Spain and Portugal – Lagoa de Cospeito to Ourol
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We are camped on the aire at the Lagoa de Cospeito, a nature reserve in Northern Spain that has seen better days.
Just after midnight there is a commotion nearby, car doors slamming and the voices of people. I thought at first it was a camper arriving (but they wouldn’t make this much noise after midnight). Three people were talking, laughing and very rowdy on the sitting area by the parking until 12.45 after midnight, they were very noisy, and then they left as noisily as they arrived, I am left wide awake!
In the morning it is raining heavily, our French neighbours leave (possibly disgusted at the noise made by the locals) and we make plans. We decide on an early lunch and then to head north towards the coast. As we are sitting at the table, six large and expensive white Range Rovers arrive bearing the Xunta de Galicia logo. Seven very important-looking men get out and congregate under the eaves of the closed and locked visitors centre. They talk and they look at the broken pavement and walk importantly around the building. About 10 minutes later an even more important man arrives in his black Mercedes (so much for the financial prudence of the Council) and saunters over to the group, they separate into a circle around him and are deferential in their demeanour… he must hold the budget or be the funder!
They wander around the building and we wonder if they might consult the users (us) about the benefits and usefulness of the centre, we might even have something important to say. No, it is unlikely to even cross their minds and if it does, I guess we might say something they don’t like! Best not to ask.
When we come to leave, we can’t service the Hymer as the important man in his black Mercedes has parked across the drive over drain and blocked access to the water and disposal! Mr C. leaves him a note pointing out his thoughtlessness (in Spanish) and we leave it under his windscreen wiper.
We leave Lagao de Cospeito on the proper road (!), driving through the village of Feira do Monte and onto LU-P-6501 to Vilaester where we take LU-120 to Vilalba, a moderate sized town. Here we take LU-861 to Cabreiros and LU-540 through mountains with excellent views to Ourol. As the road sweeps downhill around a big curve, we see a small green park and a motorhome parked next to it, our next stop for the night.
Aparcamiento Autocaravanas at Ourol has eight, wide and well-spaced pitches overlooking a lovely ornamental park with trees, statues, exercise area and picnic tables and benches. We pull into a middle space, giving ourselves plenty of room and note that the downward slope of the road (as it goes down and round the park below us) will require wedges under the driver’s side of the vehicle. These installed we are restored to level. We settle in and hook up to the electricity (which is free), empty the toilet cassette and fill with water (which we couldn’t do at Cospeito because of the black Mercedes).
Alan notes that the two taps (one for drinking water and one for cleaning the toilet cassette) are very close to each other, perhaps no more than two inches apart… not a good design. However, we have the lovely park, all services (a grey water drain at the bottom of the hill) and electricity and the parking is free. Later, between the heavy rain showers, we walk about 300m into Ourol village which is small and past its heyday but with many lovely old houses (built perhaps in the 1920s) which now are empty.
We find Casa Balsa, a small bar that also serves meals, Miguel the owner also running the best-stocked village shop we have ever seen. He has a better wine selection than Mercadona supermarkets and Miguel takes pride in explaining to Alan which he thinks are the best. We buy four bottles, two red and two white which cost just under €24, about €6 each.
Alan collects walnuts on the way back that have fallen from the trees and are lying there just ready for collection. Back at Hymer we open a bottle of Fidencio La Mancha red which pairs excellently with Francisco’s chorizo and olives. Later we eat chicken stir fry, it is still raining on and off and forecast to do so all night and tomorrow.
Ourol Day 2
The weather forecast for Ourol was correct, we wake to torrential rain hammering on the roof of the Hymer, it feels warm and snug sitting inside listening to it. Later, after breakfast we look for places to move onto over the weekend, the ferry crossing from Santander is booked for Monday. In the afternoon the rain stops so we take the opportunity to walk through the village, under the viaduct of the new road (it clearly came though the village once upon a time) and along the valley road which is now a delightful picnic walk with picnic tables, trees growing over pergolas and grassy areas to sit and enjoy an afternoon with the family.
Today it is miserable because it is wet and messy everywhere, but on a sunny day it would be a great place to come with the family. At the furthest end we turn around to come back and see a dark grey cloud working its way towards us. We turn and start to hurry back; too late as large fat drops begin to fall and within five minutes a steady rain is falling and we are very wet.
Back at the Hymer we need to change our clothes and put our shoes by the warm vents of the hot air heating. We open a bottle of Rioja wine and eat chorizo and olives and later jamon salad with hot potatoes and spend a second night at Ourol with just one other French camper.
Gallery Lagoa de Cospeito to Ourol
Click at image to enlarge
