Today we bid adios to Bilbao and head along the coast before wandering into the Picos de Europa – the large mountainous national forest that I have imagined being the Spanish equivalent of the Cairngorms or Adirondacks. The day was still grey but dry as we head west on the coast road. We were leaving Basque Country which meant no more street signs in multiple languages with lists of k’s and x’s.
We made a quick stop in Santander to see what was there. I can see where it is an appealing place for a holiday but it seemed to us very much like Bilbao with a beach so the appeal was limited. Full disclosure: we spent 90 minutes wandering the waterfront on a cloudy day so I suspect that we didn’t get the best impression.
After a stop for petrol and drinks, we resumed the trek into the mountains. And of course the only road has been torn up in half a dozen places along the 30km stretch. It was slow going as roadworks required one lane to be closed for long stretches in multiple places. The slow pace meant we had lots of time to appreciate the scenery: lush and green, with stony outcroppings jutting through the low clouds.
Finally we reached Potes, the medieval village we had hoped to use as a base for doing some hiking. We managed some walks about town but the terrain and threatening skies deterred us from venturing up any nearby hills. So we ate and wandered. We grabbed some lunch and experienced local cider: strong, flat, and sour. Box checked. Then we wandered the adorable town founded in the 15th century where two rivers meet, there are cobble stones and bridges everywhere. And adventure travellers- canoeing, climbing, and horseback riding are big here.
I confess it was a little more touristy than I had hoped- souvenir shops everywhere – but we enjoyed the environment nonetheless. The hotel was a VERY different experience from our trendy adults only hotel in Bilbao: a small local hospideria with no AC but plenty of bikers as guests. 😳 Not sure what appealed to me when I booked it but it was clean and technically a suite with a small sitting room. Of course the staff didn’t speak English so the kindergarten Spanish came in handy again.
After much exploration, we decide that a big dinner late at night wasn’t particularly appealing so we opted for the pizza place across from the hotel which advertised “Tenemos pizza para celíacos”. Sold! A few Mahou HF beers and a yummy pizza with everything was just the ticket. And we finished just in time for massive thunderstorms to roll in. The light show was spectacular and was an amazing way to cap off the day.
Memorable moments:
- Walking on old cobblestone streets is tough on the feet and requires stopping for refreshment often. Even if we only did 13k steps.
- The beach is nice but mountains and forests feed my soul in a way sun and sand never will.
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