Hiking to a waterfall!

 Hello!

 After a look around the Monastery of Carboeiro, my Galician class embarked on the second half of our first group excursion: a cross-country hike that would take us to the fervenza - waterfall - of the River Toxa.

 We set off through the woods, gradually moving away from the Monastery and following the course of the River Deza. There were so many different trees, plants and flowers. It was raining lightly, but our spirits refused to be dampened.

Tying knots here seems to be something of a tradition

 We learnt from María, our teacher, about the legend of the bridge leading from the Monastery across the river. I can't remember the exact story now but I think it went along these lines (and I apologise if any of it is wrong!).

 The Devil demanded a soul in exchange for the construction of the bridge, and said he would take it between one Midnight Mass and the next. The monks outsmarted the devil by holding a twenty-four-hour mass, leaving no window for the soul to be taken.

 We emerged from the woods and made our way across a more open stretch of land with meadows, houses and gardens. A frequent sight was the frameworks used to grow vines.

 A couple of dogs were excited to see us pass, and made their excitement known very loudly!

 We entered another wooded area. The rain had stopped though the sky was still overcast.

 We arrived at a picnic area, where I was interested to see the river run right alongside a swimming pool. The rain was falling again, it was cold and as a result the pool wasn't exactly welcoming.

 I imagine in the summer, however, it might have its uses as a safer alternative to trying to swim in the fast-flowing Deza. A sign showed how pleasant the area could look when it was less wet.

 We arrived at a small restaurant where we stopped for lunch. 

 Inside, we chatted and enjoyed the warmth. I ordered a cheese and ham toastie which turned out to have the stretchiest cheese I'd ever seen.

 Back outside we wandered on through the village, appreciating the slightly brighter sky and some beautiful blossom.

An horreo or granary, looking very picturesque

 We encountered a cruceiro, a type of stone crucifix commonly seen in Galicia. They tend to have an image of Jesus as an adult on one side and an image of Mary - often holding a baby Jesus - on the other.

 Up a slight hill we admired a small, sturdy church with a lovely view of the countryside.

 We headed back down to the Deza and took a narrow bridge to the other side. We were about to start the heavy-duty hiking and climbing up to the waterfall.

 The river was strong and wild, beautiful yet scary in its might. It gave me many a photo opportunity, with the water creating endless patterns as it rushed and curled around the rocks.

A water wolf!

 During the next portion of the hike there wasn't a lot of room for taking photos as we scrambled up and around boulders and logs to get close to the waterfall.

 At last, we were there. It was really magnificent.

The waterfall and me

 The greenery around the waterfall was also impressive.

Remember not to touch any frogs

Biodiversity!

"You don't know me well"

"I am from Vinaròs" - if they are, they travelled quite a way to see the waterfall

"I want to come here every year for the rest of our days"

 We reached a series of viewpoints linked by sets of steps, going gradually down the hillside. Our group, along with some other walkers, drifted up and down between them, taking in the stunning views. The scenery really was majestic.

Not something I would dare to do!

 We had one last bit of walking to do in order to reach our minibus. Near our collection point was a map of the hiking routes. I felt some pride to see that we had travelled all the way from the Monastery at the top to the waterfall near the bottom.

 The sign also showcased a selection of the fauna of the area. I hadn't encountered much of it - just a few birds and bugs and a small lizard. I would have liked to have seen - from a safe distance - a wild boar, wildcat, otter or badger.

 Even without wildcat sightings, it had still been a memorable trip. As we relaxed in the minibus - and a number of people fell asleep - I felt very happy that I had chosen to do the Galician course, and I looked forward with joy to our next excursion.

 Thanks for reading!

 Liz x