Middle-aged flash packers

After having toyed with the idea of starting our journey by taking our own car and getting the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander, we ended up flying from Heathrow to Bilbao and hiring a car. Two reasons: slightly cheaper and much quicker. A twist of fate at the airport car hire site also meant that the car we rented was the same as our own vehicle at home which made Steve very happy.

Travel abroad this year has introduced a host of new bureaucracy. It really is quite mind boggling and I’m not surprised that plenty of people have decided to stay home rather than negotiate the world of multiple testing, QR codes and vaccination passports. Luckily I have a Steve who is ace at this sort of stuff and while I was watering in my new plants in the garden, S was busy organising testing kits and filling out passenger locator forms. As a result we were in excellent shape for travelling, but unfortunately many other people weren’t, so there was much phone fiddling and faffing around in queues.

After a very dull wait getting through passport control, we were free and on the road in no time. Sadly we were both absolutely knackered. 3.30am wake up preceded by two nights of rotten sleep and we were zombies. Matchsticks and coffees were required, neither of which we had, so it was grit your teeth and get on with it. For Steve anyway. I fell asleep. I’m beginning to feel a bit sorry for S. I promise to do more tomorrow.

It was a 2 hour plus journey followed by bum clenching manoeuvres getting into an underground car park that should not be allowed to call itself a car park, more a sadistic bastard’s idea of fun watching people ricochet off its ridiculously narrow walls. Steve got in brilliantly but we are both content to let the car sit in its snug space for the duration of our time in Cabrales.

And so to Cabrales. It’s nice. In the heart of the Picos de Europas, a river runs through it and limestone peaks surround it. Our little apartment is perfect and after a light lunch and a little alcohol, a refreshing sleep was had followed by a wander and some stocking up of provisions.

Tomorrow we are aiming to do a circular walk (so many circles this holiday!) through and around the Cabrales valley.