Cow Bell
Saturday, March 5th, 2011
Travel in Spain – Asturias: Llanes Explorer, a field unit in the mountains
On this day the sun is already loved a coastal city of Asturias: the picturesque village of Ribadesella had really captured my heart and it has in my memory bank staff and travel one of the cities most picturesque mountain to sea I've seen. However, in the middle of the afternoon I had to continue east of Llanes, a picturesque coastal town in the Bay of Biscay. I like to spend the night near Llanes, in a small rural hotel called La Posada de Babel "in the village of La Pereda.
Most of my record of Llanes I came very near the Atlantic coast and had to stop several times to look at the golden sand in the ocean. After 15 hours they came to Llanes, a small town on the waterfront about 14,000 people which stretches along the Costa Verde in Spain. The Picos de Europa, extend almost to the sea here and the city is framed by the coastal mountains called Sierra leather.
Llanes is now a fishing port with a long history: the remains of the walls of the city back to 1206. Of course, tourism has become an important contributor to the local economy. I stopped in an area of beach called "Playa del Sablon, a small picturesque crescent-shaped beach that was surrounded on the side north along a high bluff overlooking beautiful in the whole region.
I left my car parked on the beach and around town it was surprisingly quiet for now because it was naptime. Tourists in Spain should be aware that at any time between 2 and 17 hours, the Spanish stores can close and cease activity until it resumes frenzy during the cool of late afternoon. A few restaurants were open, and it the only places where people actually saw. The streets, For the most part, were completely empty.
The medieval streets of the old Llanes were narrow, cobbled Old Town is centered around the church Santa Maria City Council and the remains of the city wall. With the trade of salt and fishing, the city became an important trading post between 1000 and 1500, giving rise to the medieval architecture that characterizes the city center.
To get to my hotel for tonight, I had to finish my walk to Llanes and keep moving. I drove west along the coast through the beach cities as Celorio, Barro and Niembro, where I found an absolutely beautiful little church in a small lake right in the ocean. I had to stop and take some pictures and video clips of this beautiful place. Dolores church (Church of Our Lady of Sorrows of Clay) is surrounded a cemetery with a high wall and is just above the lake. Sometimes improvised trip an introduction to the most picturesque views unexpectedly.
Then I turned from the coast to head into the mountains. Having grown up in the Austrian Alps, I must admit I'm still a sucker for the hills and mountains Asturias reminded me of my country. I brought the earth by the AS 115 and get off at Torrevega in a narrow mountain road behind the coastal mountains.
Cows and sheep grazing in the green mountain slopes, and cow bells rang out in the valley. I felt I had adapted to my childhood in the mountains Austria and my heart started beating faster notable with good memories.
The road became narrower and narrower until it crossed the mountains the coast and has distant views to the sea and the coast of Llanes. In curves I did my laces on the other side of the mountain and was able to locate the town of La Pereda flat on the ground now. I found the sign of "Posada de Babel" and took a narrow road and a long way to enter the country house hotel with my small family business which would the next two nights. A small white dog and a cat greeted me as I entered the reception area of the main building.
After checking that leave my suitcase in my upstairs bedroom was comfortable with a large meadow and a forest with coastal mountain backdrop. I could not have found an idyllic and peaceful place to La Posada de Babel. I went down to the great library, where I sat down to discuss with the owners and Luke White have been running this small hotel for nearly 20 years. In the great library, you can enjoy two fireplaces, a bar and two large seating areas with a flat panoramic windows that offer breathtaking views over the countryside.
Lucas is originally from Colombia and moved to Spain for several years. I used to work as a tour guide in Madrid, while White worked as a psychologist. Both were tired of the urban rat race and decided they wanted to move around the country. This location was chosen Apart from Llanes and became a business hotel. They have two daughters, Elvira and White, and the family joins Luna, the hole, and Katy the cat.
Both Lucas and White are lovers of art and original works of art displayed throughout the vast library and reception area. Lucas also a great fan of modern architecture, and also the main building was built in 1992 and has seven bedrooms, three other buildings. One is "The Cube", a cube of 7 x 7 meters with a modern and minimalist. Lucas also showed me the roof-garden plant of the house of the family.
This contemporary retreat has two private double beds and a sofa bed and a direct strike garden. Then is the "Granary", a typical construction of grain storage Asturias from 1900 that was renovated into a room two floors and a bathroom on the ground floor and bedroom on the other. Lucas and White obviously interested in architecture and the time and money to create a truly unique here at Posada de Babel.
Lucas I took a walk around the property of 3.5 acres. He says he never alone here at home and feel completely at peace here. In the woods of his property, even built a wooden deck high in which sometimes comes to sunrise and eyes to the tops of the trees or watching the stars in the night. Both Lucas and White make a profound sense of balance and peace and seem to have found his true vocation in the Posada de Babel.
But not only the side spiritual well fed in this idyllic retreat, the Posada de Babel also has a restaurant that meets the more mundane needs of the hotel. Lucas added that when they opened their hotel, restaurant was opened to the public. But it became so popular and has led to an enormous workload that Lucas and White has decided to close public access and turned the restaurant into a private school for hotel guests.
After working 20 hours a day at the beginning of their careers as owners of hotel, refined things for a number of years and finally found the right combination that allows a personalized customer experience and high quality of life owners as well. Lucas said he loves to make a personal connection with customers, which had become evident in our conversations as we walked around the property.
Armed with my camera, I prepared to document the entire process with pictures and video clips. Reyes, the chief, worked at the Posada de Babel 13 years and became a true member of the family. She began cooking, while Lucas was explaining what was happening. My dinner would be captured in around "hake (hake) and Lucas explained that the fish was caught by a fisherman on a hook, and not by a large trawler in the ocean.
Reyes started burning the fish quickly on both sides, and Lucas shared the secret with me: the key to a perfect network is to wrap fish dish with foil and take the pot and put it in the oven to cook the fish through. It is the ideal way to prevent the fish from drying out. Reyes had already prepared a delicious sauce of tomatoes, garlic, onion and virgin olive oil to serve as my bed delicate filet. As I had ordered a spicy fish, "added the ginger and leeks fried fish paste olive top and drizzled on the side of my plate. Asturias with fresh bread and had a delicious dinner with spicy ingredients veritable ocean and countryside Asturias.
Well, it was very long and exciting day today, and I fall into bed completely exhausted. But tomorrow, my last full day in Asturias, I have another opportunity to explore Llanes area around the coastal regions and know even better.
About the Author
Susanne Pacher is a Travel Journalist specializing in Unconventional Travel you can get tons of great unconventional and unique travel information and tips if you Click Here
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