About a month ago now I was invited to visit the region of Sanabria (Zamora) which is just outside of Galicia in Castilla y Leon. When I told people where I was going for the weekend they told me I had to see the lake. Really my plan was to meet a friend from my pilgrimmage and visit the small town San Román de Sanabria where his father was born. Like most small towns in Spain only a handful of people actually live there and the other residents are from nearby cities and occasionally visit on weekends and holidays. When I arrived I was surprised by how dull the colours and the landscape seemed to me in comparison to the green hills and dark stone houses in Galicia. For the first time this year I felt hot, dry summer heat and it reminded me of Saskatchewan in August. It´s funny how the winter can make you forget what summer feels like.
Saturday morning after a breakfast of toasted bread and olive oil we drove to see the lake. It was very quiet and still, surrounded by brown, round hills the water didn´t seem to move. The sand was soft, but the water was very cold. We sat down on a wooden walkway and looked into the lake. At my feet through the clear water I could see swarms of little fish swimming excitedly about. My friend started to read the history of the landscape to me telling me about the path of the glacier that had formed the lake showing me its traces on the rocks and the hills. A Spanish author, Miguel de Unamuno, named the lake Espejo de Soledades (mirror of solitudes) and I prefered that name to the rather boring official name Lake of Sanabria. When you look into the water you can see the clouds at your feet. I didn´t look to see my reflection. It´s a strange sensation when the world appears upside down.
We drove to the top of one of the hills and looked down at the puddle and I was told another story about a town that was supposedly submerged under the waters of the lake for not having welcomed a pilgrim on a cold, rainy night. I don´t remember all the details, but it felt like a magical place.
In the afternoon after making crêpes we went for a walk to visit a great, great, great grandfather tree behind the house and then wandered through the countryside. Just like on the days we walked together during the pilgrimmage it started to rain. It´s hardly believe that I walked accros
s Spain now it seems like a crazy thing to have done.
The next day we went to Puebla de Sanabria and visited a medieval castle. My favourite part was leaning over the edge in the tower because I had the sensation I was flying. Sadly I had to come back down and get in to the car to drive to the bus station and go back to Lugo.
Saturday morning after a breakfast of toasted bread and olive oil we drove to see the lake. It was very quiet and still, surrounded by brown, round hills the water didn´t seem to move. The sand was soft, but the water was very cold. We sat down on a wooden walkway and looked into the lake. At my feet through the clear water I could see swarms of little fish swimming excitedly about. My friend started to read the history of the landscape to me telling me about the path of the glacier that had formed the lake showing me its traces on the rocks and the hills. A Spanish author, Miguel de Unamuno, named the lake Espejo de Soledades (mirror of solitudes) and I prefered that name to the rather boring official name Lake of Sanabria. When you look into the water you can see the clouds at your feet. I didn´t look to see my reflection. It´s a strange sensation when the world appears upside down.
We drove to the top of one of the hills and looked down at the puddle and I was told another story about a town that was supposedly submerged under the waters of the lake for not having welcomed a pilgrim on a cold, rainy night. I don´t remember all the details, but it felt like a magical place.
In the afternoon after making crêpes we went for a walk to visit a great, great, great grandfather tree behind the house and then wandered through the countryside. Just like on the days we walked together during the pilgrimmage it started to rain. It´s hardly believe that I walked accros
s Spain now it seems like a crazy thing to have done.The next day we went to Puebla de Sanabria and visited a medieval castle. My favourite part was leaning over the edge in the tower because I had the sensation I was flying. Sadly I had to come back down and get in to the car to drive to the bus station and go back to Lugo.
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