After we came down from O Cebreira we were talking to Albert, the Canadian guy. He had acquired two young beautiful women as companions. (He is 61) He explained that they had a stalker and he was keeping the stalker at bay. Hmm, everyone on the Camino has been so nice it´s hard to imagine. We have met lots of women walking the Camino alone and they feel perfectly safe. But it takes all kinds. At any rate, Albert told us that the yellow bush I admired so much was called "Broom" and it was an invasive species in Canada, considered a pest.
The first town in Galicia was called Tria Castele. The name implies three castles but there were none. We stayed in a little place called Casa David. The David guy who owned it was very nice.
The next day we walked to Sarraya. The walk was through river valleys and right by a pretty river.
Anselmo was looking for his roots again. There was a small village called "Lastres". We have already established that Anselmo is descended from royalty on his mother´s side. The name "Sanchez" comes from the 10th century king Sancho of Navarre.
But the name "Lastra" is more mysterious. The name means "Stone Slab", so it´s possible that the original Lastras were stone cutters. Anselmo thinks that the Lastra family might have come from Galicia because many Galicians immigrated to Cuba. Also the "La Lastra" village we discovered 25 years ago in the Cantabria region of spain was really a dump!
So we decided maybe this "Lastres" place was Anselmo´s family home. The village was in a narrow green mossy river valley, so narrow that the sun barely came in. It reminded me of Wind in the Willows. There was an old stone home along the river with outbuildings and a boat house, all overhung with willow and oak trees and stone walls. I told him it was like Toad Hall and I expected Mr. Toad to come driving up in an ancient car.
2 comments:
I just had to post this. My surname is also Lastra. My grandfather emigrated from Spain to the US via Cuba. I have to wonder if we are related. My grandfather was born in Boal, Asturias, Spain. Does that ring any bells with you? He was born in about 1884, and he entered the US around 1908. There was a family story that he helped a brother or nephew emigrate from Spain, but they lost touch. I think I have set this comment to email me if you want to respond.
Broom is lovely! We like it in England, and it grows free on the hills.
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