Cangas de Onis

 Que tal Amigos?!

Finally have another blog for your eyes to feast on.....

On this leg of the journey we head out of  the strikingly beautiful city of Oviedo and take the Feve train (a 1 meter gauge train line) to Cangas de Onis.

 

 

 

 

 

Cangas de Onís was the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias until 774. Its interesting that King Pelayo made this town the capital of Asturias as he initiated the "Reconquest" against the Moors....Here's the sculpture of him in the centre of town....

 

 

 

Our first apartment in Cangas 

 

 

 Our Second apartment in Cangas

  

Our third place in Cangas!! Why three apartments? We just had a hard time leaving.

 

 

What do we do here in Spain everyday...well without unlimited funds for eating at restaurants, we find ourselves grocery shopping and cooking a lot. Almost daily we make picnic lunches and hike off to some forest or park...like this....

 

 

It's the season for chestnut trees in the forest! They're dropping nuts, so we've been collecting and roasting them.  They can be a challenge to peal but hey, who doesn't love roasted chestnuts!

       

A short bus ride from Cangas de Onis are the glacial Lakes of Covadonga national park. The park is spectacular. We spent the whole day hiking....

KT and his new hut....

Also nearby is the historic town of Covadonga where the first battle of the Reconquista took place i 718. This was the first battle won by the Christians over the Moors. In this mountainous region, there are two rivers that converge and so there is water everywhere. 

Basilica of Saint Mary 

There's an incredible waterfall that spews out beneath the chapel and the tomb of Pelaya (Pelagious of Asturias)....Can you find KT??

On another hike we come across another hórreo, these are basically storage sheds for grain. Most are very old and protected. Built in wood or stone, raised from the ground on pillars which support flat staddle stones. These stones keep rodents out by providing a horizontal ledge, making it almost impossible for them to climb up and into the hay or grain stored above. Fascinating ancient design!

 See you all on the next post.....

KnJ