Having enjoyed a good night’s sleep and an energizing breakfast you’ll be ready to travel west across the Galician countryside. Your stage will take you from Portomarín to Ventas de Narón. As you embark on our journey you will notice that a new kind of foliage has joined the lush landscape: the eucalyptus tree. Eucalyptus trees have been introduced and cultivated in the area and can be used for many purposes, including forestry and paper production. These striking trees, with their tall white trunks and aromatic leaves, create a distinctive atmosphere and provide shade along the path.
Perhaps one of today’s highlights is the castro (Celtic settlement) near the hamlet of Castromaior. These remains are over 2000 years old and what you will see are the foundations and walls of the section that have been unearthed. Make sure you follow your Fresco Tours guide’s instructions to find it. She or he will have explained how to find it at the orientation meeting.
Today, your stage ends in the hamlet of Ventas de Narón, the location of an important battle that took place here between Muslim and Christian forces. In the year 820, the Emirate of Cordoba had occupied most of the Iberian Peninsula and was attempting to continue its expansion into the northwest. At that time parts of present day Asturias and Galicia (Spanish regions in the north and northwest) were parts of the Asturian Christian kingdom of Alfonso II the Chaste. This monarch was the same monarch who was reigning when the tomb of Santiago was found, and tradition believes that he was the first pilgrim to the tomb. Of the several battles that took place in present day Galicia against the Emirate’s forces around the year 820, one supposedly took place here, in Ventas de Narón. The Emirate’s army was defeated and the Asturian kingdom was saved. However, nothing is left but the story from this historic event.
The village boasts the tiny chapel of La Magdalena, which is only open when Eduardo, a local blind and self-proclaimed Knight Templar is around; and yes, he has a stamp!
