We could say that all roads lead to Santiago, although not all are Caminos de Santiago officially recognized. To be so, they need a well-defined layout and, above all, that there be documentation showing that they were used by pilgrims in the past, which allows us to continue treading the same paths that they trod centuries ago.
In recent years the number of paths that have been recognized have multiplied. Focusing only on Galicia, today we can choose up to a fortnight of official routes that reach Santiago de Compostela from all the cardinal points. To the French Way , undoubtedly the most popular, is joined by many others.
The pilgrim office of Santiago de Compostela received 300,000 penitents last year
It is the case of primitive path , who is born in Oviedo and crosses the western Asturian mountains, from north road , which borders cliffs by the Basque Country, Cantabria or Asturias, the english way used by the pilgrims who arrived from the British Isles to Ferrol or A Coruña.
Or of winter road , a route that along a little more than 200 kilometers runs through some of the most spectacular valleys in the Northwest, it crosses the four Galician provinces and many other wine appellations of origin and allows you to discover without haste the heart of Galicia.
Ponferrada, El Bierzo.
WINES, VALLEYS AND ROMAN MINES
The walkers who formerly reached the limits of Galicia in winter They frequently met the snow in the mountain passes. That, which is not a problem today, could become a danger or delay their trip, so many of them began to use the ancient Roman road that since Astorga went into the valley of the river Sil to enter Galicia sheltered from mountain storms, wolves and outlaws.
Ponferrada Castle.
Today that path is one of the less traveled pilgrimage routes, a perfect excuse for walk among vineyards, enter mythical landscapes and enjoy inland cuisine especially interesting during the winter months, something that can be done from the first steps of the path, which has its symbolic origin at the foot of the castle of Ponferrada.
Right there, door to door with the defensive team, is Muna, the most interesting contemporary restaurant in El Bierzo and the perfect place to gather strength before an itinerary that, from here, heads to the plain. Do not worry if what you are looking for is more traditional cuisine, you will have opportunities throughout the stage.
The Medullas.
Maybe the botillo rice from the restaurant El Castro, in Carucedo, while you decide if you look at the lake or take the detour, just a couple of kilometers, until that viewpoint of the immense Roman sight of Las Médulas that leaves you speechless. Or maybe the cachena cow steak from the town's Durandarte, a little later. You will not be short of options.
The valley narrows little by little, the Bercian vineyards are left behind and the forests take over the landscape. are kilometers of towns frozen in time –the tiny old town of Domingo Flórez Bridge , the ghost town of Nogueiras , already in Galicia, Entoma, Sobradelo Vello – and of a valley that, once the mountains are left behind, gradually opens up to enter Valdeorras.
Valdeorras.
or boat It will be the largest town for many miles. It is the perfect place to spend time on a terrace in the main square or the Malecón or to visit one of the many wineries in the area such as Godeval, next to the monastery of Xagoaza or, already on the way to A Rúa, Alan deVal, with its incredible views of the Sil reservoir.
In Montefurado , the old vineyards and mines can still be seen excavated in the red earth embankments at the foot of the town. And that tunnel that the Roman slaves carved in the rock of the mountain so that the river, boxed in, would help them wash the gold.
Quiroga and we jumped to the Lor valley, that comes down from the O Courel mountains between chestnut woods. They are lands of villages perched on the hillside with slate roofs peeking out from the trees until, little by little, the horizon opens up again and there, in the background, appears the castle of the Counts of Lemos, dominating the valley from the top of the hill.
The forests of O Courel.
MONFORTE, THE LEMOS PLAIN AND THE IMPOSSIBLE SLOPES OF BELESAR
Monforte it is on the plain, spilling around the castle to the river Cabe. To one side the Renaissance Cardinal's College , which is sometimes referred to as "The Galician Escorial". He doesn't need comparisons, because he is capable of leaving you speechless by himself. And if its architecture wasn't enough, inside it preserves works by El Greco or Andrea del Sarto. Monforte is a permanent surprise.
Toward the center, the Jewish quarter climbing towards the castle and the terraces of Rúa do Cardeal, perfect for sitting down and letting Monforte walk past us at his own pace. And beyond the plain, the villages, Pazos like the one in O Reguengo, the paths under the centuries-old oaks until you reach Diomondy , to its Romanesque church and meet again with ancient roman road, that winds down between vineyards.
Monforte de Lemos.
Because that, the impossible vineyards on the hillside, the winding paths, the shade of the cherry trees and the river always in the background is the Ribeira Sacra. belesar , between vineyards and, from there, the path ascends, almost climbs, until the cellar Roman road and those views that it will cost you to forget.
At the top, churches, monasteries and, trust me, a small detour to visit the artisan cheese factory Airas Moniz. You are likely to meet their cows grazing in the meadows that surround the old house while you go up and, once there, when you have tasted their cheeses and look out over the valley again from the cheese factory, you won't want to leave.
But one step away Chanted , which also deserves that you spend some time with that small old town full of corners, with the restaurant To Faragulla which is the perfect stop and, a little further, the grocery store The Pendellos, overlooking the park.
Cheese still life by Airas Moniz.
MOUNTAINS, PAZOS AND COOKED
More slopes to leave Chantada. From here you have to ascend to the mountains. Penasillás and its old tavern. Try to stop by at noon and ask octopus and meat caldeiro year. The Mount Lighthouse. Y half of Galicia at your feet from almost 1,200 meters of altitude. From here you can see all four provinces. Perhaps in winter there is snow on the summit and you can guess, down there, the valleys under the mist.
From here the path is already easier. Rodeiro, its country houses and the Jesús bakery, hidden in an alley, with those deeply flavored loaves that seem carved. The oaks and birches along the Arnego river and, finally, Lalín.
If you have visited us Lalín in winter you are missing a key piece to understand Galicia. Because it is cooked season and here that preparation is more than a dish A lifestyle. There are literally dozens of places that offer stew, some all year round, but we are going to select two. And if you have doubts about which one to choose, listen to me, reserve night and try one today and the other tomorrow. That Lalín and its stew are big words.
We start, for example, with the Cabins, a classic among the classics of the town. Its cuisine goes far beyond stewing and its cellar, managed by Carlota, is also worth a visit. But today we are called by the mythical dish, by a dish that is a succession of dishes and deserves a paragraph all to itself.
Stewed soup, country bread, then turnip tops accompanied by potatoes and chorizo. And next to it another fountain, with chickpeas and ceboleiro sausages. No rush, we're just getting started. they arrive now pork, tail, backbone, rib and bacon, perhaps the hooves and the tongue; they arrive the hen and the calf. And only then does the main course appear: the ham and the cashira, the pig mask of which you have to try the ear, the snout, the jowls and the cheeks. Take a breath, let's continue. The stew is finished with pancakes, with donuts, with straws filled with cream, perhaps with a flan. And then country cheese, of the one that spreads. With quince. Sure.
You will find all this in the Cabanas, or in the miller , down the street, if you decide to try there. The last time I called Moli, the cook, To reserve a table, he recommended a nearby hotel, just in case. Come to Lalín, try the stew. Only later will you understand that his is a very wise recommendation, the result of experience.
It's time to burn the excesses. From here the Camino de Invierno joins the Camino del Sureste, but there is still much to see. The medieval bridge of Taboada, the spectacular ruins of Carboeiro monastery Y the fervenza –the waterfall– of the Toxa , a step away from Silleda; veal meats banner , a last gastronomic halt in nos restaurant, a glass pavilion surrounded by the forest. And the Ulla, the Sacred Peak loaded with legends and one more effort Santiago is already there, with its cathedral, with its endless bars and taverns; with that atmosphere that will make you want to stay.
Let's celebrate Galicia like a Galician