The holiday season in Asturias

Asturias is a popular destination during the heat of the summer in Spain. Many Spanish people come during the main holiday period of last two weeks of July, August and beginning of September. Many leave their town and city based apartments where the summer temperatures rarely fall below 30 degrees Celsius, to come to the milder and more tolerable northern coast; Spain's Natural Paradise, Asturias.

The once quiet towns and low-key cities now buzz with extra traffic, more pedestrians and busy terrace cafes and bars. The beaches that are mainly deserted for 10 months of the year become a mosaic of sun chairs, beach umbrellas, beach towels and sand castles. The hundreds of peaceful walking routes become punctuated with walkers, ramblers, cyclists and runners, the gentle hum of the mountains ring out with cattle bells and camera shutters and the subdued markets come to life with extra stalls and animated stall-holders eager to sell their wares to passing tourists.

As you wander around the small fishing villages, farming communities and hidden towns, the aromas of cured ham, grilled fish and seafood, still cider and barbecued meats float through the air with unprecedented regularity and the haze of wood smoke intensifies the tapestry of greens, golds and blues that are typical of summer here in Asturias. During the next few weeks we will see and hear a proliferation of fiestas, music festivals, street theatres and recitals, all geared up to entertain and bemuse both the locals and the incomers; something for everyone.

It is great to see this influx of visitors during the summer months and although it can upset our normality, we realise that the economy needs it. What always confuses us is why Asturias is so quiet during the remainder of the year? We appreciate that it is the main holiday period for many Spanish workers but we feel that there is no-where better to visit in Autumn or Spring and even Winter than this beautiful region of Spain. OK the weather can be unpredictable particularly in Spring and sometimes in summer but cooler and wet weather fronts rarely last for long and after all, that is why Asturias is so green and lush. With mountains, woodlands, pastures and coast, larger cities and quaint villages all easily accessible within half an hour no matter where you stay, Asturias really does cater for all tastes.

Below are a couple of videos that show some of the beauty of Asturias, the first is a video from the hotel we first stayed in on our first time in Asturias (worth a visit) and the second is one I have featured before of the Cares Gorge; the most iconic walk in Asturias. Who knows we just might meet here one day....?

Winter walk along the Cares Gorge, Picos De Europa, Asturias and León, Spain from Tomas Millar on Vimeo.
A walk along the Ruta Del Cares in Northern Spain. Posada de Valdeón - Caín (León) to Puente Poncebos (Asturias) - Courtesy of www.casausborne.com.

Filmed using:
DJI Phantom Quadcopter
GoPro Hero 3
H32D Gimbal

An update from Toriello

It has been full on here for the past seven days with lots of gardening, general maintenance, cycling challenges and visiting family.

This recent spell of bright sunshine and warmer weather has brought everything on at a pace and we now have lots of blossom on the peach and greengage, the pear is just about to bloom and the orange tree is full of tiny white buds. The vegetable plot now has 100 potatoes planted, several rows of peas and mange tout, a new lavender hedge (for the bees, soap and hand cream making) and, the remainder of the compost has been added around the raspberry canes. The ground also is prepared for the onions which will be planted next week. We are currently harvesting broccoli, leeks, celeriac, ruby chard and the last of the kalettes.

Luis' brother and his family came to stay this past week as Ruben planned to join Luis on the first of his challenges in the Caring for Rosie challenge (read more here). Last Tuesday Luis and Ruben set off from home at 8am and caught the train to Arriondas from where they commenced their cycle ride to the Lakes of the Picos de Europa mountains. They decided to start from Arriondas as there was a strong head wind on the day and they needed every drop of energy to tackle the 12 km ascent and the other 90 kms of road cycling.  They completed their epic ride and in total covered 100km with a total ascent of 2,827 m. So far We have raised over £750 for the Donkeys but with two further challenges to go I am confident we can meet our target of £1000.

It was good to spend time with Ruben, Veronica and the children and show them some of our local beaches and sights. The baby, Sara, is delightful and such a content and happy child. Kelan and Haizea are full of energy and really enjoyed playing in the garden and running wild on the sands. As for Luis and I, time to rest and recuperate over Easter in preparation for a busy Summer ahead.

A walk to the local nudist beach...

Following a couple of weeks of grim weather it was great to wake up to bright blue and clear skies and a golden sun that was going to rise high and begin to bring some warmth and much needed energy. Foregoing the pruning of the fruit trees we decided to take the morning off and head for our local nudist beach...

Just along the coast is the stunning beaches of Toranda and Torimbia. In the height of summer they do get busy but not packed however, at this time of year it is almost guaranteed they will be deserted. Torimbia is a popular family-focused nudist beach that can only be reached by foot along a track that winds its way down the hillside to a secluded beach bar and golden sands. The bay provides protection from the elements and the gentle sloping beach provides safe swimming for all ages.

Toranda is a beach in the next bay to Torimbia and although smaller and more exposed to the ocean, it is equally stunning. There is a small car-park near the beach down a rough track next to a never-completed, and now derelict) building - probably built without permits and prevented from being completed. This morning even the local police were enjoying their patrol and took their patrol car along the beach and parked up. Along the way we passed divers returning from their foraging for sea urchins and goose-foot barnacles which they will sell to the local restaurants.

There is a track along the headland that leads from the car-park in Toranda to the beach at Torimbia but sadly with the recent spate of torrential rain the track down to the beach has suffered a landslide and it is precarious to get down although another track has been trod which was relatively easy to navigate.

Now the big question is DID WE STRIP OFF? Maybe if you look close enough you might just spot us.... Click here to reveal all

Come rain or shine, there is work to be done...

We've had a couple of weeks of very mixed weather here in Asturias. One day bright sunshine and the next, torrential rain, hail and strong winds. There is snow in the mountains but at least here on the coast, that never causes us problems apart from the chill factor. The fields around us are flooded, there are several trees down and on the coast there has been damage to the promenades and tonnes of wood has been brought down stream in the swollen rivers and has now been deposited on the beaches.

It is always depressing to see such a large volume of plastic amongst the wood on the beach. Why can't people just dispose of water bottles and such, responsibly rather than just tossing them into the void that is apparently also their brain?

The rain in Asturias is relentless at times. Last week we had around 106 litres of rain (per square meter) with most of that coming down in short sharp bursts.

At this time of year we try and coppice the hazel that borders our land on the north side. We have a fence that was installed when the house was built sited just inside of an old limestone wall that has now fallen into disrepair; this wall is the actual boundary. One day we will restore it and remove the fence. About half way along, this wall becomes a retaining wall for our garden which drops down nearly two meters into the field below - hence the name La Pasera meaning the stepping stones. Along this dividing wall, hazels are prolific and thick but provide something of a wind-break from the storms that hit the north coast from the Atlantic and bay of Biscay. Never-the-less they need keeping in check or they become too impenetrable and a nuisance. We are about half way through now and when the weather allows we will continue behind the shed and compost bins. The coppiced wood will be chopped, left to dry and used for firewood or for plant supports in the garden.

In between the storms we have made a start on thinning out the hazel and where possible just leaving a few main branches to break the wind and prevent damage. The cats love the coppiced hazel and spend their time pouncing on the dried catkins, scent marking the twigs by rubbing their noses along the length and hiding from each other amongst the piles of cuttings ready to pounce when the opportunity arises.

On wet days, Wentworth and Gawber take refuge inside but use every opportunity on finer days to explore the surrounding fields and cuetos (rocky outcrops) in search of mice and lizards. Come rain or shine, there is always work to be done.

A cliff-top walk from La Isla to Lastres in Asturias

On New Year's day we decided to go for a coastal walk about 20 minutes drive from us: La Isla to Lastres. This path is well sign-posted and apart from a small amount of road walking at either end, it takes you along a vertigo inducing cliff-top path with spectacular views; just the thing to work off the excesses of Christmas and New Year. We started this linear walk on La Isla beach.

La Isla

It was a very cold start to the day with a wide-spread frost which is very unusual for where we are, we rarely get frost at all. The sky was blue and cloudless and as the sun rose, it warmed the air quickly rendering our two layers of fleece, shirt and gloves somewhat excessive.

Lastres in the distance

With a picnic of tortilla, walnut bread, celery, dried figs, fruit and drinks we were well set up to spend the day exploring, taking in the views and enjoying the warmth of the winter sun. We were surprised at the amount of flowers in bloom and how little evidence of Christmas there was in the villages along the way.

The eroding cliffs, mud slides and 50 meter vertical drop into turquoise blue seas and jagged rocks, is not something I or my newly acquired vertigo relish but never-the-less it was enjoyable and as long as I didn't get too far near the edge I was OK...ish. We spent a few minutes watching a diver navigate the rocks, probably fishing for goose-foot barnacles (percebes), a delicacy here in Asturias.

Searching for Goose-foot barnacle?

As you approach the far end of this linear walk you head slightly inland through the village of Guerres before heading down to La Griega beach (famous for dinosaur footprints) and on to Lastres. We passed more cattle and horses than people along the way and enjoyed our home-made picnic before heading back to La Isla to spend a few minutes on the beach as the sun began to set.

A walk through time: on the edge of Ribadesella town

We frequently walk around Ribadesella and never tire of the narrow, quiet streets and interesting buildings even though it is a very small town. It doesn't take much to see how the town has developed over the years and how the once, small cluster of sea-front fishermen and merchant houses has expanded as more land has been reclaimed from the sea and the estuary. The town has ancient roots and has been a settlement of sorts for at least the past 35,000 years, possibly much longer.

One walk we regularly take is on the edge of town along a narrow road that leads up to La Guia: a once important defensive position where cannon were  positioned ready to repel any unfriendly visitors. There is a small church and fortress dating back to the 1700s  that was built to provide spiritual and physical protection to the defenders. Today, the small chapel and remnants of defences remain. The chapel is now dedicated to Our Lady of La Guia, the patron Saint of fishermen and houses a small but wonderful collection of models of sea-going vessels.

Sociedad Etnográfica de Ribadesella SER

The vantage point of La Guia enables you to see the mouth of the River Sella as it winds its way through the lush landscape down to the estuary and into the Bay of Biscay. From here you can see the grand Indianos-style houses that were built on re-claimed land that borders the Santa Marina beach. The houses date mainly from the early 20th century when rich emigrant traders returned from the South Americas and built grand houses and estates. Many are now hotels but a few remain private residences.

Looking further up the Estuary there is a large expanse of rock which houses probably one of Ribadesella's greatest treasures: the caves of Tito Bustillo. Discovered in the 1960s, the network of caves and paleolithic cave art dates back at least 29,000 years. It is easy to imagine how small groups of humans occupied this estuary, with the caves offering protection and the sea and the rich flood plains offering up food in abundance. As an aside, in the next village to us about 5km from Ribadesella, they have recently discovered a bone pit containing fine examples of Woolly Rhinoceros, Hyena, Deer and Bison. The pit has undergone preliminary investigation and has now been sealed until finances can be secured to undertake a full archaeological investigation.

At the far end of Santa Marina beach along the promenade, there are some fine examples of dinosaur footprints in the sedimentary rocks that have been displaced by time and seismic land movement. Over 100 million years have passed since a small family group of dinosaurs passed over mud flats and left impressions for time to seal and eventually reveal.

 I often wonder what else lies undiscovered?

Scanning the landscape and pondering times gone by makes me wonder what footprints we might leave and how the archaeologists of future times might interpret our impact, presence our legacy.