with Deb as his assistant, a medieval pagan ritual that was performed on this 'rocking' stone.
In medieval Spain, people were presumed innocent or guilty if they could move or not move this 6+ ton stone!!!
It used to be 'rocking' on the stone below it, but during a terrible storm, this 6+ ton stone was broken and that was the end of it moving.
Incredible stories from the past.
A field of monstrous boulders surround a small lighthouse near the Sanctuary.
It looks like my friend is wearing his crown on his feet?
The waves are huge...and these gals are way too close for my liking.
I wonder how many tourists get wet.....during these photo ops....or worse.
Incredible coast....
The boulder above and the boulder below is the same one....only super human strength could move this...but I did try.
In the photo below, there is a stone that is lodged upright to the left of the lighthouse.
It looks small in this photo but in actual fact it was as tall as myself!
Moved there by the ocean.
The amazing coast...I can't do justice with the photos....as I always say....but it gives an idea of how rugged and majestic it is.
In November 2002 one of the worst oil spills occurred off this coast of Galicia, Spain.
An oil tanker, the MV Prestige, apparently suffered a hull breach and sank during a storm, spilling almost 18 millions gallons of oil into the ocean here. Over 1300 km of shoreline was affected. The fishing industry suffered for over 10 years. The affected animal, birds and sea life...unimaginable losses.
One hundred thousand volunteers came out to help with the clean up.
The ultimate cost was over 2.5 billion dollars.
It was the largest environmental disaster in Spain and Portugal's history.
This 400 ton, 11 meter high monolith, is the 'A Ferida' or 'The Wound,' erected as a tribute to the thousands of volunteers who came to help with the clean up. It was created by a sculptor from Burgos, Spain, Albert Banuelos-Fournier.
Can you see the tiny specks that are actually people on the rocky coast?
A Pilgrim Cross at the top.
A sad story to add to this is that the beautiful church we see in the photo was actually rebuilt after a 2013 fire nearly destroyed it during a lightening storm.
A Camino marker that is 0 km as this spot is also an 'end' so to speak for some of the pilgrims.
And some pilgrims, like the two below, continue from Cape Finisterre to Muxia, which is about a day's walk between.
The photo below is our next stop taken by me from Muxia (the above photos) of Cape Vilan.
You can see, in this photo, why this coast is called the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death).
Another historic ship wreck occurred not far from the Cape Vilan Lighthouse (above) of the HMS Serpent which was lost in a storm and sank with 176 men onboard.
We drove around the bay to get to our final destination, Cape Vilan (Cabo Vilan).
We are actually northwest of Camarinas in a protected Nature area.
While I am teetering on the edge, the Cape Vilan Lighthouse is behind me at a height of approximately 125 meters.
Ruben walked us to the top along a well travel path, to the old lighthouse, amongst the monstrous boulders that line it.
LD has a bit more steam in those wee legs of hers to get up to the top of this cliff. She is rewarded by incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean, the fish farm behind/at the base of this cliff, ginormous waves and the new lighthouse.
I did read that the wind is a constant here, and that the rocks are actually affected by the strength of it.
Shaping and eroding. Some are actually teetering on each other.
How does that happen?
Almost there LD....you can do it.
The original lighthouse was run by steam. Unfortunately the terrain did not lend well and the fact that it wasn't high enough resulted in it's light being obscured. It was used until 1854. Quite a bit of it remains to be see.
Six years after the tragedy of the HMS Serpent, the new lighthouse was built.
The Cape Vilan Lighthouse (below) marks the most treacherous part of the Coast of Death.
There have been more than 150 shipwrecks along this coast since recorded time.
It is the oldest electric lighthouse in Spain and it's light can be seen for 55 km.
It is uneven rocks and a bit of a difficult climb unless you have good legs and proper foot wear.
Just saying...safety first.
Above and below are fun photos that I took with our tour guide Ruben.
It was definitely very windy when we arrived, but Ruben motioned for me to come along side the original Lighthouse Keepers building, now a museum.
You can't really tell how strong the wind is but we are in a wind tunnel and it is crazy strong.
Our fun group of fellow travellers.
Moments after this photo was taken, it down poured!!!
Our timing today was exceptional.
What a fantastic trip.
Scenic, historic, informative, and enough fresh air to hold us until the next sunny day.
Can't recommend this tour company enough.
Thank you Ruben.
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