Lakes & Cows

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The plan was to drive to a couple of mountain lakes and do a good hike around both lakes. The drive was another beautiful drive up a mountain road where the road only seems big enough for one car. You wonder how they decide where they put the railings because most of the time, you are on a steep cliff with nothing from keeping you from going over the side if there is a car coming at you and you need to get over as far as possible so you both can pass.

To find the road to Lago Enol and Lago Ercina you just have to drive past the town of Covadonga. From there it is pretty easy to find the correct road to start going up. It was about a 30 minute drive to the parking lot. The road is closed in the summer, and you have to take busses up because there are so many tourists.

Once parked, we followed the people up the path to the first lake. It is a very picturesque lake with lots of cows around it. From there you have to take another path up for about 15 minutes to get a view of the second lake. And what goes up must come back down to get to the second lake.

We were going to start our hike at the second lake. Little did we know the grass was like a swamp. My shoes and socks were soaked from the beginning, and I had mud on my pants. They must have had a good snow melt because it hasn’t rained since we have been here and it felt like we were in a swamp. Not only that but you have to be very careful of where you step because of all the cows.

We found the trail that we were supposed to be on but it was very muddy. And there were signs for construction on the trail and detours. One of the detours took us up and around some boulders. But once we got the other side we decided it was way too muddy to continue on. We aren’t talking about just a little mud puddle but deep thick mud that you can’t avoid and it went on for as far as we could see.

We decided to turn around and head back. We had already been there for 2 hours and literally only made it about a quarter around the first lake. We still had a decent hike back to the car so we still got a good amount of walking in. On the way back down from the detour, I thought I was stepping on a rock but I was very wrong. Next thing I know, my feet went sliding out from underneath of me and I was on the ground. Yep, I stepped in a very large pile of cow manure. It was very mossy green on the inside and boy was it slippery. After having a very good laugh, I walked back to a water fountain that wasn’t that far away to at least wash my hands and try to get some of it off of my pants. But the damage was already done and I smelled and looked like I fell in cow manure. It sure was a fun drive back to the hotel in smelly clothes.

Good thing the lakes were so beautiful and I got a good laugh in at the same time. Sometimes you just need a good laugh at yourself I guess.

Fuente Dé Cable Car

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We were expecting rain on Tuesday but the clouds started clearing and we decided to drive two hours into Picos de Europa to the Fuente Dé cable car. The drive didn’t disappoint as you could see mountains all around as you drove the windy road through the different towns. The drive is pretty easy since it was all pretty flat.

We got to the cable car, and there was a little bit of a line to wait in. They get 20 people in each car, and it takes 4 minutes to get the top. There are two cars so we only had to wait about half an hour. But if you are looking to do this in the summer, it can take hours. There was also pretty much no line right after us so it really is all about timing.

Once at the top, you can follow a hiking trail that is slightly up hill around a mountain. From there you can pick if you want to go left or right. We picked left mainly because I kept wondering what was around the next bend. To our surprise we could see a couple of lakes along the way. And yes, at some point I had to agree that we could turn around because I’m always going to wonder what is around the next bend…or mountain.

You also have the option to walk down instead of taking the cable car. But since we really weren’t prepared with water and food, we opted for the four minute ride back to the bottom. This area was well worth the drive. We headed back for about 30 minutes to the nearest town to get lunch/dinner. From there we were able to pick a different route back that took us through a different section of the mountains. It was all very scenic and turned out to be a great day instead of the rainy day that we anticipated.

Drive from Bilbao to Cangas de Onis

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Picked up the rental car this morning at the Bilbao train station and drove west along the northern part of Spain before heading into Cangas de Onis. We had three stops along the way and all were very unique and interesting to see.

The first was a very old town called Santillana del Mar. The town is a very well kept medieval town dating back to the 8th century. The town also happens to be part of the northern route of the Camino de Santiago so you see some of the pilgrims walking through the town. Only residents are allowed to drive into the town but there is a great parking lot in the newer part of town and you can cross the highway into the old historic town. We tried a traditional pastry while in the town.

We then headed to Comillas which is a cute town (also part of the Camino de Santiago) and visited the Gaudi house which was very different from his architecture in Barcelona. A short walk around the town and then we stopped at a market to grab materials to make a sandwich. we drove down to the beach to eat lunch down there.

We then stopped at Llanes which is a cute town in northern Spain along the coast. There is a nice walk above the city with great ocean views. Definitely worth a stop to stretch the legs. Would recommend all the stops, including a wrong turn with a great view, for the drive from Bilbao.

Bilbao, Spain

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After a long travel day yesterday, we finally arrived in Bilbao. Surprisingly, we arrived 6 hours earlier than expected because we managed to secure an earlier flight from Frankfurt. We originally had an 8-hour layover in Frankfurt, but everything went smoothly, and we were able to board the earlier flight to Bilbao This was fortunate because I was struggling to stay awake.

We started our day today by exploring Bilbao. Situated in northern Spain, the city is surrounded by lush green hillsides, making it an ideal starting point for a trip. Bilbao is very walkable, especially along the river. One of the city’s most famous landmarks is the Guggenheim Museum, which happened to be free today. The city was bustling with people out for their Sunday walks, and the flower market was particularly lively.

After a day filled with walking and exploring, we plan to pick up the car tomorrow and head west to Picos de Europa National Park.

Lisbon

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We have been in Lisbon the last couple of days because this is a good ending place to get our flight back home. It has been very hot in Lisbon but we have still walked around a bit. We walked to a botanical garden that also has a good view of the city. Lisbon is a beautiful old city that I like coming back to. Although it has a lot of tourists, the streets are so pretty to walk down. And they have a lot of good places to eat or get a snack.

This trip has felt like a lot of little trips since we have done so many different things. Hard to believe I was in Morocco last week. Everything has been so great and I’m so lucky to be able to explore so many different places.

São Miguel – East Coast

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For our final day on the island, we headed to the east coast. First we stopped at a tea plantation that is located on the north east coast. This island has the only two tea plantations in Europe for industrial production. Tea has been grown on the island for 200 years. The climate on the north part of the island is perfect for growing the tea. The common pests of tea plants can’t survive the humid weather so they don’t need to use any chemicals or insecticides to protect the plantations. We visited the Gorreana factory which has been opened since 1880’s. You can do a little tour to see the machinery and watch the production. They mainly export to Portugal, Germany and the US. The plantations are very scenic with the rows of green plants and the Atlantic in the background. Not to mention, it smells good too.

From there, we continued driving to viewpoints along the east coast until we reached the town of Povação in the southeastern corner. This was the town that people first settled to in the 1400’s. It used to be the capital of the island until a large earthquake destroyed the town. The island has been pretty to explore and the roads are very easy to navigate. We fly tomorrow to Lisbon for our final day before flying back to the States.

São Miguel – Sete Cidades and West Coast

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We were hoping for some blue sky today but it turned out to be pretty cloudy. It is still warm and humid so we still didn’t need to worry about a jacket. We made our way to Sete Cidades which is probably the most visited spot on the island. There is a very small town located near the center of a volcanic crater. The volcanic crater is almost 3 miles across.

The park contains a lot of volcanoes and many lakes. We did a couple of hikes to see the two main lakes. One hike was a lot easier than the other hike. We hiked around one of the main lakes. It starts out nice and flat for a long time before the trail turns into a steep up and down terrain. We were already well into the hike when we started to wonder how much harder it could get. There weren’t a lot of people on the hike which is probably one sign. And the people that passed us the other way would tell us it is very difficult where they came from. But we kept thinking it couldn’t be more difficult than what we just did. I think we made the right call to keep going and not back track because it seemed easier than what we had already done. We did have to climb some large rocks but at least they had ropes to help us. One of the rocks was almost my height. And then there were a lot of trees branches down in the area that you had to climb through. It was a good challenge but I think the view was better from up top instead of close to the lake.

Once back to the car, we drove to the west coast of the island. It was still pretty cloudy but the ocean is so calm and blue. And the rocks were very black. They don’t have the normal sandy beaches here and I’m sure the water is still probably pretty cold. One more full day on the island before heading back to LIsbon.

São Miguel – Driving Tour Day 1

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We spent the day driving the north and central part of the island. Since we knew today would be partly cloudy, we didn’t want to go to the most scenic site today. We had sun, clouds and even a little rain today but the humidity kept it warm. The island is so green and lush. There were volcanoes around the island which created beautiful lakes and mountains. There are also a lot of thermal baths and we even saw one mud bath that had a lot of people in it.

We started off by going to a view point of a Lagoa do Fogo which was a bit foggy. We then drove to a town called Ribera Grande and walked around there. In another town, later in the day, there was also a botanical garden that I had to check out. This was actually where the mud bath was but there were also plenty of other things to walk around and see. I think I just missed some of the plants that were past their peak bloom and I was just a little early for the hydrangeas to be in full bloom. But it was still a nice walk. It was a nice first day driving around the island.

And then I got stuck in a traffic jam on the way back to the hotel. But I don’t mind going slow when I can look at the ocean in the background.

Ponta Delgada, São Miguel – Azores

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We finally made it to the island we are staying in for the next 5 nights. The hotel is also a pineapple plantation so we started off our day with a tour of the pineapple greenhouses. Because the climate here is a Mediterranean climate and a humid subtropical climate, pineapples shouldn’t grow here. But yet, you see a lot of pineapple growing greenhouses on the island. It isn’t warm enough here for pineapples to grow like you would normally see in tropical climates. It takes twice as long to grow (2 years instead of 1) and they have to grow in greenhouses here. They have to paint the greenhouses a white paint for the summer months so they don’t get too hot and then wash the paint off in the winter months so they can get enough light. It was an interesting tour and of course, you get to eat the pineapple at breakfast.

From there, we walked into town. The plan was to spend today exploring the town and the next three days will be exploring the island. Today was a big holiday on the island called the Feast of the Lord Holy Christ of Miracles. We walked 45 minutes to the town and spent the day walking around looking at the beautiful procession path they built. A lot of people come to the island for the festival and start lining up hours before it starts. To get across the pretty path, you have to find a crossing area that is all pine branches. We watched part of the procession (which I understand can last hours) and then walked back to the hotel.

Essaouira, Morocco

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Our last stop in Morocco is a coastal city called Essaouira. It is a cute city on the Atlantic known for its wind and kitesurfing. We had a walking tour this morning but have also been able to walk around a lot on our own. I especially like walking along the beachfront. They have a nice futsal court and basketball courts next to the beach. They also have camels on their beach which is isn’t something I see at home.

Our guide was great and helped explain a lot of the city to us. Essaouira means “the beautifully designed” city which has to do with how well their streets in the old city are organized. It is a pretty easy city to navigate although there are still a lot of really small streets. I really have enjoyed the blue in this city. The reason for all the blue started with the fisherman wanting to paint their boats blue to match the color of the water. They thought that would make it easier to catch fish. The paint was then also used for houses and doors by the fisherman but ended up catching on with everyone. Even the taxis are all painted a pretty blue. And I’m very amazed how they get the boats in and out but it does take some organizing with your other fisherman’s. And the blue boats are used to catch the large fish, and the larger fishing vessels are used to catch the small fish because they can use nets to catch a lot at a time.

We have a long travel day tomorrow to the Azores. We have a 3 hour driver back to Marrakech, then fly to Lisbon where we have a long layover before flying on to Sao Miguel. Morocco was beautiful and I’m sad this part is coming to an end. The people have been so welcoming and the food here is amazing. This really has been the best food I have ever had. I’m now looking forward to the Azores.