25-Oct-2008 -- This is the sixth out of nine confluences that I visited during a 3-day trip to Spain. The story starts from 41°N 4°W. After a visiting 42°N 7°W in the morning it turned out to a be a crazy-long drive to reach this confluence point. A beeline distance of 111 km can be a lot in mountainous areas! If I had known before, that this would take 5 hours, I probably would have skipped this confluence point. But at the end I was fully rewarded!
The last hour of the drive is a curvy little road to the beautifully located town Navia de Suarna (1550 inhabitants). From Navia, an even smaller and steeper road winds up to the confluence, thereby branching out several times. At a distance of 200 m, there is a good opportunity to park the vehicle. Now you have three choices, an upper, a middle and a lower road – all pointing towards the confluence. I took the upper road and then had a difficult hike down through thickets (only 30 m, but very thorny and steep).
Directly at the confluence point are many chestnut trees with the ground covered all over with chestnuts. Since this is one of my favorite dishes, I collected a huge amount. I am still having them for dinner every night.
As a special highlight for me, I had been standing exactly (within 6 m accuracy) on the other side of our planet. See my antipodean visit in New Zealand last year.
Not far, on the other side of a valley is a little hamlet called Mosteiro. Although most houses are abandoned, there are still cattle, a vinery and a beekeeper.
CP Visit Details:
- Distance to an asphalt road: 30 m
- Distance to a track: 30 m
- Distance of parking the car: 200 m
- Distance to houses: 500 m
- Time starting the hike: 16:55 p.m.
- Time at the CP: 17:20 p.m.
- Measured height: 507 m
- Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
- Position accuracy at the CP: 6 m
- Vegetation: Chestnut trees, fallen trunks, thickets, mushrooms.
- Topography: mountainous, on a steep slope facing down east
- Time back from hike: 17:49 p.m.
- Weather: sunny, 17° C (felt temperature)
- Description of the CP: Situated near Navia de Suarna, a municipality in Lugo province in Galicia in north-west Spain. Surrounded by beautiful forested mountains. Exact location difficult to get to.
- Given Name: The Antipodean Chestnuts Confluence
Story continues at 42°N 6°W.