Left or Right?
There are days when nothing new forms in your head, when it seems you are drifting through the world, catching what is thrown at you, and not reacting because you are simply too tired. Yesterday was such a day. And since it's my vacation month and since my daughter will begin classes on Monday, I decided to take her with me for a ride in the afternoon.
I tried to find a medieval bridge and waterfall in a neighboring township that is said to be a beautiful oasis of nature in the middle of quite a built-up area. I knew more or less in which direction it must lie, so I drove down the main road that bisects the township, thinking that there must be a sign on such a travelled road to lead the tourist. Well, I did find a sign, but that was it. It simply had an arrow to the "waterfall" and the "petroglyph". I turned onto the lane and followed it. And followed it. And continued following it. Finally, my daughter said we had just passed a homemade wooden sign saying "waterfall". I continued, though, and found a sign pointing to a smaller lane saying "petroglyph". I turned onto it. I kept going uphill, hoping the lane would stay wide enough to accomadate two cars. Another sign, pointing up another, narrower lane. I followed it and the lane became a gravelly dirt lane that looked more like it was last invaded by a tractor. I went on until even the tractor prints stopped and the lane became invaded by broom and grass. I turned around and went back downhill. When we reached the wooden sign for the "waterfall", I noticed it was a narrow lane that seemed to reach only to the middle of a small village. I left.
Further on the main road, coming back in the direction we had first gone, I saw a sign to a mill. That had signposts appropriately pointing us in the right direction. I was agreeably surprised there. Generally, you need to have the nose of a pointer dog when following these signs. The first one on a main road will point you in a direction. And that's all there is. There will be no more signs. Or they'll be ancient and in bad repair and you'll be left with the doubt if what you are looking to find is still there. Nor will there be any notice saying if the lane is appropriate for cars, or if only 4 wheel drive vehicles should even attempt it. Sometimes, if it's a prehistoric site, it may not even be there any more. In the tiny town of Cristovo de Cea, in Ourense, there was a Neolithic dolmen that looked like an extremely rough-hewn picnic table and benches. Someone must have thought the vandals had attacked and decided to fix things. So they took away the ancient stones, and put a premade, concrete picnic table and benches on the site. Only in Galicia, only in Spain.
So, if you ever come here with the intention of seeing certain sites, thinking they will have beautiful signs leading you to them just like in other European countries, remember, Spain is different.
I tried to find a medieval bridge and waterfall in a neighboring township that is said to be a beautiful oasis of nature in the middle of quite a built-up area. I knew more or less in which direction it must lie, so I drove down the main road that bisects the township, thinking that there must be a sign on such a travelled road to lead the tourist. Well, I did find a sign, but that was it. It simply had an arrow to the "waterfall" and the "petroglyph". I turned onto the lane and followed it. And followed it. And continued following it. Finally, my daughter said we had just passed a homemade wooden sign saying "waterfall". I continued, though, and found a sign pointing to a smaller lane saying "petroglyph". I turned onto it. I kept going uphill, hoping the lane would stay wide enough to accomadate two cars. Another sign, pointing up another, narrower lane. I followed it and the lane became a gravelly dirt lane that looked more like it was last invaded by a tractor. I went on until even the tractor prints stopped and the lane became invaded by broom and grass. I turned around and went back downhill. When we reached the wooden sign for the "waterfall", I noticed it was a narrow lane that seemed to reach only to the middle of a small village. I left.
Further on the main road, coming back in the direction we had first gone, I saw a sign to a mill. That had signposts appropriately pointing us in the right direction. I was agreeably surprised there. Generally, you need to have the nose of a pointer dog when following these signs. The first one on a main road will point you in a direction. And that's all there is. There will be no more signs. Or they'll be ancient and in bad repair and you'll be left with the doubt if what you are looking to find is still there. Nor will there be any notice saying if the lane is appropriate for cars, or if only 4 wheel drive vehicles should even attempt it. Sometimes, if it's a prehistoric site, it may not even be there any more. In the tiny town of Cristovo de Cea, in Ourense, there was a Neolithic dolmen that looked like an extremely rough-hewn picnic table and benches. Someone must have thought the vandals had attacked and decided to fix things. So they took away the ancient stones, and put a premade, concrete picnic table and benches on the site. Only in Galicia, only in Spain.
So, if you ever come here with the intention of seeing certain sites, thinking they will have beautiful signs leading you to them just like in other European countries, remember, Spain is different.
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