It was time to move on again, but thankfully only a fairly short drive from Vilalba to Ribadeo on the coast. So I strapped myself into the lumbar belt, swallowed the pills, and off went!
Read more: Vilalba to RibadeoOn the road
En route to Ribadeo we planned to visit Mondonedo which we had visited before. It was a grey day, and the mist was hanging over the valley in which Mondonedo lies.
Mondonedo
As we were driving into the town I noticed a monastery high up against the hillside, The Mosteiro dos Picos. We were on a ssecondary road; the motorway, high above the valley, was shrouded in mist! And then we were in the town.
The town is on the Camino del Norte and it is very beautiful.1
The Cathedral of Mondonedo
The point of coming here was to see the Cathedral.
I was quite limited in movement but there are more photographs on the post of 2019 – not much has changed! The town was preparing for the Festival of San Lucas, with stands going up in the Cathedral Square, and, as before, bikers coming and going. We sat in the same cafe, and enjoyed free eats again as we watched the comings and goings. Jeremy then had to fetch the car and pick me up – I had walked down into the town, but couldn’t do more.
The Festival of San Lucas is apparently one of the most important festivals in Galicia and dates back to the 12th century. It has giants, bigheads, fireworks, music, crafts and a cattle and horse fair which always takes place around 18 October! (Photographs taken from internet: https://www.turismo.gal/recurso/-/detalle/fi-lu-000012/as-san-lucas?langId=en_US&tp=97&ctre=261)
But let’s go inside the Cathedral.
Inside the Cathedral
The Cathedral of Mondonedo was built between 1219-1243 and in the 18th century it was remodeled and the towers added. It is quite overwhelming as you walk inside.
Little things
There are many beautiful, and precious, artifacts inside the cathedral – let’s just enjoy looking at them.
The choir stalls are carved from walnut wood and beautifully detailed.
Wall paintings in the Cathedral
The ceilings are painted and striking, but I can’t find any information about the paintings, or the artists.
But the murals in the choir are just amazing, and date from the late 15th century. They show the ‘Slaughter of the Innocents’ – when King Herod ordered the murder of all the male children in Jerusalem – and episodes from the life of St Peter. It is the details which are remarkable.
Windows
I noted these two stained glass windows, which I think are 18th century, and of course the rose window.
The Cloister
The Cloister dates from the 17th century and is simply elegant.
The Fonte Vella
While Jeremy went for the car I had some time for a few more photographs. The Old Fountain dates from the 16th century
The sea
Having seen the motorway viaducts from below, Jeremy couldn’t face driving over them, and so we continued on an ‘ordinary’ road down to the sea.
The Cathedral Beaches are a famous part of the coast line here because of the way the waves have carved out ‘buttresses’ from the land. However, the tide was in and so we could only view from the clifftop.
Ribadeo
And then we driving through Ribadeo to find the Parador of Ribadeo where we had stayed before, and where we enjoyed a room with an enclosed balcony overlooking the River Eo.
What a super day! The road from Vilalba to Ribadeo is quite short, but with imagination you can find plenty to do along the way!