Dreamy Days and Ancient Villages

Our house on the corner that leads into
Trasulfe (population 7 year round, about'
6 more in the summer and other holidays.

Even though we are back in our house, now, in Trasulfe, we took four days to go to Braga, Portugal, which I'll be blogging about later. (Meanwhile, I'm posting pictures on my Facebook Timeline at:  https://www.facebook.com/elizabethvaradan )

But being back in Trasulfe and having good weather every day brings home the peacefulness of the entire area. Two days ago we took a walk to a nearby larger village — Tuiriz Santa Eulalia — that actually included several smaller villages. These villages run into each other. Thus, we passed El Carmen, El Bario, and finally Santa Eulalia, before turning left onto a road that led to another group of village — these with more space between them.

This house borders El Bario. We bought
our garage space from the woman who
 lives there and from her sister.

Across from the house pictured below, a woman whose son had shown us a house for sale once reminded us that she knew our neighbors in Trasulfe. She also knows I bake "pan dulce" for Eva and Manolo (my way of thanking them for all the eggs and wine.) But this is one of the things I love about this part of the world. Everyone knows everyone. They have cousins, friends, children, etc. in nearby villages, and news travels in a way that gives that song, "I heard it through the grapevine" real punch. (Or wine, teehee.) We always notice carefully tended flower gardens in some of these small villages.

A side road took us up to Frenzas, then O Docil, then Santalla, then brought us out onto the road that led back to our house. Along the way, the roads curve, you pass scattered meadows and pastures divided by drywalls, and woods where the cuckoos call. Wildflowers abound that I've mentioned before: Queen Anne's Lace, alfalfa, buttercups, wild blackberry brambles that will fruit in the fall, purple foxglove, and some beautiful wildflower below that I can't identify.

Found out! Vipers Bugloss,
or Echisos Vulgare

Wild foxglove

The owner of one of our favorite tapa bars in Monforte grew up in Frenzas, and he also knows our neighbors. One day a couple of years ago he drove us around Frenzas and all these other little villages and told us some of their history. So it was a thrill to go on a walking tour that revisited them all.

And then we were home again, savoring the experience over a glass of wine, looking out our window at more of the Galician scenery. This is what it look like on a sunny day. On most mornings, it's full of twirls of rising mist. Then the mist fades and the trees emerge into the day.

Three weeks and a day in Galicia

Beautiful Galicia

I certainly expected to be posting about this trip long before now: I arrived Sunday, June 9th, and I'll be leaving Galicia exactly a week from today (a day earlier from Trasulfe, as the plane leaves early in the morning, and I have no desire for a trip in the middle of the night to arrive at the Santiago airport in time for the flight).

There's a reason I haven't found time to blog. My husband stayed home on this trip (as I did in April) to take care of our old and ailing dog. Because I'm alone, I was busy opening the house (and this Sunday will be busy closing it). Because I'm alone, all our friends have been inviting me places. Because I'm alone, I was busy shopping and cooking for company. Because I'm alone, I've been the one driving everywhere, and managed to get lost twice, ending up in towns I didn't truly plan to visit at the time.


But, it's all been a grand experience. And, since I am alone, roadside walks take on a special significance. So I thought I'd share with you the wild flowers I've been talking about on Facebook, where I've been sharing short snippets of the trip. (Do come and visit me there:   on my timeline, and also on my author page  )

One day I walked down the winding road to the carretera snapping pictures of all the wildflowers I saw. They are abundant this time of the year (we usually come in spring or fall); some of them are familiar, some of them I've only read about but was able to look up, and some of them are still mystery plants that maybe you can help identify for me. Here they are:

Wild foxglove, and all in
this lovely color. All along
roadsides. 

Small white daisies -- and
a mysterious purple flower
I've never seen. Have you?

Wild broom everywhere;
really a bush more than a
flower, filling the landscape.

I thought these were
dandelions, but a closer
look makes me think not.
Maybe yellow daisies?

Purple thistles -- but so small!

Queen Anne's lace. 

I also have seen lots of yellow buttercups, pink and white primroses, and blue forget-me-nots with tiny yellow centers, but I haven't taken any pictures of them. 

Of course, ferns aren't flowers,
but these are abundant on
roadsides and in fields.

This wild elderberry bush
is growing just a few feet
away from our house. 

But what is this mystery flower?

Maybe the sheep could tell us if they weren't so busy having their mid-day meal:

If YOU know what that flower is, let me know.

Hasta luego.