We decided to leave Lugo early and squeeze in a few days sitting in the Parador at Ribadeo. This would allow the less mobile member of the party to sit in more salubrious conditions than the rather scruffy and less than spotless AirBnB in Lugo. We set off with the temperature at 13C, and in the mist, on the road from Lugo to Ribadeo.
The road out of Lugo
On the road again! We set off on a gloomy day but it soon brightened up and it was an easy drive to Mondonedo.
Mondonedo on the road from Lugo to Ribadeo
Our first stop was Mondoñedo, a town down in a valley between two sets of mountains. The town was granted a charter (to hold a market) and the status of ‘city’ in 1156. We parked at the top of the town and followed one of the narrow streets down to the Cathedral Square.
The Cathedral in Mondonedo
The Cathedral, which has always been a Bishop’s seat, is in the centre of the town in a large square. Work on the building started in 1219 and I would have loved to see the interior but the building was closed to the public (for a wedding) and so we settled down with a coffee, and then a beer, to watch the proceedings. The cafe owner handed round a tray of tapas including very, very good tortilla. And it was fun!
Firstly there was the bicycle race; then two pilgrims passed through; and finally the ladies! All the guests were exceedingly well dressed and the ladies descended the steps down into the square as if they on a catwalk.
Coat of Arms on the Cathedral in Mondonedo 
On the Cathedral
And finally the bride arrived and peace returned.
It would have been good to spend more time in the town but we only had time for a short walk ‘around the block’.
Lourenza on the road from Lugo to Ribadeo
Lourenza defeated us! I wanted to see the monastery but the town was hosting a huge ‘Festival of the Bean’. There was no parking anywhere, so we carried on to the coast.
The Beach of the Cathedrals
The sea has eroded a section of the coastline near Ribadeo, creating sea caves and archways in the rocks. I had little time but clearly this is a very beautiful stretch of the coast and deserves a lengthy visit.
And finally the road from Lugo to Ribadeo deposited us at the Parador and two days of comfort!
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