July, 2006

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Santiago / Fontoria	Ports	Covadonga / Picos de Europa
Luarca	North Coast	La Comarca Vacqueiro
Vitoria	Rioja	Valladolid / Peñafiel / Toledo

La Comarca Vaqueiro

This pastoral farming region nestles in the mountains of west Asturias.

There are many pueblos tucked into the mountains.

Brieves

Stacking hay at a traditional rural arts fiesta in this small pueblo.

 

A bright new horreo holds some of the garden harvest.

This one is decked out for the fiesta!

These oxen patiently pulled a hay cart for riding fun.

Castro de Coaña

The setting for the pre-Roman Celtic fortifications.

There are more than 80 of these circular stone dwellings.

Archeologists have been working here for 200 years off and on.

These purple wildflowers graced many of the upper village walls.

The rectangular enclosures are thought to be for livestock.

An interesting blend of the old and the not-so-old.

There is still a good portion of the upper village left to dig.

It's not hard to imagine living in one of these thatched roof stone houses.

Salas

Salas lies deep in the Asturian mountains.

Farms and small pueblos dot the landscape even up in the mountains.

A very impressive church for a rather small pueblo.

A view through the arch connecting the parador to the tower.

The tower is a historically significant landmark.

 Deep into the Mountains

The port of Vegadeo is the gateway to this region of small, traditional villages.

The villages on the right have some sort of traditional cottage tourist industry.

The coastal fog reaches up into the mountain valleys.

Cattle graze in front of a recent clear-cut.

The landscape is reminiscent of hamlets in a shire.

The pueblo's streets seem centuries old.

This stone cottage has been here awhile!

I have no idea what the significance of this tree remnant is to Taramundi..

The village of Os Teixois has a working waterwheel.

Stone flour-grinding wheels.

Farmhouses perch on steep slopes. Land use is intense.

Llan is one of the larger towns in the area.

A patchwork quilt drapes over the rolling hills.

This tiny pueblo is literally built into the mountainside.

The view over the valley is enchanting.

Some houses are on the other side of the road.

This gentleman spent some time discussing the meaning of work with us.

Santiago / Fontoria	Ports	Covadonga / Picos de Europa
Luarca	North Coast	La Comarca Vacqueiro
Vitoria	Rioja	Valladolid / Peñafiel / Toledo

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