Samos Monastery

I checked in at Hotel A Veiga which had a highly recommended restaurant, so I decided to have lunch before doing anything else. From the set menu, full of choices, I had grilled mushrooms followed by "albondigas" - delicious meatballs, with several glasses of red wine. The large dining room, overlooking the river, was well patronised for a Tuesday lunchtime.

After a siesta, I walked back the one km to the monastery and just caught the 4.30 pm guided tour. Our guide was not a monk, but a young Spanish woman with a baby girl asleep in a sling. 

The Benedictine Monstery, though enormous in size, only has 10 monks now. It mostly dates from the Baroque era. There was a disastrous fire on 1951, when a huge explosion occurred in the distillery. It burnt down the library, among other things. There is a modern mural depicting the event, as well as others showing scenes from the life of St Benedict.