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Published: September 18th 2011
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Saturday, July 2nd, After a wonderful two weeks, abrigado (thank you) and tchau (goodbye) Portugal. We spent the day on a long scenic journey from Porto on the western coast of Portugal to Ribadesella on the northern coast of Spain. We fell in love with, Ribadesella, a little coastal town cradled by the lush green peaks of the Picos de Europa National Park. Restaurants and popular ciderias wrap around the bustling waterfront of the small bay and wind out to a beautiful stretch of coastline. We arrived just before dark lucky to snag a spot and local cider at the popular weekend campground.
Sunday, July 3rd, after a good sleep we were ready to explore. We drove through lush countryside to the dramatic peaks of the Picos de Europa (like a small scale Alps). We stopped in the small town of Las Arenas to get information on day hikes. In addition to being a gateway to the National Park, the small village, is famed for it’s local cheese. It is a special cows milk blue cheese only made in this region of Spain. The cheese is aged in mountain caves where enthusiasts can take a cheese-tasting tour. We stopped in
at the local market and picked up a wedge of the good stuff to enjoy at the end of our three-hour hike from Pocebas to the tiny village Bulnes. The mountain village has no roads so you can only visit by hiking in or riding the funicular ($20 Euro round trip). The rocky trail wound through the dramatic slate gray and green shrub covered cliffs. We could see our reflections in the crystal clear creek water below. A cool fog rolled in over the peaks. We nearly had the mountain to ourselves given our late afternoon start. We arrived in tiny Bulnes, where we enjoyed a local Cider and the blue cheese at a café riverside. That evening we headed back to the waterfront of Ribadesella walked along the bay to the Coast and enjoyed a brilliant sunset before strolling the streets for the perfect cideria.
Monday, July 4th, Happy Independence Day America! In honor of 4th of July, we spent the day at our favorite place, the beach. We sunned and swam in the chilly water. That afternoon we ventured west to explore the estuary and have a picnic.
Tuesday, July 5th, mellow morning before heading out
to the East Coast. We stopped at the lovely coastal towns of Llanes and San Vincente de la Barquera. We decided not to stay and instead start toward Madrid. The scenery changed from lush mountains
and rocky coastline to bountiful farm plains. The heat of the sun became more intense as we moved inland. We decided to drive all the way to Madrid. The highway twisted through the Ribera del Duero wine country. It was temping to stop but we didn’t have time wanting to see Madrid before our trip to Switzerland on the 7th. The countryside became more arid as we reached the outskirts of the city. We arrived at dusk, which made it difficult to find a good place to stay. We finally settled on one of the only camping options. A surprisingly popular outdoor cantina was the highlight of the rundown campground. We made due for our final two nights of camping (yay!).
Wednesday, July 6th, we woke ready to explore Spain’s largest city, Madrid. We picked up a two-day metro pass ($6 Euros/pp) and headed down town. A bit burnt out on museums and churches we opted for our own walking tour of the city.
We started our tour with a delicious lunch and visit to the Parque de Buen Retiro. We walked the park and relaxed in the grass. Shortly after we were settled a frantic young woman approached asking if we had seen someone snatch her purse (containing her money and passport). She had been napping nearby and said it was lifted from her side. We were concerned and recommended she find the police and maybe check garbage cans in case the robber dumped it. We saw here twice more while walking through the park. The final time we saw her we asked if she had talked with a cop. She said she hadn’t found one and asked us for $2Euro to use the Internet to coordinate a new passport and canceling of credit cards. Something inside said she could be a scam artist, but then I thought wow that way a dramatic performance for just $2Euro. On the other hand if that is true her situation totally sucks and I want to help her (I guess we will never know the truth for sure). After the drama saw the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Sofia Reina Sofia museums all from the outside. Still not
interested in more museums, we continued the afternoon on a gastro tour stopping at the delightful outdoor cafes for tapas and drinks. I had my favorite Rosado wine at Café Principe. The best value and most quirky stop was the Museo de Jamon (Museum of Ham) where we enjoyed $1Euro Bocadillos and beer & wine under swaying ham hocks. We explored the tourist filled Plaza del Sol and nearby shopping districts before hopping on the metro for a visit to the parklands of Casa de Campo on the outskirts of the city. Expecting a gorgeous expansive park we were disappointed by the arid sketchy stretch of land before us. We felt a million miles away from the city and after a few minutes we were jumping back on the train making our way back. We continued our gastro tour in the trendy local La Latina district. We sat in the middle of the square and finished the evening enjoying razor clams and spicy papas bravas.
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