By Laurel
Right out of the gate of the monastery, our trail went up, up, up and more up — 55 flights of stairs worth of “up” to the top of a ridge at the head of the scenic valley! Valdedios translates to “the valley of God,” and I have to admit that we invoked His name a few times as we trudged up and up the road. A light drizzle dampened the air and frizzed my hair. The sky remained overcast all day, but never actually rained — it was good walking weather, just the way I like it. Pastoral vistas filled our day and our cameras, as we meandered through farming valleys with mountains as distant backdrop. Cows, horses, donkeys, sheep, goats, chickens, bee hives, dogs, and cats watched us go by. Several of the dogs barked, but were well fenced in. A friendly farmer offered us a drink of water. Forest footpaths led us to the large town of Pola de Siero, where we caught a cold drink and then a train so as to avoid several kilometers of urban walking from there to Oviedo. I have wanted to visit Oviedo ever since seeing it featured many years ago in the movie “Vicky Christina Barcelona” — we will be here for two nights.
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| On the way up from the monastery; thankfully, the road provided traction. |
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| Looking back at the monastery, nestled in the Valley of God. |
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| You know you might be in for a wet day when even the scarecrow is wearing a rain jacket. |
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| Yellow arrows appear! |
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| A very old milestone. |
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| The apple trees are blossoming in this valley. |
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| Pastoral vistas with mountain backdrop. |
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| A man planting his garden and wearing traditional farm footwear (wooden shoes aren’t only in Holland). |
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| Hermitage of Labienvenida — Protector of the Road: where pilgrims could rest and be safe, back in the day. |
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| The Pre-Romanesque Fountain of Alphonse the Great in Oviedo — built in the late 800s. |
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| Exploring Oviedo in the evening. |
Laurel I may have to rewatch Vickie Christina Barcelona so that I can better visual where you are.
ReplyDeleteSorry about the Leafs Jim
DeleteI live-streamed the game from 2 AM until 5:20 AM and then was so upset I couldn’t go to sleep. We had the better team, but unfortunately, Boston had the better goalie. It has put me in the right frame of mind to be walking in the rain.
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