On the morning of the 12th we left Bilbao and drove west through the provinces of Cantabria and Asturias towards the city of Oviedo. Driving near the Picos de Europa National Park afforded us some gorgeous scenery. We heard there were villages in the area that specialize in different cheeses and that we were near one that specialized in blue cheese. I had visions of stopping for wine and cheese in a quaint village and the place we found, Las Arenas, was just what I had envisioned! Las Arenas is in Asturias, in the foothills of the Picos. If you click on the link notice that there is another  village we drove through called Poo de Cabrales!

We finally arrived in the small village of Luge de Llanera where we had a room reserved. It was at dinner that night that we got to witness the cider pouring that Asturias is known for. Our hosts’ husband took us out to the nearest sidreria (cider drinking establishment), bought us a bottle of cider and told the bartender it was our first time there so that he made sure that we could see him pouring. It is like a little performance that they repeat over and over and over. They only pour 2 fingers width at a time because you are supposed to down it quickly so that you get it while it’s still a little fizzy.

The next day we drove a short distance to Oviedo and were delighted by the free Art Museum and the accordion players after we left the museum.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_J5sjoZCSo&w=480  ]

We also learned that Oviedo was one of Woody Allen’s favorite cities in Spain. He made some memorable quotes about the city and they erected a life size statue of him after filming a movie there in 2008. They have many other interesting statues in town as well.

After leaving Oviedo we visited an American expatriate who lived closer to the coast.  He was a gracious host and it was a very relaxing way to spend the afternoon. We took his advice and visited Aviles, another town nearby. It is an old estuary port and steel making town. We learned that this part of Spain still uses a lot of coal for heating and some industry. We could smell the coal in the air in Aviles.  One of their famous sons is Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, founder of St Augustine, FL.

The morning of the 14th we drove farther west into Galicia. Ready for a break to stretch our legs, we stopped at a mountain village, Taramundi with very steep and narrow streets. Taramundi is known for their knife making workshops and as a center for ethnographic displays demonstrating the way of life in this area back in the day…  A lot of the houses throughout this whole area still have the old style slate roofs.

After passing through Taramundi, we drove another 4 km or so to a little village, Teixois, where there is a working museum with a very well-preserved water powered mill that was used to grind grain, wash clothes, and power a blacksmith forge. We had to wait a half hour for the next tour which was just enough time to drink a bottle of the local cider. Here they use a  little dispensing mechanism that fits on top of the bottle.

Our lodging this night was in the fishing port of Sada. Again, we had trouble locating the flat. To get there, we had to climb a long wooden staircase up to the old part of town. This village had super narrow streets! They were barely wide enough for one car. If you met someone coming the other way, you had to back up until there was room for them to pass. We had to contact our host for help finding the place and they were very nice about helping.

Galicia is famous for its seafood and that night we tried pulpo (octopus). I think pulpo sounds awful, but Roy ordered it and I tried it. It was much better than I was expecting!  < note from Roy … I think it’s great!  Looking forward to my next chance to order it! >

Sada is a lovely seaside village and our lodging was so close to a beach! Over the other side of the hill where we had just climbed the wooden staircase was yet another staircase leading to our own private beach.

Perhaps private because we were there so early in the morning!

Next post: Galicia and beyond …