Peelies travels

At Caravanning Oyambre, near Comillas (where the Gaudi house is), we wandered down to the local beach during the evening. Here there are many camper-vans and a surf scene. The site behind the beach isn't very highly recommended and we were happy in ours, a 15 minute walk away. It was the night of the full moon and we made the most of it whilst down there. Then, with the weather holding for a fine evening, we cooked outside for what will be the last time for a few months. We chatted to Brits coming into Spain and staying here for their first night or two. It's surprising how many are coming, even late in the season. Those campsites still open, are closing this weekend or next. Then it will be aires all the way for these travellers until they get to the coast in either Portugal or the south of Spain. It's been a great trip for us. We've only driven a few hundred miles here but seen some great countryside. We've spent the time in Castilla Leon and Austurias, with en...

We camped for two nights at a very nice site ( Camping Colombres , at Llavandes). West of the town of  Colombres is another stretch of rugged coastline, again all limestone. We had to  walk uphill again because we walked all the way down to the sea, from a farmer’s track parking space, high above the shoreline. The legs now though feel strong after the alpine walking. 😀 The tide was in and we watched the waves and threw driftwood back as entertainment. Later we went to find the inland beach near Bluena . There’s a cave just behind this beach that could almost be a formal attraction, so good are the stalactites. You just walk in! Fortunately I had a very bright torch and we could appreciate it. Then, just a few metres on, there’s a breach in the limestone and the sea gets through.  In fact there are several holes through the cliff and the waters from the high tide push their way through the rock and onto an inland beach. It’s a spectacular scene, as the waters appear lit...

At Colombres there are some very nice houses. These were built by returning emigrants who had made their money in South America. When they returned they really did splash their cash. One of these houses is open to walk around, with the ground floor used as a library. We had a quick walk up the galleried stairs to the top floor and admired the stone work and original features. Several other houses appear to be in private hands. The town seems to make a lot of this emigration and there are even memorials to those who left, with a particular sad painting depicting a sad departure. We had the last menu del dia of the trip here. It was rather good value and we mingled with ‘the locals’. Then it was back to the coast, a little nearer Santander, where we stayed at Caravaning Oyambre in order to visit Comillas. The town is a fair walk from the site and by the time we had walked there, around and back, it was about 16kms. H ere there are even more nice buildings, including a famous Gaudi desi...

We managed to see Naranjo de Bulnes with its 550m vertical wall (2,519m) from a valley viewpoint near Las Arenas de Cabrales. It’s worth looking for. Once you are into the higher mountains it of course disappears. It’s a bit like Everest which is (apparently) well hidden by Lhotse and Nuptse. We also drove up the valley side to the north of Arenas de Cabrales , hoping to see it from a well known viewpoint but it was too cloudy  We did have a customary wander around the hamlet of  Asiegu and found a cheese maker and the evidence of a fence-maker cum artist. We have got a little braver with our cheese choices and confidentiality pulled the curtain open at a very small artisan cheeser. The lady was over in the high risk area (well she had the white boots and hairnet that I’m familiar with) and indicated that she’d be a couple of minutes. I was happy to observe the process which was simple. She moved the stirring paddle around in the milk for a while, measured the temperature and...