The trees beckoned — the twisted, moss-draped laurel trees of Fanal Forest. These are giant, shaggy specimens, ancient and protected, but not exactly on the beaten path. Having missed the trip our friends took there earlier in the year, we booked a tour, not reading the fine print. Only the morning of the hike did I note the mileage: 11 kilometers. And this after 15K the day before. Could we do it? We hoped so.

What we didn’t know we learned when we arrived. “This trail will go up and down, up and down,” our guide said. He was right. There was barely any level ground for six and a half miles. And much of the path was slick rock and mud.

But we walked on … and on … and on. The fun really began after our hastily-consumed picnic lunch, when the rain began, light at first but worsening with every step. By the time we reached Fanal Forest, we were fighting sleet and gale-force winds.

I hesitated to take my phone out to snap a shot, but I couldn’t pass up the chance. After all, one of these trees (the one below, I think) is 600 years old.