Have you ever heard of the term “Espigueiros” or “Horreo”? No? How about “Canastros” ? No? If you have heard of these terms, have you seen them in person? I hadn’t, but that was until I did a road trip through Northern Portugal & Spain. Maybe you have heard of a granary? The term – “Espigueiros” is a traditional stone structure that is raised above the ground by four granite pillars. They are unique to rural Galician architecture and traditionally used in agriculture for the storing, curing, and drying of corn during the long winter months. At first glance, they appeared to be some sort of catacomb. As distinguishing traits of Northern Portugal and Northern Spain landscapes, these granaries date back to XII A.C. I spent a lot of time admiring them in all of the small villages around Peneda-Gêres National Park, especially in Soajo & Lindoso. In these areas, old farm-styled houses have at least one standing tall alongside their corn fields. In some areas, they are clustered together and laid out across a flat slab of granite similar to tombstones found at a cemetery. It is estimated that there are 18 000 left, some are well preserved whilst others are merely ruins. Soajo has 24 of them,