Leaving the beautiful Playa Merón, we headed south, following our GPS and several maps of Spain. The route we chose looked like a perfectly good secondary road. It was a hot day and we soon found ourselves climbing up 13% and 15% grades in 3rd or even 2nd gear to get around hairpin corners, with the temperature of the engine bumping 225°F. Our reward was the Paso de Pájares, elevation 4,521 ft, (1378 m), overlooking the coastal range.

A mile or so down from the pass, we stopped next to an abandoned refuge, originally a hospital for the pilgrims following the Camino de Santiago on their way to Oviedo where it connects with the Camino de Santiago on the coast or Route North. Around 1116, Count Fruela Diaz and his wife Stephanie, who had vast holdings throughout this region, wanted to establish a shelter or hospital as a refuge and rest for pilgrims and travelers protection. This type of shelter proliferated in remote and little frequented places where it was needed for the walkers. Apart from the pilgrims, it served as housing for the poor who so requested. It was known as “House of the Probes”.

In 1216, Alfonso IX of Léon, ordered the construction of a church next to the hostel. The new church of Our Lady Saint Mary of Arbas was built in the late Romanesque style. Its two doorways are classic examples. We were quite surprised at its beautiful arched ceilings and cobble stoned floors, and could only imagine the pilgrims who had just struggled uphill for many hours to find this peaceful sanctuary. A jewel in the middle of nowhere; most motorized travelers zooming by must be totally unaware of. It was declared a Historic Artistic Monument in 1931.

After a hot steep climb we finally arrived at Pájares Pass, elevation 4,521 ft, (1378 m).

Stopping for lunch, the air was pleasantly cool.

The view from Pájares Pass back towards Asturias was spectacular.

This hotel on top of Pájares Pass was closed. Nearby is a ski resort.

The Romanesque church near the pass was built in 1216.

The cobbled interior floors of the Romanesque church were fascinating.

This church was built on one of the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James) routes. We spotted this scallop shell styled window in the rear of the church, a tribute to the apostle St. James.

We had never seen this type of spider style ceilings.

This marker has a date: 1693.

Sitting a moment in this sanctuary was a very peaceful experience.

As some of you may recall, when we were camped at Playa Merón, we mentioned the wonderful market in Santander. It might be one of the largest and most fascinating in Spain. The whole lower section is devoted to seafood, everything from fresh squid, barnacles, and whole bunches of strange critters we know would be delicious if we only knew how to prepare them. The upper floor is devoted to wonderful dried hams, smoked and dried meats, cured sausages, olives, breads, fruits, vegetables, cheeses and spices. Many have asked us, “Well, what do you eat when you travel?” We have met US and Canadian RVers in Mexico who had their pantries stuffed with canned food. Spain may seem really “foreign” but a few pictures from Santander’s open market should convince you that people in far-off countries or even those nearby do not go hungry. For us, the open markets are one of the best parts of travel.

The Santander open market has a huge variety of fresh fish.

Fresh shrimp were a little treat we had to splurge on.

Crabs, mussels, sea snails, barnacles and several kinds of clams including funny razorbacks were a treat for seafood lovers.

These rzaorbacks were tempting.

Does anyone have a good receipt for squid?

We splurged on some of the Spanish air-dried ham. We are looking forward to visiting southern Spain where the famous “Patos Negros” variety comes from.

More types of sausage and cheese than you could taste in a month.

Every kind of fresh fruit was carefully arranged to tempt the shopper.

With shopping bags full, there was still the beach.

According to the notes on our 1997 Spanish map, it was 16 years ago that we had explored the many beautiful beaches along the Costa Verde of northern Spain. Perhaps our favorite was one called Playa Merón. Parking was free and the long, clean deserted beach was a short walk away. We remembered it had another name, “Whalebone Beach”. There was a small restaurant with a mouth-watering barbecue. Lean baby-back ribs, lamb chops and several kinds of Spanish sausage filled the evening with tantalizing aromas. If you ordered in advance, they also made wonderful paella.

To our delight, both the restaurant and beach were little changed. Parking was still free at the restaurant and the wonderful beach was as pristine as ever. Each night the tide came in to erase all the footprints and sand castles, as if Mother Nature had cleaned the giant blackboard for a new day of memories.

Having just come from the spectacular open market in the city of Santander, we were loaded with fresh fish and shrimp. At a quiet meadow just up the road, we celebrated our first night on the beach with a pile of fresh mussels sautéed in garlic, butter and white wine, with plenty of Spanish bread to sop up the juice. We had also splurged on some of the famous Spanish Serrano ham and some tasty cheeses.

This being August when virtually everyone in Europe is on vacation, Playa Merón had been discovered, mostly by surfers. We were surrounded by fellow campers from France, England, Ireland, Germany and of course, Spain.

Long walks on the beach, beautiful sunsets and a few hours of baking our white bodies in the sun were just what we had been looking forward to. The water temperature was refreshingly cool and the waves were just the right size for playing in. We could’ve stayed a month but there were other beaches to explore and Portugal was calling.

Camping at the Restaurant Playa Merón was still free. The grassy field just up the beach was only 5 Euros a night and offered more space.

We celebrated our first night on the beach with a pile of fresh muscles sautéed in garlic, butter and white wine, with plenty of crusty Spanish bread to sop up the juice.

This being the end of August when virtually everyone in Europe is on vacation, Playa Merón had been discovered.

We splurged on some of the famous Spanish Serrano ham. At 49 Euros a kilo, ($32.50 a pound), we savored every slice.

We remembered that Playa Merón had another name: “Whalebone Beach”.

In addition to the succulent ribs on the grill, there were also lamb chops and several different sausages.

A combination plate for two was more than we could eat.

The ragged range of Picos de Europa was a backdrop for the long deserted beaches.

Each night the tide came in to erase all the footprints and sand castles.

A lone surfer watches the Spanish sun melt into the Atlantic.

Of all the amazing UNESCO World heritage sites scattered across Spain, one of the most impressive is the Altamira Cave near the medieval village of Santillana del Mar in the state of Cantabria, 30 km west of the city of Santander. Altamira (Spanish for ‘high views’) is a cave in Spain famous for its Upper Paleolithic cave paintings featuring drawings and polychrome rock paintings of wild mammals and human hands.

Altamira was inhabited by different groups of people living in family bands between 36,000 and 13,000 years ago. What they left behind is some of the most impressive cave paintings in the world.

The actual cave was found in 1879 and has been closed to the public to preserve it since 1977. The next best thing is the recreation of one section called the Polychrome Room ceiling paintings, all part of a large museum called the Neocave or new cave. The exact duplication of the bison, horses, deer and other animals were interesting, but the museum itself is worth several hours and is absolutely fascinating. It covers the entire history of the human race with drawings, paintings, artifacts, carvings, objects, tools, videos and physical displays.

Evening found us back at the Playa Merón campground, €5 for the night and a short walk from what is surely one of the most perfect beaches on the North Coast of Spain.

The Altamira cave in Spain is famous for its Upper Paleolithic cave paintings featuring drawings and polychrome rock paintings of wild mammals and human hands.

No photos were allowed throughout the museum. This postcard shows one of the beautiful bison from the polychrome room’s ceiling, created about 14,500 BC.

This artistic bison, also a photo from a postcard, was created around 14,500 BC.

Santillana del Mar is a small town in the state of Cantabria in northern Spain. The first people living in the area were prehistoric cave dwellers some 36,000 and 13,000 years ago. Romans had settled nearby but the exact date of the founding of the abbey of Santa and Asturias de Santillana is not known. It has its origin in the early Middle Ages (8th or 9th century AD). Already in 1889, Santillana del Mar was declared a historic-artistic site. Much of its original flavor is still preserved.

There is an old saying that Santillana del Mar is The Town of Three Lies, since it is neither a Saint (Santo), nor flat (llana) and has no sea (Mar) as implied by the town’s name. However, the name actually derives from Santa Juliana (or Saint Illana) whose remains are kept in the Colegiata, a Romanesque church and former Benedictine monastery.

Arriving early, we found a good parking place in the main square, the Plaza del Rey. The charge was 2 Euros. Such a deal! It was drizzling so we grabbed a table at the nearby café that had Internet (Wi-Fi is pronounced here as “wee fee”) and caught up on emails and blogs. Keeping an eye on The Turtle V in the Plaza, if we could have charged a Euro for every photo taken of the truck, we could have made several hundred dollars.

A steady stream of admirers took hundreds of photos of The Turtle V.

The nearby café that had Internet (Wi-Fi is pronounced here as “wee fee”) so we could catch up on emails and blogs.

Today, Santillana del Mar is an extremely popular town and its cobblestone streets most definitely set you back to earlier times. Local specialties like chocolate, Quesada Pasiega (a dessert), hard cider, several types of smoked sausages, honey and many other things are sold in every tourist shop. Many restaurants entice visitors with special “Menu del Dia” or “Platos Tipicos”.

We did buy a bottle of hard cider but the cork was so entrenched, we had to go back to the super market where the female manager opened it with a special local trick. How was it? Hmm, it had kind of a musty cellar taste. The Quesada Pasiega reminded us of bread pudding.

By late evening, the Plaza del Rey had quieted down so we spent the night together with a couple of other motorhomes. No one bothered us. Our primary reason for coming here was to visit the nearby world famous prehistoric Altamira caves to see the amazing cave paintings.

The abbey of Santa and Asturias de Santillana has its origin in the early Middle Ages (8th or 9th century AD).

Balconies overflow with flowers.

The town “Laundromat” (left) still had its well-used scrubbing stones in place. Adjacent is the drinking trough for animals.

Gary couldn’t resist to add this artistic photo.

I guess we won’t sit here today.

Fresh out of France, as we headed west along the north coast of Spain, our first destination was Bilbao. Not so much for the city itself but more to visit the amazing Guggenheim Museum designed by Canadian-American Frank Gehry. This extraordinary piece of modern architecture is arguably as important itself as the exhibits it contains. The building’s titanium skin pushes the limits of architecture to the sky with canopies, cliffs and towering promontories that seem to defy the limits of structural engineering. The three levels of exhibits are dedicated primarily to modern art, but even then, they stretch the imagination of the artists and the viewer. The large exhibit on the ground floor called “The Matter of Time” particularly fascinated us. This series of solid steel elliptical forms, each weighing over 40 tons, was designed by Californian Richard Serra. He successfully transforms the visitors’ sensation of space and motion with art that transforms the spectators’/participants’ experience into the art itself.

After following our Garmin GPS on a tortuous route through downtown Bilbao including a one-lane road that required low-range to navigate, we arrived at a beautiful RV campground overlooking the city. Yes, there was an easier way.

Monika’s German language knowledge comes in handy with neighbor campers.

Far below between the red bridge and the skyscraper we could see the silver domes of the Guggenheim Museum.

The titanium skin of the Guggenheim Museum pushes the limits of engineering and architecture.

“The Matter of Time” by Californian Richard Serra particularly fascinated us. Our experience created the essence of the art itself.

A wall of moving words and sayings in English, Spanish and Euskara (the language of the Basque) flowed upwards into the void.

The interior glass walls of the Guggenheim Museum seem to defy the limits of structural engineering.

This unique polished stainless steel sculpture was fun to play with. At every angle the picture changed and the reflection of the viewer became part of the art display; for everyone an individual experience.

This tower of stainless steel balls seemed to defy gravity, the result of a carefully planned mathematical design.

Gascony in southwestern France no longer offers any tourist facilities like we had experienced all the way from Switzerland. This is farm country where they grow mostly sunflowers, wheat and corn. Signs advertised Foie de Gras (goose liver pâté) and Armagnac, a type of brandy distilled from wine made from a blend of grapes.

Stopping for the night in a park along a murky river and the deserted town Saint-Jean-Poutge, the only pleasing thing was the shady trees and the bridge reflection in the water.

We have had a really great time in France but now we were looking forward to exploring Spain. Spotting the name St. Vincent de Paul at a highway exit, Monika remembered second hand stores in Canada with its namesake. It was enough to spark our curiosity so we drove to the nearby sanctuary, a peaceful place.

St. Vincent was born in Gascony in 1581 and died in 1660. We learned that he is the patron of all works of charity. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is a charitable organization dedicated to the service of the poor and is today present in 132 countries. Wikipedia is a good source for more information.

Off to Spain!

Camp for the night in St. Jean Poutge.

This sign announces the birthplace of St. Vincent de Paul.

St. Vincent de Paul was born in this house and later lived here.

This sign announces St. Vincent de Paul’s home and year of birth.

The St. Vincent de Paul sanctuary is a peaceful place to linger.

The interior of St. Vincent de Paul’s sanctuary is very unpretentious.

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is a commune in the Lot department, (state), in southwestern France. It is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (“The most beautiful villages of France”) association. Its position, originally selected for defense, perched on a steep cliff 100 meters above the river, has helped make the town one of the most popular tourist destinations in the area. The entire community is almost a museum.

Just driving up the winding road, you know this village must be walked around. At every turn it becomes more inviting. Narrow cobblestone streets twist through stone houses that appear to have been scattered at random. Flower-draped balconies tilt over shops and cafes. The old church at the top has some wonderful stained glass art. Arriving early in the morning, we avoided the swarms of tourists.

Just driving up the winding road, you know this village must be walked around. At every turn it becomes more inviting.

Stone houses appear to have been scattered at random.

The old church at the top has some wonderful stained glass art.

Flower-draped balconies tilt over shops and cafés.

Narrow cobblestone streets twist through the village to small plazas and the towering bell tower of the church.

The area around Espédaillac is known to have several Dolmen and Cazelles.

The Dolmen, also known as portal tomb or portal grave, is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb or burial chamber, usually consisting of three or more upright stones supporting a large flat horizontal capstone (table). The oldest known Dolmen are in Western Europe and date to around 7000 years ago but it remains unclear when, why, and by whom they were made. More amazing is there is no reasonable guess of how they lifted the huge stones to their perch.

These beautiful dry stone huts called Cazelles served shepherds to protect them against weather. The unique design of the round ceilings is beautiful.

This large Dolmen is located near Espédaillac.

This Dolmen is the most important in the area thought to be 4,000 years old. The table top weighs 40,000 lbs.

Dolmen are thought to be tombs.

This beautful Cazelle protected shepherd from weather.

Cazelles are made with dry stacked rocks. It’s quite an amazing architectural achievement.

Looking at the Michelin map, Espédaillac is not even a dust spec. Our Garmin GPS knew where it was but the first road sign we spotted indicated: Espédaillac, 6km.

At one point in history, the village must have been a central stopping place for military and other travelers. One of the main buildings, situated next to the church, is La Commanderie that was a military post with a hospital. The walls are over three feet thick!

A hundred years ago, there were still three schools, two small grocery stores, a butcher, a forge and a shoe maker, two restaurants, a tearoom, an animal market once a month and a communal oven to bake bread. There was no good water source so people collected rainwater in cisterns.

Today it’s a quiet place. There are no school and no stores, no local bus connections. There is an Auberge (inn) where they serve lunch and dinners.

About 250 people live here full time including 20 foreigners from England and Belgium. In the Summer, most houses are lived in by French and a few more foreigners.

Our good friend Vivienne moved here from London and teaches English in the surrounding areas. She has restored her 200-year-old house and turned it into a beautiful home.

Vivienne’s backyard is a casual place where friends like to gather.

Gary is in charge of the BBQ.

The church dominates the village square of Espédaillac.

The Commanderie is one of the oldest buildings in Espédaillac.

Crosses like this one can be found in many villages throughout France.

A quick photo opportunity with our long-time friend Vivienne.

Who could resist this reflection?