Village of Potes

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September 17th weekend

My host family told me that i we were going away for the weekend with there closest family friends who i had met previously at a birthday party. The family also had an au pair from the states named Becca who is 26 with a degree in Spanish. So Carlos and Natlia thought it would be nice to go away for the weekend to the village of Potes and stay at a goregous hotel that they occupy yearly.

It wasn't until we met the other family of Dmas, Suzanna, Dmas jr., Kendala and nanny Becca that Becca and I realized that this weekend was in big part for us to see this beautiful area of Cantabria. With no real agenda but to relax and see the local sights the weekend was very relaxing and very enjoyable. When we arrived we first strolled through the local village of Potes. This small village tucked between mountains and fresh green nature is breathtaking.

Known to be over run during peak periods was restored in attractive traditional stone and slate after the Spanish civil war did considerable damage to the village. Potes is known as a popular stagging post as it is on the southeast edge of the Picos.

Just 13 km SW of Potes was the hotel we stayed in called Hotel del Orso; home to the majestic twin stone townhouses which face each other across Rio Deva and the road.

The day was spent perusing the village, stopping in local bars for drinks and socializing, exploring the village and then a delicious Mediterranean dinner back at the hotel. That evening was only my first time to sample a traditional liquor of the area that is similar to tequila. The kind of liquor that puts hair on your chest as its 50%. A friend of the family, known to be a joker asked me to do a shot with him. So being open to new things and the spanish culture of drinking. I indulged.... like i said again puts hair on your chest and without the chaser of a lemon slice or lime. I also witnessed the largest piece of steak I've ever seen after Alvaro and Carlos ordered a local favorite cut of meat.

While watching the kids play tennis and play on the playground Becca and I discovered a beautiful cemetery near the hotel. The cemetery had a old stone wall surrounding it that vines and moss had now covered the wall. The area was so lusciously green, the kind of green that makes me think of freshness.

September 17th/2010

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Photos

Village apartments
some of the traditional stone and slate the village was reconstructed with

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love the way vines climb buildings

Traditional bowling
Carlos told me that this is a traditional bowling that goes back for centuries

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beautiful

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the Rio Quiviesa joins the Rio Deva at the heart of the village