The Monastery of Oseira

 Hello!

 After visiting the Monastery of Carboeiro with my Galician class and finding it to be an incredibly beautiful place, I couldn't wait for our trip to the Monastery of Santa María de Oseira. 

 We met our early-morning minibus and travelled into the countryside. This time we left Pontevedra, our home province, and ventured east into Ourense.

 We arrived at the Monastery of Oseira, which gets its name from the bears (osos) that used to live around the area. Whereas the Monastery of Carboeiro is very isolated, the Monastery of Oseira is on the edge of the village of San Cristovo de Cea. We would be exploring both Monastery and village.

 We entered the Trappist Monastery and were met by the monk who would be showing us around. He was lovely, and the Monastery was remarkable. It seemed huge, with passages, cloisters and chambers forming a building that was robust yet had delicate touches.

In the central circle you can see two bears, the symbols of the Monastery

 We entered a famous room we had studied in class, where twisted pillars create the effect of palm trees.

 We paid a visit to the Monastery shop, where I bought some postcards. We then headed into the village of San Cristovo de Cea.

Water boatmen!

Stepping stones!

A traditional Galician cruceiro. They are everywhere

Another Galician thing you just can't escape (and that I love, anyway) - an horreo!

The horreo peeks through

 We popped into what seemed to be a combined bar, café and possibly also bakery, as some students wanted to buy pan de Cea (Cea bread), a well-known delicacy. I also took the chance to enjoy a hot chocolate.

 The next stop on our excursion would be the wine-making town of Ribadavia. For now I was happy to have discovered the fascinating Monastery of Oseira, and San Cristovo de Cea with its river, blossoms and bread.

 Thanks for reading.

 Liz x