Potes, Espana

Potes, Spain has been a treat. The mountains of Picos De Europa  are spectacular, and remind me of the Alps with  the dramatic rock formations and the lush landscape. The mountains with the  flora and fauna are stark difference from the Rocky Mountains we experience every day. The rolling landscape with green fields adjoined rocky peaks are truly breathtaking.

Eli Meditating

During our stay in Potes we have gone on two hikes.The first hike was 4 hours at Fuente De and we climbed about 800 meters, yes it was a forced march at some points. We ended up at a cool hut near the peak, we never made it to the peak which I think was a good call.  Our lunch consisted of Baguette, ham, cheese, fruit and a KAS(the kids have moved to Euro drinks) for the kids. It is amazing how good food tastes after a long climb.

The view from our lunch location was epic, it was a panoramic view of the entire mountain range. This hike was long and tough and the kids did really well. Kalli rocked it, six years old and she is keeping up - I will say, she was toast at the end, but the we all were happy to be at the car. I have been really impressed with her ability to keep up with the older kids.

Our second hike, today, was a 2 hour loop with less climbing but a lot more foliage above a small town called Brez.The climbing was limited to a couple hundred meters of elevation and it was a loop hike. The scenery was once again spectacular as the clouds moved in and out around the peaks. We were very close to snow at the peak of the climb - the trails are deserted as we saw a total of 4 people on the trail.  I have been very impressed with the way the trails are marked. Each hike is designated with a number and color, along the way the number/color is displayed whenever there is a question on the correct trail to take. Some of the hikes go from town to town which would be fun but require a little more planning in terms of dropping a car since these hikes are point to point.

Trail Signs

Overall the experience in the mountains has been great. We were happy to see small towns, large peaks, and experience something that felt close to home. The town of Potes is very small but very busy. Potes has very narrow cobblestone streets, a river running through the center of town and there is absolutely nowhere to park. Tonight was the first night I made dinner. Dinner consisted of calamari, hamburgers, salad, cheese plate, olives, and a bottle of Rioja. We are a little tired of eating out and plan to cook more as we head south.

Tomorrow we are off to Madrid. The drive is about 4 hours so we are heading out early tomorrow morning. It is 9:45 PM and the kids are in bed, normally we are heading out to dinner!

So far we have 1500 kilometers on the minivan!