Covadonga & Llanes, Asturias, Spain

If you don’t remember our first trip to Asturias, go here.  Ever since that trip, we have been completely smitten with the wonderfullness that is Asturias! It’s got mountains, beaches, cider, cheeses and fabada (a local dish that is a bean and sausage stew) SO, I mean what else could you really need?  Going back to Asturias is really what inspired our whole road trip the north of Spain with my parents.  We took them back to Covadonga, where there is a pretty church and waterfalls complete with the legend that if you go and take a sip from the fountain, you will find your love or be married.  Nowadays people travel here and take a sip as wish for whatever is on their hearts.  The last time we were there, our two friends took their sips and yesterday they celebrated their first anniversary together, so it must be true!!

Also in this area is a very steep and windy drive up to some beautiful lakes.  When we were here before, it was February and snowy so of course the road was closed.  We knew we had to go back to see the lakes.  The drive up, our stomachs were in our throats, seriously.  Try super windy road, only wide enough for one and a half cars, with a steep drop off, no rails and ……….

COWS!

But totally worth it because aren’t these views to die for?

Teehee cow, you are so cute and this is now one of my favorite photos from the trip.

After parking, we decided to take one of the shorter hikes to the lakes – this place is super awesome and if you have the time and the appropriate shoes, you can hike around all day – however, we did not.

Ive decided that this lake was the high point for me of this entire trip.  This photo really doesnt do it any justice and that kills me.  It was so serene and magical. The quality of the light was very diffused and soft and just wrapped you up.  If I could just plop a little cottage right here and live here, it would be my heaven.  Plus with all the cows, the gave off a faint jingling of their bells that was entrancing.  Too bad its a national park and I cant live here.

Here’s the other lake.  Also beautiful.

Finally we arrived to Llanes and stayed for the night in a train station turned hostel.  We had a bit of a walk around the old town and the coast.  All along our trip, we noticed these shell signs or plaques.  These are for the Camino de Santiago which we will be doing in September!

The big boulder rock things that often line the coastal towns up here are painted in Llanes.

After a delicious dinner of fabada and lots of cider, we stumbled into our train station hostel and prepared for our journey the next morning into Galicia.