We left Portugal and headed for Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.
We crossed the Minho River, which sets Portugal’s border with Galicia, Spain for about 80 kilometers. It flows from its source north of Lugo in Galicia towards the southwest until it reaches the Portuguese border, then empties into the Atlantic Ocean. During our drive, we passed by the coastal Spanish cities of Vigo and Pontevedra, overlooking the same ocean.
Vigo is the largest city in Galicia and is noted for its architecture, unique landscapes, islands, and nice beaches, while Pontevedra, the capital city of the province, also called Pontevedra, is known for its well-preserved medieval town centre. We did not stop at either city, but just enjoyed the view of their ports and the Atlantic waters as we drove along. Pontevedra is situated in the lower bays of Galicia and is the region’s most southern sea-facing province. The city of Pontevedra sits at the end of Ria de Pontevedra, while Vigo is on a lower bay to its south.
Interestingly, it was during this long drive, while still on the Portuguese side, that I saw an overpass that, I-kid-you-not, I had seen in one of my vivid dreams just weeks before this trip. In my dream, I was a passenger on a car driven by someone I do not know or recognize. I was sitting at the front seat, looking passively at the countryside view (which, I realized was exactly the same as the view on the real drive), when we came across this overpass. The only difference between my dream and reality was that in my dream, we drove over it. In reality, we drove underneath. And in my dream, the overpass was higher and steeper, but there was no mistaking that this was the very same one.
I was also overcome by a deep sense of deja-vu. I felt that I was reliving a moment, as if I had been in that exact location before, and that for some unexplainable reason, being there had some sort of significance. I say "unexplainable" because there was no distinct landmark nor noteworthy site around that area that could mark it as an important place. On the contrary, it was some random overpass along a generic national highway, passing through a typical countryside. Yet, I could recall and identify that very same spot from my dream and at that moment, I felt some strong feelings about the place. Strange indeed!
I regret that I was not able to take a photograph. It happened too fast. By the time I realized I should have captured that image through my camera, our bus was already a few kilometers ahead.
I did, however, find a photo posted by someone on a driving website simply titled, “overpass on the way from Braga to Galicia.” I couldn't remember how I stumbled upon it, but I recall I was searching "overpasses in Braga and nearby" a few days after I came home from the trip. It’s a beautiful picture. I guess this overpass also made an impression on someone else. There was a caption stating that it is located in Calheiros, Portugal, but there were no other details about the overpass itself. I saved this photo years ago, and when I recently looked for it again, I couldn't find it online anymore.
Thankfully, we now have Google Maps. After a painstaking search recently (because I wanted to post more pictures here), I found an image of this overpass and its coordinates. I now know that it is on the N201 in the Viana do Castelo district of northern Portugal and that it crosses Highway A3 (AutoEstrada do Minho).
Perhaps, someday, I will understand why I dreamt about this unassuming, yet quite impactful overpass. And maybe I should consider checking out Viana do Castelo and see what I can find there.
Photo Credits:
Thorcho gp (Wikipedia), rtve.es
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