We have loved Bilbao, it is such as easy city to get around, lively, friendly, compact. The people are gorgeous. The wine is cheap. It's a city that delivers a brilliant experience on all fronts, with lots of special touches. We have loved being in Basque Country. Our time spent here, from Biarritz to Bilbao, has been a blast. This is a hidden treasure in the world, well worth a visit.
Now, it's bye-bye Bilbao ... and onto Cudillero in Asturia, further west along the northern coast of Spain.
It's a bit more than three hours' drive to reach Cudillero but on the amazing Spanish autovias it is swift and easy driving. Hardly a car on the road, a 120kph speed limit, three lanes all the way, dozens of viaducts and tunnels, great scenery ... Just sit back and go. I am driving and after a couple of hours of this I am getting stiff from being in the same position, foot down, hands on the wheel, nothing else to do for so long
We swap and Brett does the final stint into Cudillero, a small fishing village set into the cliffs on Spain's northern coast. As we round the corner and it comes into view (you can't see it until arrival) we see lots of boats and the houses stacked up the hillside. We drive into town, which is really just a large square on the water with cafes, and find our hotel just off the square. La Casona de Pio is an old fish salting factory that has been turned into a rather charming hotel. Cute and rustic on the outside, it is clean and modern inside. One wall of our room is the original brickwork. We have a huge spa bath. The woman who greets us is delightful.
There is no parking in the town, so we unpack and move the car to the parking area on the outskirts, about three minutes' walk away. It is busy here this Sunday afternoon, with day trippers and tourists. The cafes are full. It is very windy, gusts catching the umbrellas in the square and swirling the sea air in every direction. This is a unique little place that makes you go "oh" as if it is possibly a fairy tale.
We go exploring, which takes us up a pile of rather ragged steps and pathways wending their way amongst the houses. It is steep and, being up high, sheltered from the sea breeze and bathed in afternoon sunshine, it is boiling. Such hot work navigating the paths but the views are magnificent and village life is happening all around us as people go about their Sunday business in their pokey quaint little homes on the hill. Mostly this entails watching the world go by from their windows. Some are cooking, some conversing. Some chatting on the pathways. It must be tough living in a place like this in winter when the tourists are gone, the wind is icy and the seas thrash. But today, on a warm sunny spring day - it's rather lovely.
We do wonder how they lug their shopping up to their houses, letalone get their fridges and furniture installed. There is a road that winds its way to the top which gives another means of access, but most of the houses are not very close to it, or the lower road.
When we get back to the bottom of town we are thirsty and head to one of the cafes for a well earned beer. The wind has died down markedly and a perfect evening is brewing. Well, it is a Full Moon tonight ... Actually, it's a Supermoon Bloodmoon Eclipse - a rare triple whammy. And one of the best places to view it this month is Western Europe, especially Spain. Our hotel is tucked in between slightly taller buildings so, despite having a lovely balcony, I am not sure it will afford great moon viewing given the views of the sky are restricted by buildings and cliffs. Everything is tightly packed together here, like sardines, which makes things convenient although somewhat crowded. Never mind, I will worry about moon viewing later.
We enjoy people-watching in the square and slowly, as the afternoon comes to a close, the people leave. We chill in our hotel room for a bit and then head out for dinner. The lovely lady at the hotel recommends us a place, it is most conveniently next door. I'd noticed the place had been brimming over at lunchtime with large groups dining and gossiping, but it is deserted right now. The day trippers have gone and Cudillero is quiet. There is an audible hush in the town.
We poke our heads in and they are just finishing the lunch clean up and doing dinner set up. Yes, they are ready to serve us. We take a table upstairs and are the only diners. All night long. Our waiter is attentive and friendly. The decor is bright blue and white, reminiscent of a Greek island. We start with calamari, the best we've had. He recommends a bass-style fish for two. Yes please. It is grilled to perfection and is excellent. The wine is too - Albariño from neighbouring Galicia, where we are heading next. A new varietal for us and one we like very much. We will sample more I suspect! We have a splendid night ... fine private dining in the tiniest of towns, what's not to like!? Even though this is a fishing village, the fish is not actually cheap. Worth every mouthful though.
We finish with a rice wine liqueur that our waiter brings out. It is absolutely delicious, sort of like Kahlua and milk, but with a brandy base. Unusual. Dusk has fallen.
We walk through the square and the town looks lovely all lit up. The sky is clear and there is not a breath of wind, nicely in line with my Full Moon theory. Sadly, the sky is not being lit up with wonderful moonshine yet, it must be coming up behind the hillside. I will look a bit later.
I wake at around 3.30am and look out from the balcony. No moon to be seen but, as I say, there is only a small piece of sky visible from our hotel and the moon must be behind. This needs further investigation. I need to see more sky. I sneak along the corridor in the dead of night, unlock the main front door and tiptoe into the night like a naughty teenager. All is still. I go down into the square - which takes about a minute - and yes ... there is the moon, bright and beautiful against the inky black sky. The eclipse is under way, distorting the moon's shape as it is supposed to do. I am the only nutter out here moon gazing. I don't stay long. I would love to watch the full eclipse and see the blood red tones from this curious little village on the Spanish coast ... but I am sensible and go back to bed! We are on the road again tomorrow ...
Observation of the Day: Every village, no matter how small, has a fabulous church, Cudillero being no exception. We peek inside. Not opulent like the city ones but it is lovely all the same with its tones of lemon and grey. It feels just right for this little place tucked into the hilly coastline. A central point and gathering hub, with locals chattering away outside and a few people praying inside.
Recommendation of the Day: Visit Basque Country!!
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