Today (Saturday) we drove up a very narrow, very deep defile to Potes, a town of about 1,400 at the junction of four alpine valleys in the Picos de Europa. The elevation is only 1,000 feet, but it feels like the Alps. The town turned out to be a little too touristy for our taste, but the drive up and back down was delightful, the gorge of the crystalline river lined by vertical gray cliffs draped with greenery, on a gorgeous autumn day. There were any number of starting points along the way for high-mountain hikes, as well as for rappelling on the limestone cliffs. And canoeing, and kayaking, and horseback treks, and 4-wheeling. Much of the region is a national park, and so protected from more Potes-like development.
Food-wise, we had probably the highlight meal of the trip yesterday at the restaurant Arbidel in Ribadesella. We had been there last year for Jerome's birthday dinner. In the year since, the place has earned a one-star Michelin rating (due, no doubt to our enthusiastic review of it on Trip Adviser), and we couldn't resist the opportunity to return. If anything, it excelled itself. As in San Sebastian, we had the "tasting menu" (menú degustación) that can be found in Spanish on the website http://arbidel.com/. The four appetizers were served in two pairs, a corn-and-guacamole shot of cold soup paired with a tablespoon of minced salmon tartare, and then a cuplet of salted cod mousse topped with tomato puree and toasted sugared almonds paired with another mousse of lightly curried whipped potato and cauliflower. Incredibly subtle flavors and textures. The five "platos" (entrees), no more than a quarter cup each in amount, were served sequentially, which is part of why we were there for 2-1/2 hours. Roughly speaking: apple gazpacho; tomato/red onion/smoked anchovy salad; truffled couscous with mushrooms and minced cabbage; salted cod with octopus foam (didn't work for us); and a wonderful, tiny taste of braised beef subtly flavored with celery and beets. Two tiny, light, fruit-based desserts.
Other than this incredibly wonderful meal, we ate at much more humble cafes, including El Ancla, a block from our hotel in Pechón, where the locals gathered each night for wonderful fresh food and a glass of wine or beer, and in our own hotel, Tinas Pechón, which served excellent food as well. We are so pleased to have had an extended stay in this western corner of Cantabria. Tomorrow we head into Asturias for further exploration of the "green coast"of northern Spain.
Our attempt to see the cave at El Pindal, and our drive along the Asturian coast and visit to Ribadesella, are here:https://plus.google.com/
And, finally, our trip up to Potes in the mountains, on the last day of our stay in Pechon, is recorded here: https://plus.google.
Our attempt to see the cave at El Pindal, and our drive along the Asturian coast and visit to Ribadesella, are here:https://plus.google.com/
And, finally, our trip up to Potes in the mountains, on the last day of our stay in Pechon, is recorded here: https://plus.google.
