Pretty green

We left Lugo for Foz, which is actually going backwards across northern Spain, but there was a reason for doing that which I’ll cover in the next blog. (Oh a bit of tension….)

Foz is a coastal town of c10k residents that like a lot of northern Spain, was once a fishing village but is now mainly dependant on tourism. 

After sourcing and checking in to my hotel, a walk along the coast was taken as it was late afternoon and slightly overcast, the colours of the scenery started to change as the sun started to set and some of my most scenic photos to date were taken. That walk reminded me that just being there in the moment is important, whatever the time of day.

Dinner was a local pizza restaurant and the owner was a fan of motorbikes as there were two on display (think Hard Rock Cafe, but motorbikes not guitars) and then one wall had 30 of so bike helmets from various sources. The pizzas were excellent and the sink in loo was great too!!

I can take no credit for many of the places I’ve been to as my friend and driver is far better at seeking out the jewels on her travels and this was especially true the next morning when we arrived at Playa de las Catedrales or Cathedral Beach. What a beach! It’s clearly a well known local tourist spot and was reminiscent of Durdle Door in Dorset. 

I was there late morning and it was quietly busy with other visitors, so I took myself off down one side of the steps down and started taking in the amazing beach and the even more impressive cliffs and rocks including the star of the show as per the picture below. Having moved along the beach to the other side from where we were parked, the wow moments continued. As part of the Gallic traditions of the area, a bagpiper was on the beach playing which just added to the must see element of this amazing place.

After a quick coffee break (with a green tray) it was on to the next stop, a lighthouse on a small island linked by a short bridge. This houses the two lighthouses of Ribadeo, one now accommodation and the other, built at the end of the last century, in traditional black and white. The sea surrounding the island was rugged and powerful, which made the experience all the better. Another great find.  

A great couple of stops, seeing our beautiful planet at it brooding and colourful best and it was time to return to Lugo, again!!

Another brick in the wall

My journey continued from Oviedo to Lugo. 

Lugo is a walled city and that’s a proper walled city where you can walk around the walls and I know that because I did! It’s 1.27 miles if you’re interested and to be honest it’s still that even if you’re not!! It was built in the 3rd Century BC by the Romans (what have they ever done for us?) and is apparently the only city in the world still surrounded by completely intact roman walls. This makes it a UNESCO world heritage site.

(the Wall or rather the path at the top of the Wall)

I stayed in two different places while there, one a 4 star hotel and the other an AirBnB. The hotel was amazing and when I checked in the receptionist uttered those magical words “I’ve given you an up grade” and I had a suite! A real proper lounge, bedroom and bathroom with two sinks! Free water, crisps and slippers too! My bed was big enough to be in two separate post codes back home! Ok no more exclamation marks. 

(The view from my suite!)

I loved Lugo - not just because of the suite - as for me every street had a view around the corner that made you smile, none more so that when I came across Lugo cathedral for the first time. It was around lunch time and I came at down a side street and there was just this beautiful church in the sun, which I walked around ending at the front in all its majesty. I took many photos of it from all over the city and at all times of day. 

The food in Lugo was also great with a couple of particularly good places for breakfast near the hotel and a square in the centre of the walled city with a row of excellent restaurants. I tried two of them and one I actually ate in or outside 4 times. My ordering is getting better and I mainly got what I wanted! 

After two nights of luxury, it was time for a bit of domesticity as I needed the use of a washing machine and AirBnB provided a very nice apartment with a washer drier and it was home from home for another two nights. 

I used this time to explore more of the walled city, including the aforementioned wall walk, and took in two amazing murals, one of which (Julius Caesar) I’ll admit I missed the first time, despite seeing it when we drove into the city. 

(Is this a dagger I see before me…. Well yes actually!)

My apartment had a Celtic theme to the rooms and I was in the “love knot” apartment!  🤣🤣🤣. Well I loved the washer/drier!! It was also slap bang in the middle of the walled city so all the good stuff was still close by!



I’ll remember Lugo for lots of reasons, all mainly good and for being the place they gave me an upgrade!

Se a Vida è

We left this travelogue, with me in a supermarket car park, rejoining my transport for the trip to Oviedo. While “avoiding tolls and motorways” has been the route choices, on this occasion we took the motorway as there is boulder in the middle of the N road apparently and getting round it makes your heart rate go to unacceptable levels!

We found a park up on the edge of the city and me a hotel close by and then set off for the city centre by train. 

My first impressions of the city were very favourable, with lots of photogenic churches, parks and statues and that feeling stayed and was enhanced over the three days I visited it. 

Churches. Spain being a catholic country has lots of beautiful churches and Oviedo was no exception. The first one that I came across was the Basilica of St John the Real. The current church was completed in 1915, but as with a lot of such churches there have been acts of worship in this place for many years and this site goes back to AD 862, when Alphonso III “the Great” built an alter dedicated to San Juan Bautista. So St John the Real refers to John the Baptist, not the writer of the gospel. As the photos show it is very ornate and the lights after dark are particularly effective in showing off the edifice. 

The second great church in the city is the Cathedral of San Salvador or the Cathedral of Oviedo and I spent time both looking at from the outside over lots of different occasions and also took a tour of the church itself. It’s a destination for pilgrims and the architecture is in the image of the Jerusalem of heaven as per the Apocalypse. The area behind the main alter is made up of a number of floor to ceiling gold embossed scenes and they are remarkable both in their detail and the images they portray. The architecture of the outside is also stunning and can be viewed from many different angles and from across the city.

Parks. The main park in Oviedo is 22 acres in the centre of the city. The website says that there are 955 species and I’ll take their word as I lost count after a while!! That 955 is made up of 51 different species and 100 varieties. The oldest trees are 300 year old oaks and the tallest is a shade banana tree at 40 metres, although I saw a giant redwood that also looked pretty tall! It’s just bursting with nature is therefore just a great place to walk, think and have a go on the outdoor gym! 

Statues. Oviedo has lots and of differing varieties, styles and size. Most are classical in subject, famous locals, animals and thought provoking images but they also include one of Woody Allen 🤷‍♂️. There is one of Malfada sat on a bench, who is there in part as a tribute to her creator, Joaquin Salvador Lavado Tejón “Quino” and is the twin of another statue installed in Buenos Aires. Finally there is one of some naked people which is better viewed from the back than the front! 

I enjoyed my time in Oviedo and this is just a snap shot of my days there and yesterday i do know that a snap shot is meant to be brief!! 

Misty Mountain Hop

The next stop along the coast took me to Cudillero, a fishing village which these days is better known for its tourism. Having parked up on part of the breakwater, my first view of the village itself, which was a 10-minute walk away, was glorious as it was bathed in sunlight . Cudillero is regarded as one of Spain’s most beautiful villages and they are not wrong! It reminded me of parts of Cornwall. 

The village sits on a steep hillside and my hotel was therefore up in the village and the views of the streets above me were also picturesque. 

A quick turn around after checking in and I was out exploring my new surroundings that were changing by the minute! Cudillero suffers from mist this time of year and within an hour of clear skies, a rolling sea mist had covered much of the higher ground and also parts of the harbour. This stayed for much of the rest of the day, making me grateful for the earlier photos I had been able to take. It now reminded me of the hill mists you see in the Brecon Beacons!! 

After coffee with my friend and a chat about plans for the next day, I started planning my evening meal! I decided upon a small bar restaurant and once there was presented with a menu in English, which they must have gleaned from my stuttering request for a table. 

Next to me were a Swiss couple who spoke excellent English and they recommended both the cheese and sausage platter and a glass of Rioja! Who am I to refuse such advice?? They were travelling in a motorhome like my friend but had cycled into the village so the journey back may have been wobbly but they were seen returning safely. 

The day before we had filled with both diesel and LPG before setting off so the van was fully laden and we agreed that the drive up the steep hillside was therefore best done with less weight on board, namely me! The  next morning, therefore, I set off an hour early to climb out of the village and rendezvous with the van in a supermarket car park. It’s not all glamour you see! Sadly it was still overcast, so there were no prize-winning photos on my walk, but I did get breakfast of coffee and a doughnut in a roadside café full of truckers and council workers before meeting up.

Go your own way

After such a great first day in Salinas The next morning we agreed that this was so lovely we’d stay another night and my hotel room was duly extended. 

This gave me two opportunities, firstly to use Spanish railways and secondly to use said train to go back to Aviles. To be honest I was slightly nervous about the train as I was pretty sure there would be no ticket office at the station, which was a halt more than a station. This proved to be true but the good news is that I wasn’t arrested for not having a ticket and therefore didn’t spend a night or more in a Spanish jail. Instead, one of my fellow passengers waiting at the station was the train guard, who sold me a ticket while we waited and she explained how the ticketing system worked. 

The “station” was essentially a platform and a shelter both of which had seen better times. The train that arrived was in comparison, clean and modern. In 6 minutes I was alighting in Aviles and the first point of order was breakfast. So up to this point I didn’t realise that coffee in some cafes automatically comes with a couple of Churros. So I ordered a croissant, the size of a baby’s head and then, again, had more food to eat than I needed. All good though.

One of the main reasons to visit Avilés was to see the church of Thomas of Canterbury and as this was just by my breakfast stop seeing it was the first activity of the day. 

There’s been a convent of this site since the late 17th century, but the current church was only consecrated in 1903 and some of the stone from the convent was used in its construction. It was open to visitors but a service was about to start and with the congregation filing in, I only took a quick couple of photos. The organist was playing, however, so I was able to enjoy 5 minutes of quiet reflection listening to the music.

One of the other main attractions of Avilés is the Oscar Niemeyer Centre, a futuristic complex of domes and a tower that host concerts, exhibitions and live performances. It is the only work in Spain by the Brazilian architect and was inaugurated in 2011. It’s very white and if you climb to the top of the tower to see what’s there, it’s a closed restaurant!! Good coffee though in the cafe and in a reasonably sized cup. It’s amazing in its design and is at odds with much of the surrounding area.

A further walk around the city led me to the Convent of San Francisco del Monte (as opposed to the man from……). This dates back to the 14th century and was open so I spent a few minutes soaking up the atmosphere which taking more photos. It was beautiful and very quiet. 

Avilés has an old part to the city which I then explored taking many photos, before starting the train journey back to Salinas to enjoy more coffee and walking which included revisiting in bright sunshine a set of “sails” that hadn’t looked as good the day before in cloudy skies.

Dinner was to be in a different restaurant on the beach front, but it was closed! As it’s “off” season here now, there seems to be a feeling of “today I’m having a day off” if the owners so wish, with a neighbouring cafe being open one day, closed the next and then open again!



So I went back to La Luna, had an excellent pizza and retired for the night. 11.5 miles walked, 24.5k steps! 

On the beach

 After the two days in Gijon, my sights were set in a western direction to Avilés, a city roughly 18 miles away.  As with the best laid plans this was not what actually happened as en route we agreed to stop at the beach at Salinas which is 5/10 minutes further along the coast and we immediately fell in love with the endless beach and that was the latest stop decided upon.

 I found a hotel about 20 minutes walk away which had good reviews and having checked in set off exploring the beach and coast line. I essentially walked the whole beach but in two parts, stopping for coffee and a chat with my friend in the middle.  My initial impressions were only reinforced with cafes and restaurants all adding to the joy of stumbling across this jewel.  

After a small siesta, such a great concept, back in my hotel I set off again to the beach for dinner.

My evening meal was another burger - stop that, it’s not nice to judge people! - this time at La Luna a beach restaurant, which had great reviews. This was spot on as the bar staff were all highly accommodating of an Englishman trying to order in a still foreign language. The food was excellent and the now obligatory cheesecake followed with a coffee actually in a mug. Such small mercies count for such a lot!! 

All in all another excellent day and another 22k steps on the clock!

Walk this way

The next stop on my trip across the north of Spain, took me to two nights in Gijon. Not planned as two to start but the spontaneity of travelling like this is part of the fun. 

My first day, after checking in to my hotel was spent walking and in the transport museum (yes more trains!). 

The museum was based around what I presume was an old terminus station with the engines and rolling stock all on tracks. Spain still operates trains on four different gauges, broad, standard, metre and narrow. The aim is to convert as much to standard with some dual gauging of broad gauge. The “commuter” trains are mainly still on metre or narrow gauge and there is therefore a clear distinction in terms of where you board local and mainline trains certainly around here. 

The museum therefore had dual tracks so that engines and carriages could be displayed together and that made the experience that much better. 

After spending an enjoyable hour there - it’s not that large a collection - I then ventured along the beach front which was, as ever, glorious. I’m blessed with hot sunny weather so far, which is not normal in November and at great variance to the Valencia area which is experiencing horrendous flooding which fills all the TV channels here.

The beach front led me to the “old town” part of the city which was at it’s loveliest as the sun was lower in the sky and brought out the best in the colours of the buildings.

Then it was time for “Mark finds food” which having looked up the best places near me took me to a small bar that did “award winning” burgers. They did not lie, although a kind waiter stopped me ordering what apparently was a burger that is meant to be shared!! Beer, cheesecake (small) and coffee (thimble size again) completed the experience and I turned in a happy and full man.

Day two started with breakfast in the hotel, another first as I’ve ventured out thus far. My order was taken by the waitress holding up food and drinks and my nodding for what I wanted. That’s how I ended up with orange juice, a banana, a croissant, a chocolate chip muffin and a small coffee! 

After a check in with my driver to make sure all was good with her, I ventured off to explore the area around the oldest football stadium in Spain, El Molinón - Enrique Castro Quini Stadium, where Sporting Gijon play their home games. The stadium has been modernised but glimpses of the stands from outside, showed a ground that would still be seen as needing up grading in the UK. 

Like my team Southampton, Sporting wear red and white stripes, have an away kit in yellow, a third kit in pink and both are made by Puma. Sporting play in the second division, so that’s where the similarities end, well at least until the end of this season!!

I decided to change hotel’s for the second night as I fancied a change so for my second night I found a 4* hotel at a decent price and boy it was good! 

After checking in I took a late lunch break at Rick’s cafe along another water front, which preluded a further walk to see a bronze statue called “La Madre del Emigrante” which movingly depicts a mother waving off her children to unknown futures. The statue is 4 metres high and is very effecting in her expression as she loses those she loves to better life. 

I’d seen a viewpoint on the other side of the bay earlier that had another set of statues on it so embarked on another long walk all back the way that I’d come to see this, stopping off en route to buy the Bluetooth keyboard now being used to write this blog. (It’s in Spanish and not all the keys do what they say they will, but it’s better than typing on a screen!)

After that walk and a few photos in fading light of the statues, it was dinner time and this wasn’t my finest moment. I thought that I’d embrace tapas so ordered some ham croquettes and some fries with salsa. 8 croquettes arrived and then a plate of fries with bacon that was ample for 2! Three salsa portions too. One was red hot, one was garlic and one was, I think, mustard?

Far far too much food for one!

Day two ended with me feeling very very full, but as I had walked nearly 25k steps  it was well earned!! (That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!)

Happy

 Happy

My journey across Northern Spain continues and the second stay was in Ribadesella, which I’m told is because it’s at the end of the River Sella. 

My hotel was quite posh but on the top floor with beams etc so there was a fair chance that I would smack my head while negotiating my way in and out of the shower. (Dear reader I did not!) Another big room and a bed so comfy you don’t want to leave (but your ride doesn’t hang around!)

The main feature of the town is a long long beach with a promenade (which to be fair they all have). The beach was lovely but had character as it had substantial driftwood on it, some of which had been crafted into structures. The town also suffers (?) from sea mists so as they rolled in at various times the views became more hazy and on one occasion that coincided with my getting to a viewpoint and then there being no view!

My next attempt at ordering food involved fish and I ended up with a plate of what I think was bream but could also have been monkfish or cod in breadcrumbs. A loaf of bread accompanied this and a dipping sauce that was probably garlic mayonnaise. That was followed by a small piece of cheesecake and the now normal thimble of coffee. 

After a good nights sleep and another shower without head injury, it’s off to Gijón. 

Trains and boats and planes

 

I’m currently travelling in Northern Spain and my first stop was a costal town called Llanes. And as you can see there were boats and trains (well a station).

It’s 172 km west of Bilbao and that’s 4 hours if you take the scenic route rather than the motorway. I stayed at Hotel Sablon which is next to a beautiful crescent beach and that first night my room overlooked said beach. 

I stayed two nights and while in the same hotel; had two different rooms. The first had a much trailed “sea view” the second was initially not considered an option as it was not near the same standard as the first one. I said it would be fine but the receptionist insisted that I see it first. It was lovely, no sea view but otherwise a good alternative.  To be fair the heating didn’t work so it was cool (it’s in the mid teens temperature wise at night, so not that cool) and there was no plug in the bathroom sink, but neither make it uninhabitable!!!

Llanes was my first experience of ordering dinner in a language of which I speak about four words, so to get a Prosciuto pizza delivered to my table as ordered was no mean feat. The second evening I cheated and ordered Lasagne, which is almost the same in Spanish, so was a far easier task. I did however master ordering red wine (vino tinto) so 2/2 for evening meals! 

One of the main attractions to Llanes, besides the beach and views was a coastal walk, Paseo De San Andre which takes you up above the town and along a coastal path above cliffs and out west of the town. The photo shows one such view. 

All in all I liked my first stop of my Spanish adventure, a good start.