Up and down
Round and round
Towns and villages
Snakes the Tour d’ France course
Through little villages where the French traditional food culture thrives
In the village of Arreau Christmas tree cake
Rich almond batter
Still baked in the traditional way
Over the open fire
Pretty little villages
Full of life and joie de vivre
Friendly
Diverse
Lively
Passionate
Yes the culture of Spain but the north west is a little different
Maybe it’s the Comino de Santiago
Or the hydrangeas that are every where
The pipes being played at the cathedral in Santiago de Compestela
Or could it be the thermal pools in Ourense, free for the public to use
But I think it’s the vast greenness and amazing Lakes and rivers.
The Picos epitomise the mountains of North West Spain.
High
Views of the Picos de Europa
And for the bike rider. The toads to get there.
And camping camping in the lush green of North West Spain
It’s late June 2018
World cup fever grips Europe
Do you follow football? I ask my Spanish companion.
Si, was his reply.
I started to commiserate about Spain’s poor performance.
Quickly he responsponed. I don’t support Spain. I’m Basque.
In time I learn how different north west Spain is.
Bilbao of course is a little different
There is the Guggenheim
With its amazing installations
To add to the old city
The beaches and harbours
But then there is the green.
The thing that is different about north west Spain is its the green Spain.
Dartmoor National Park neighbours Cornwall
Famous for the Dartmoor ponies
Beautiful patches of forest
Such as Lydford Gorge
And of course beautiful riding across the moors with a stop for a pint along the way.
