Kabaal on wheels ; with a rental car we make a side step to the impressive mountain range Picos de Europa.
The scenery is beautiful and the villages seem medieval at times. We spend some time turning our car on a very small and steep road, stuck between an old barn and a low stone wall. All the village inhabitants have come out to stare at us from a distance unable to understand why we headed up there in the first place.
The bridge in Canga de Onis dates from Roman times but in Covadonga the cathedral is less old and less impressive. Still we duly climb the steps to pay our respect to the bejewelled Virgen in her cave.
I am sure she bestowed us with favours afterwards because the sun starts shining and the road leads us through the impressive gorge Desfiladero de los Beyos.
We spend the night in Potes, a charming mountain village with lots of restaurants. Sleeping in a real bed which doesn’t move really feels very unfamiliar and it takes some time before I fall asleep.
The next day after a hearty Spanish breakfast we head to the Senda de Cares, a renowned and steep walk through an inhospitable gorge with wonderful mountain views, only for the fittest amongst us. It is still unclear to me why I thought it would be fun to go but in the end we walk about 15 km of the route and the views make us forget the heat and fatigue.
