Getting up in the morning is becoming harder and harder for the kids. They're getting on really well with their Spanish friends, despite the language barrier and they've found a picnic table outside the site, overlooking the estuary, where they sit and play cards until 2am every night. It's great for them and I'm really pleased they've thrown themselves into trying to speak Spanish but it would be nice if they could get up before 10am occasionally!
I much prefer being outside than in and when you're in such a beautiful, unspoilt area you're never short of somewhere to go or things to see. We went horse riding on Friday at Cuadra El Alisal, which is only a short drive from the site. It's a great little place where you don't need any experience - health and safety here is far less restrictive here than at home! The ride took us across farmland next to the river Sella for a while, before climbing up into the hills, through some tiny villages where they all hang corn from their balconies to dry it. It was a lovely insight into Asturian rural life. We rode for two hours, which was about 90 minutes too long for Isaac, who swore he'd never ride again. Something about the male anatomy and trotting apparently....
Before going back to the campsite we decided to try and found the local road cave. Several cars had passed us on the ride, only to turn back and Davide (our guide) told us they were probably looking for it so we figured it was probably worth a look. After driving up the wrong mountain twice we eventually found it and were glad we made the effort. La Cuevona de Cuevas del Agua has to be seen to be believed. It's a natural cave through the mountain where a road was laid to access the village of Cuevas del Agua. Although there are some dim lights inside, these are all pointing upwards to show stalactites and other interesting formations and don't provide any light on the road at all. You can't tell from the photos just how dark it is in there but on a sunny day you literally can't see anything for the first second or two, even with the headlights on. The novelty of driving through was great but we then parked up and walked through both ways, which was brilliant. There are small caves within the cave plus a stream and stalactites of all shapes and sizes to look at. We've paid to visit lesser caves in England but this is the only route home for the villagers.
By far the highlight of the trip so far was our visit to Casa Adolfo in the evening. I'd read about this tiny bar on Trip Advisor but the last review was well over a year ago so I wasn't sure it was still open. It's only a five minute walk from the site though so we wandered down for a look. It's accessed via a tiny alley (breathe in!) and from the outside it looks really run down and unloved. The group of Spanish men sitting in the sun, enjoying a cider after work suggested it was popular with the locals though so we gave it a go. They're clearly not used to strangers here as they went quiet as we approached (picture a Western saloon....) but then greeted us with smiles a and 'hola!' Phew! Inside was no less grotty than the outside but the owner was friendly and really patient with my crap Spanish as I asked if we could eat there. The kids ordered ham and chips but I was told I would be having calamares y sidra. Arguing in Spanish is well beyond my capabilities so that was that and off she went to cook for us. The food was excellent but it was my first taste of Asturian cider that made the night. It's nothing like the stuff we get at home and it looks really dubious. It comes in a 70cl green bottle and the contents look murky with bits floating in it. It's not really fizzy as it's literally just fermented apples so it's poured from a height to get some life in it. The first taste is very weird. It tastes of apple, obviously, but with a subtle hint of TCP... Don't let that put you off trying it if you ever get the chance though. Get past that first sip and it's one of the nicest drinks you'll find.
Immediately opposite the bar is a horreo, an old granary on stilts which are found all over the region. They were built to protect against rodents and some are several hundred years old. Very pretty and a photo stop was necessary before staggering back to the site.
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