Santander to Oviedo. The Little Train
Mac
Tresviso, blessed with a road only in recent years. I sampled the
local cheese (more on that later) anbd at remote Tresviso gave a lift
to a local octogenarian and his tiny birdlike wife. Thinking they
wanted to get to Sotres for supplies, I took them perhaps further than
they needed, but no, this would do fine, in the middle of nowhere.
They only wanted a lift up the road to go a bit further on their daily
paseo. About 5Km! If I'm still around in 20 years, that would do me
fine, too.
A night in thr green foothills to the east of the Picos, then it's
down to Santander to take the narrow gauge FEVE train to Oviedo. This
is not a toy tourist train, but a modern commercial railway with a
thriving passenger and goods traffic (I saw coal, oil and steel being
transported). One metre tracks, about two thirds normal (very
occasionally I saw a track shared, i.e. 3 rails). Modern functional
rolling stock, squarish and chunky; 2+1 seats across, comfortable to
make up for the track, which does not make for an easy ride, with very
tight curves, steep gradients (for a railway), and many, many stops,
scheduled and not. Mostly single track: waits for trains coming from
the opposite direction were frequent, and a system of discs exchanged
withe the red-hatted Jefes de Estación ensured that no mistakes were
made.
There are no express trains. We trundled round the hills and chugged
up the valleys between the cliffs and the river, mostly near the coast
but not actually there, until bursting from a tunnel almost onto the
beach of a small brilliant sandy cove.
I had bought a ticket to Ribasedella to avoid arriving in Oviedo
fairly late on a Friday evening, but at the very last moment jumped
off at Llanes instead, having worked out that the Turismo would still
be open. And how glad I am that I did! A delightful small seaside
town with a beautiful 'conjunto medieval', its streets literally
poetic (a series of metal plaques, lines by a local poet, leads ones
feet round the old part of town). The harbour wall is protected by
an extraordinary collection of huge concrete blocks painted in various
garish colours and designs. At first sight this appears like very
large scale graffitti, but is apparently a work of art executed over
50 years ago - 'Los Cubos de Memoría'. The artist Augustín Ibarrola
apparently believed that this would be "my most powerful work".
Great seafood too, in a tent by the harbour, a parrot squawking and a
cat stalking for their tidbits
Next morning back onto the train, along the coast to Ribadesella then
inland, hugging the Rio Sella between thickly wooded hills. Calves
run startled by the piercing horn, sounded at every tiny crossing, but
birds of prey sit unperturbed on fenceposts by the track, as we pass
through this intensely green, Elysian landscape towards Oviedo,
capital of Asturias.
"Es mejor por el tren"
Mac
Roger Warwick
You should compile these "Travel tales from Spain" into a book -
wonderful reading, thank you!
Roger.
sue james
Hi Mac
As usual I've been enthralled by your posts - it's been a real bonus
that you 've had a second trip this year.
I was particularly pleased you'd stopped in Llanes and you told me
something I didn't know - that I'd witnessed the evolution of a work of
art over the years.
I first visited Llanes in 1969 when donkeys were much more common than
tractors and they still collected seaweed to fertilise crops.
I also remember the state of the roads then - travel was simultaneously
slow and terrifying!
In 1987 we returned. We arrived in Santander on a rainy morning and made
it to Llanes in time for lunch and discovered that not a lot seemed to
have changed in the intervening years.
Donkeys were still to be seen. We were camping on that trip and the next
morning we experienced a surprise - the clouds had lifted and there were
the Picos de Europa!
We've been back a few times since and the restoration works that have
taken place have made the place even more charming plus the new motorway
system has made it more accessible.
However, I think arriving there by train is probably the best way to travel.
Sue
LesterOR
I just wanted to add to the chorus. Your trip posts have been
particularly sharp and evocative. Thanks for taking the time to share
with us all!
Lester