Oct 18, 2024
Despite having a great little apartment in Santander, we could not get a decent booking for the upcoming weekend. Ours was already booked by someone else. So, with slight apprehension, we decide to jump on a bus to a town up close to the Picos de Europa called Potes. Vamos!
Walking around the town of Potes. Stone construction everywhere. Such a cute place, lets go....
The view from our apartment.....
Potes means Bridges and there are quite a few. There are several rivers that converge here.
Our apartment turned out to be really nice!
We don't waste any time and get our picnic lunch ready. We're heading off on our first hike in Potes! Incredible scenery here.....
As we head up the mountains we realize we're hiking in a cork oak forest. Quercus suber.
We also find alot of Strawberry trees or Madrona. Its Arbutus unedo!! Its a heavily producing evergreen fruit bush. We chow down!! yummy....
Along the hike of the day...
Here you can see where someone harvested some cork.....it grows back.
Time for our picnic...perched on the side of a windy cliff.....will it storm???
So many mushrooms....
Heading back down the far side of the loop trail....
The town of Potes below.....
Back to town.....
After a few days in Potes we head up higher towards the Picos in hopes of taking a cable-car up to the high mountains of the park. We jump on a bus to Espinama....we find an ol fashion but relatively comfortable apartment. The weather is changing for the worst. Cold and rainy....
The entrance to the cable car is just over those mountains. But its too late to go today, hopefully in the morning.
Up early the next day to see if we can make it through the pass and fulfill our hopes and dreams of riding the cable car......but it doesn't look good.....its raining and most certainly snowing up the mountain. The cold grips us, we cannot continue.....the risk is too great, we cant risk our lives......with a final glimpse of defeat we turn back, the mountain victorious.....
But we do find a way to have a picnic next to some horses!!
Our plans foiled, we head back to warmer Potes....we find a really quaint apartment further from town...
Its good to be back in Potes with the fabulous views....
We really enjoy the nature around here. Definitely one of our favorite places in Spain. We have an affordable, nice, quiet apartment a good grocery store nearby and some super hiking.....think we'll stay awhile!
More to come.....
KnJ
