We were last in this part of northern Spain in 1989 and amazingly enough, stopped in San Vincente de La Barquera where we are now, staying with our friends M & C. They are renting a sweet little tennant cottage built in the 1850s but helpfully modernized, tucked into steep ridged bright green hills overlooking the pounding surfer-enticing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. The cottage has lots of character, a mix of white stucco, round beach stone walls, red Spanish roof tiles, pretty second story wooden balcony.
We drove on a rainy day through the tight mountain passes between the towering Picos de Europa, with high sheer cliffs of striated white and grey-blue stone, past the occasional charming rustic stone farmhouses, thick shaggy work horses, and lovely ancient villages.
We drove from Panes south to Potes over the mountain. Same road over crest of mountains, passes, valleys meet there, river, towards the funicular. Also took a narrow winding road up a cliff near Puente de Hermida hot water spa, drove up a mountainous cliff.
Lunch was at an old Spanish Restaurant el bodegon where no one balked at four yanks walking in with two large white dogs. Ollie and Leto camped out under our table, hidden by a tablecloth and never made a sound. We dined on roasted lamb, steak, sweetbreads, lamb chops and potatoes; bean soup, cold white asparagus with swirls of mayonnaise, cold marinated leeks.
TakeBetsywithyou 