Davoud's Dream

Our next stop on our (more or less) tour through Galicia is one that has nothing to do with exploring the landscape and surroundings. Instead, we fell victim to some stunning pictures from an AirBnB listing!

These looked so promising and relaxing that we didn't think twice and wanted to see this little piece of paradise in person!

But first, it's time to pack and say goodbye to Allariz. A rather unfortunate night leaves us not missing the apartment and location in the middle of the old town too much, as we experience the rather untypical eating and partying times of the Spaniards that are unfamiliar to us Germans! Because starting at 2 AM, a karaoke competition began in the bar across the street, which we could enjoy to the exact decibel due to the not very soundproof windows.

The music selection was actually quite nice, just not from 2-6 in the morning!

Well... rocking our feet to the rhythm, we fought unsuccessfully against the noise and finally managed to get an hour of sleep from 7 to 8 AM!

Now we definitely needed some relaxation.

After a short hour of travel through the countryside, crossing village after village with a mix of road and dirt path, we arrive at the “O Castro Art Village”!

At least the idea and the beginnings of it.

On a small hill high above the Rio Miño lies the dream of our next host!

Davoud, a Canadian-Persian filmmaker and artist, has bought several houses (ruins would be more accurate) from local farmers over the past five years and aims to create an artist village/community with the help of the local population. First steps have already been taken with the construction of a seminar room offering panoramic views of the entire area and two dome tents situated on the slope with panoramic views over the Miño Valley for guests. Additionally, there's a large communal kitchen and several seating areas for lingering, reading, working, and (in our case) playing!

We can't stop marveling during the tour and sit silently on our bed for minutes, enjoying the view and happy to make this stop, while Ida expresses her joy in her own way. She hops and squeaks excitedly around, exploring every inch of the terrain!

The third stop also seems to be a hit, which to our delight remains true until departure day!

By the way, we are not guided by Davoud himself, as he is still traveling with his wife and child, but by Monique, a... well, I have no idea exactly what she is! An artist who has, for example, hiked from Barcelona to Paris in a smart three-piece suit, sleeps in the forest on the way, lives off herbs, and captures this photographically -> BAM, art!

Originally from the Netherlands, she met Davoud during a joint film project and now comes back to work on this art village project, or is writing her next book here. What exactly the content of her last book was, despite her excellent German skills, we both can't figure out. It seems to me that she isn't quite sure either... but BAM, art!

But as the painter Conti already said in the almost epochal masterpiece “Emilia Galotti” by G. E. Lessing: “art goes after bread”!

And Monique is currently baking her own bread... with flour from Davoud...

And just as we (shout out to Benny) had to interpret this damned Contian sentence down to its atomic components in high school, so it would be burnt into our brains even 20 years later, we now leave our readers to ponder our opinion on Monique's success on a literary level!

Or to put it in the words of Marcel Reich-Ranicki: “I do not accept this flour!”

However, this does not change the fact that she is a super friendly and attentive person who immediately offers us coffee and prepares it upon our arrival in the rain, telling us about Davoud's project with shining eyes!

Davoud himself is very warm-hearted, and you can feel his enthusiasm and willingness to grow this into something big.

We spend the rest of the day in our dome, listening to the patter of rain and watching the clouds as they move up the slopes and continually change the scenery! Almost mystical!

Since we really haven't planned anything for our stay here and we have much better weather during the day than expected, our day unfolds as follows:

Munchkin -> Reading -> Munchkin -> Walk -> Munchkin -> Reading

Ida skips the walk in favor of exploring her surroundings, which we can't blame her for too much. Because apart from the indeed phenomenal view, the tranquility only disturbed by falcons and cuckoos, and the coziness, this area does not offer any alternative to, for example, Ribiera Sacra.

But this, conversely, means that you get to enjoy your little hut all the more, without feeling like you're missing out on something!

Thus, we also let the second night pass by with the changing calls of the cuckoo and the owl, and the next day we pack our backpacks and bags a bit wistfully to head to our last stop on the north coast before we make a pilgrimage-like entry in Santiago on Maundy Thursday!

One thing we know for sure: O Castro has not seen the last of us!