Potes and environs

Potes is a bustling town that’s clearly ‘in the mountains’ but isn’t quite a mountain town. Well that was what we thought until we went for a walk. More on that later. First we got to know the site (Camping La Viorna) and the neighbours. After the squeeze of the first night near the pool, we were upgraded to a pitch at the end of the lowest terrace which had a superb view of the eastern massive of the Picos. So although this was still a squeeze pitch, somehow we felt good about it. The ‘squeeze’ happened later in the day. ☺️

Happily our immediate neighbours were quiet Dutchland people who like to eat their tea early and retire in good time. They always enjoy taking to us Brits, rather than those Germans and soon I was engaged because I was asked a question. “Why do you have a UK flag on your number plate, rather than a Welsh Scottish or English flag?”.

Tricky! I explained that England isn’t a country like Wales or Scotland. They have their own parliaments and make rules for themselves. Also we were once referred to as Great Britain on our vehicles but it got awkward as Northern Island had to be tagged on the end, as in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. So somehow our GB was changed to UK which means all four ‘countries’. As a throwaway I also said that dropping the ‘Great Britain’ would probably help in the apologising that we seem to be doing for things we did many years ago, that we thought were right.  Well that got him going because it’s the same in NL and “everything we’ve done now seems to need an apology and no one can express an opinion for fear of upsetting someone else”.

After that I felt rather depressed, as I thought these issues were confined to Great Britain (& NI) but it seems they are not.

The site is very handy for a walk down into Potes but is also close to the road to Fuente De and there’s a monastery at the end of our local road. So we walk up to that soon after breakfast. It isn’t far but at the top there’s a huge car and coach park because this place is quite a draw. Sainte Toribio de Liebana and also the Sancuary of the Lignum Crucis (Holy Cross) has a piece of the ‘True Cross’ which was taken from Jerusalem in the 5th Century and brought to Spain.

The masses come here for that reason. We do go inside but the side chapel has timed access control and we aren’t there at the next one. Anyway a walk seems a good idea and we go to the first of five chapels that are on this hillside and there’s a viewing platform at this one, with a selfie post for your phone. We get a great view back down to the campsite and can appreciate the Picos scenery even more.

It’s a massive uphill stretch to the next and it is really sustained and steep. The path is suspiciously overgrown and we are felt shortchanged when we emerge to find that San Pedro’s chapel is a dodgy pile of stones. We wander around the hill and finally see the monastery again and there’s a pull from the coffee van that was just opening when we left. Down there the car park was filling and it’s obvious that most people never get more than 50m from their wheels, with the old wood fragment being their limit.

Back at camp our cautious neighbours tell us that they too might walk up to the monastery “tomorrow”.

The pool is great again. A few more lengths this time and then a sunbathe before we go to get a clean pair of shorts on for tea at the campsite. The cost of food and drink has so far been just as we remember from 2022.  Nothing seems expensive with a coffee always less than €2 and menu of the day about €20 (three plates and a glass of beer or wine).

We decided to try a proper walk and chose one from a guidebook that starts and ends in the town. So that adds at least a mile to each end of it. We do a circular walk to a hamlet to the south of Potes but follow a route that seems to be the steepest ascents and descents that we could have chosen. It’s a real slog and once again we underestimate just how long, really steep slopes add to a hike, as opposed to steep ones. Also it’s hot, in the 30s and absolutely arid. There isn’t a drop of water anywhere. We find a trough in a tiny farming hamlet that is more of a ruin and the water is brackish.

At the turning point of Tudes, the apparently attractively decorated taverna is unattractively closed. Maybe Friday isn’t a busy day - well we haven’t seen anyone at all and only here saw two locals. So there’s no food and no water refills. We rely solely on what we are carrying but at the end (in total about 20km) we are flagging and immediately buy a big bottle and rehydrate. Slowly. Then we go and find some of that menu del dia which is still available, even at 4pm.