ROAD TO SORIA, by Margarita Díaz Andrés

 Perhaps because it is my mother's land, or because of the intense green that reminds me of Galicia, or perhaps because of the surprise of a land that is clearly underestimated and almost unknown in tourist routes, the fact is that the trip to Soria left a deep impression on me.

The strong contrasts of the landscape accompany me to the door of the capital, where the banks of the Duero river are the undisputed protagonists. I listen to "Camino Soria", that song from the late 80s I identify with as I approach and  I finally  understand Machado: This land hooks and falls in love.

SORIA NATURAL LANDSCAPE

The river banks of the Duero become art in San Saturio, excavated in the rock, as austere on the outside as beautiful on the inside, with its chapel full of Baroque frescoes that narrate the life of the saint. I keep being  amazed  when I  walk into  the hermitage and  discover its passage that descends to the cave where he lived his life as a hermit.

Back in the capital I make a stop in San Juan de Duero, where a cloister with beautiful and varied arches shows us how original the Romanesque part of Soria can be.

SAN JUÁN DE DUERO

 And finally, I go into the city. I am not very surprised by its small size, you can see the city where I come from, the beautiful Pontevedra, and Soria is welcoming me with its Plaza Mayor surrounded by stately buildings and its emblematic Fountain of the Lions. Strolling the streets of the small capital of Soria is more than pleasant, but I cannot leave without visiting its beautiful Romanesque churches, San Juan de Rabanera, San Nicolás, Santa María la Mayor ... and of course, Santo Domingo: Its Romanesque facade is especially attractive with its set of arches and its impressive carved stone doorway.

But my circuit through the Duero lands does not end here ... the Lobos River Canyon is one of my objectives of this trip. As I approach the Natural Park, the road already anticipates the beauty of the Canyon, even so, nothing comparable with what awaits me when I arrive.

The erosion caused by the wind and the Lobos river itself in the limestone, has been drawing and sculpting this natural wonder. The hermitage of San Bartolomé is so integrated into the landscape that I have the feeling that it has always been there. 

Around it the views are spectacular. I encourage myself to climb one of the slopes and I  access "El balconcillo", a hole in the mountain that allows you to admire the back of the rock as from a privileged watchtower, no wonder it is one of the most photographed parts of the Canyon. 

After a good photo session, it is necessary to do some of the trails that start from this point. Perhaps one of the most comfortable and beautiful is the one that begins at the foot of the hermitage, passing through the Cave and the Colmenas del Fraile.

RÍO LOBOS CANYON

With every step I take I discover new shapes on the canyon walls. Imposing its height and verticality, the green vegetation increases the contrast with the intense red of this land that in many sections turns the characteristic white and gray of limestone. The vultures that inhabit the innumerable cavities of the canyon that accompany my route along with the odd eagle,  only increase the charm of this place ... for a lover of birds of prey this is almost a paradise. 

The path becomes greener, bordering the river full of water lilies, and I think I could continue walking indefinitely, but I cannot ignore another of the attractions of my trip through the Duero, the Castilian towns with their sober architecture: Berlanga de Duero, Rejas de San Esteban, Calatañazor or San Esteban de Gormaz. Some still keep castles, churches and other medieval jewels among their walled enclosures ... and here I go. 

My camera is bursting   with photos and my head with images and memories. The trip to Soria has managed to reconcile this recalcitrant and obstinate Galician daughter of the Ribeira Sacra with her origins.