Ribeira Sacra

We spontaneously abandoned the original plan to continue driving south along the coast and decided to take a detour to Ribeira Sacra, known for its impressive lush wine landscape with heroic cultivation. Heroic, because the vines are cultivated on terraces on steep cliffs of the Sil Gorge. According to mythology, the creation of the gorge can be traced back to the infatuation of the god Jupiter with Galicia, which led his wife Juno to inflict a deep wound on Galicia out of jealousy, the breathtaking Canon del Sil. Down below, the river Sil winds its way through the valley.

Already on the drive, we were able to admire breathtaking views. The temperatures gradually started to rise a bit, with the thermometer showing just under 30 degrees. In the late afternoon, we still went out to explore the area with our bikes. We headed towards one of the numerous lookout points and were simply overwhelmed by this incredible view. Since there was another one just a few kilometers further, we also headed there, simply fantastic.

On the way back, we treated ourselves to a beer at the small square bar that was open in the evening, sitting on deck chairs overlooking the surrounding countryside, delightful!

I took advantage of the cloudy start of the day for a road bike tour. The road surfaces here are very different, sometimes very good, sometimes full of potholes, but one thing is for sure, you never go more than 100 meters straight ahead and it's never flat, quite the opposite of Hannover.

In the afternoon, we set off again with the bikes, today's destination 'Muinos do Xabrega'. After parking the bikes, we walked along the shady valley on foot along the hiking trail, passing old historic houses down to the gorge to the Mino River. The landscape never ceases to amaze us and so the way back uphill is also entertaining.

Back at the bikes, we continue with them to Sober, a slightly larger town among the mostly small hamlets here. Unfortunately, we were a bit unlucky with the timing, siesta time. After a cool refreshment drink, we wanted to visit one of the numerous Adegas (wineries) here. Unfortunately, the fifth winery we visited had the doors closed, so we had to go back to our parking spot without a good drop of wine.

Now comes a novelty of our trip: Actually, we decided the next morning to stay here for a third night. The owner does a really great job, she is super friendly, helpful and informative, sells some local products, and at noon the baker passes by honking his horn and the sunset in the evening is simply unbeatable.

For me, the day started with a small mountain bike tour through some villages and nature. What is growing and thriving here: tall ferns, chestnut trees heavily laden with chestnuts, pumpkins, tomatoes, bell peppers, and of course, vines everywhere. The trees are often covered in moss, giving them a mystical look, simply a very beautiful area!