Tales from the Road (Trip) … With Kids Part 6 (Asturias, Spain)
The end of our two-week road trip through Portugal and Spain had us living the farm life in Spain’s north central province of Asturias. Well, actually, the real end of the trip was in La Rioja.
The best part of those last few days of vacation, and the only part worth mentioning (aside from the, ahem, “bedroom olympics” that took place in the apartment above our rental at 2am and woke us parents), was dinner at El Portal de Echarren. A Michelin two star in Ezcaray, you have to go if you are in La Rioja. It was an amazing meal and totally worth a the trip and the prior sleepless night!
The view from the backyard at Ca Lulon.
Really, though, our two-week trip ended on a high note in Asturias. Craggy coast line to lush green hills and valleys, Asturias is stunning. With those hills and valleys, however, come windy roads, which result in short distances taking long times to cover. The scenery makes it worth it.
Watching morning rush hour as the cows head out to pasture.
We stayed at Ca Lulon in Tineo, Asturias. We loved Ca Lulon. The owners were very nice and accommodating. Not only were the apartments well appointed but we were greeted upon arrival with a delicious, homemade orange cake. The second evening, we came back from our day out to a plate of little homemade rolls stuffed with different types of sausage. Delicious and above and beyond!
Visiting the cows in the pasture.
The tiny town has a population of approximately thirty people and not a single shop or restaurant. The main source of income is cows: dairy and beef. Our kids loved the farm life and, as I blogged about previously, soaked up the culture of this way of life — so different from their own lives in the city.
Feeding the cows at the end of the day.
Fresh milk. Our help with the cows paid off!
Relaxing in the yard at Ca Lulon.
Asturias is not all hills and valleys. It also has a beautiful coastline where you can find great fish and seafood. It’s not Galicia, but it’s close, and definitely worth a visit.
A coastal inlet in Luarca, Asturias.
We had hoped to visit the coastal village of Cudillero. Although it was only 30 miles or so from where we were staying, Google maps told us it would take an hour and a half on slow, curvy roads to get there. With kids in tow, we bagged that idea and headed to the closest coastal village, which turned out to be Luarca.
A coastal lookout in Luarca, Spain.
We weren’t disappointed. Luarca was a quaint little town with good food, a nice feel and, of course, a playground.
A coastal lookout in Luarca, Spain.
Good food, good times, good friends and fantastic scenery abounded on our road trip. The little guy only puked once and our daughter asked, “how much longer” less than a hundred times, I’m sure. All in all, I’d say our family road trip was a success!
* This post was also featured on Walking on Travels, where you can find more inspiring travel posts and tips.
