Arm Mountain Cat
 |
US $9.94
Spain Travel – Asturias: Exploring Llanes, a Country Drive in the Mountains
On this gorgeous sunny day I had already fallen in love with one Asturian coastal town: the scenic town of Ribadesella had truly captured my heart and made it into my personal travel memory bank as one of the most scenic ocean-mountain towns I had ever seen. Now in the mid-afternoon I had to continue eastwards towards Llanes, another picturesque coastal town on the Cantabrian Sea. I was going to stay overnight near Llanes in a small country hotel called "la Posada de Babel" in the village of La Pereda.
Most of my drive to Llanes took me very close to the Atlantic coastline and I had to stop several times to gaze out over the sandy beaches on the ocean. After 3 pm I arrived in Llanes, a small ocean-front town of about 14,000 people that stretches out along the Green Coast of Spain. The Picos de Europa mountains almost reach down to the sea here and the town is framed by the coastal range called Sierra del Cuera.
Today Llanes is a fishing port with a long history: the remains of the town's walls date back to 1206. Of course, tourism has also become an important contributor to the local economy. I stopped at a beach area called "Playa del Sablón", a small scenic crescent-shaped beach that was surrounded on the north side by a long elevated promontory that offered gorgeous views of the entire area.
I left my car parked at the beach and strolled into the town which was amazingly quiet right now because it was siesta time. Tourists in Spain have to be aware that any time between 2 and 5 pm, Spanish stores may close and activity ceases until the frenzy resumes during the cooler hours of the late afternoon. A few restaurants were open, and these were the only places where I actually saw people. The streets, for the most part, were completely empty.
The medieval streets in the old downtown of Llanes were narrow and cobble-stoned, The old town is centered around the Church of Santa Maria del Concejo and the remnants of the town's fortification wall. With its salt trade and fishing activity, the town became an important trading post between 1000 and 1500 AD, giving rise to the medieval architecture that characterizes the town's centre.
To reach my hotel for tonight, I had to conclude my walk in Llanes and keep moving. I drove westwards on the coast through beach towns like Celorio, Barro and Niembro where I came across an absolutely gorgeous little church on a small lake just inland from the ocean. I just had to stop and take a few photos and video clips of this extremely scenic location. The Church of Dolores (La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Dolores de Barro) is surrounded by a cemetery with a high wall and is set right above the lake. Sometimes impromptu travel presents you with the most scenic unexpected vistas.
Then I turned in from the coast to head up into the mountains. Having grown up in the Austrian Alps, I have to admit I am always a sucker for mountains and the mountains of Asturias reminded me so much of my home country. I drove inland on the AS 115 highway and turned off at Torrevega to get on a narrow mountain road behind the coastal mountains.
Cows and sheep were grazing on the green mountain slopes, and the cow bells were ringing throughout the valley. I felt like I had been transposed back to my childhood in the mountains of Austria and my heart started beating noticeable faster with fond memories.
The road became ever narrower until it pierced the coastal range and allowed for distant views down to the ocean and the coastline of Llanes. On the winding serpentine curves I made my way down the other side of the mountain and was able to locate the village of La Pereda in the now flatter terrain. I found the sign for "Posada de Babel" and took a narrow road and a long driveway to enter the country estate of my small family-owned hotel where I would spend the next two nights. A small white dog and a cat welcomed me as I entered the reception area of the main building.
After checking in I dropped off my suitcase in my comfortable second floor room which overlooked a large meadow and a forest with the coastal mountain range in the background. I could not have found a more idyllic and restful location than La Posada de Babel. I went downstairs into the large library where I sat down for a chat with the owners Lucas and Blanca who have been running this small hotel for almost 20 years. In the large library, guests can enjoy two fireplaces, a bar and two great sitting areas with floor to ceiling picture windows that provide a stunning view out into the countryside.
Lucas is originally from Colombia and moved to Spain many years ago. He used to work as a tour guide in Madrid while Blanca was working as a psychologist. Both of them had had enough of the urban rat race and decided they wanted to move into the country. They chose this location outside Llanes and became hotel entrepreneurs. They have two daughters, Elvira and Blanca, and the family is joined by Luna, the terrier, and Katy, the cat.
Both Lucas and Blanca are art lovers and original artwork is displayed all over the huge library and the reception area. Lucas is also a big fan of modern architecture, and in addition to the main building, which was constructed in 1992 and holds seven guest rooms, there are three other buildings. One of these is "the Cube", a 7 x 7 metre cube with a modern minimalist design. Lucas also showed me the Garden Suite on the main floor of the family's house.
This contemporary private retreat holds two large beds and a sofa bed and has a direct walkout to the garden. Then there is "the Hórreo", a typical Asturian grain storage building from the early 1900s that has been renovated into a two-story room with a bathroom on the main floor and a bedroom on the other. Lucas and Blanca obviously love architecture and have spent a lot of time and money on creating a truly unique environment here at the Posada de Babel.
Lucas took me on a stroll around his 3.5 acre property. He says he never gets lonely out here in the country and feels completely at peace here. In the forested area of his property he has even built an elevated wooden deck where he sometimes comes to lie down and look up at the treetops or to gaze at the stars at night. Both Lucas and Blanca radiate a profound sense of balance and peace and it seems they have found their real calling with the Posada de Babel.
But not only the spiritual side is well nourished at this idyllic country retreat; the Posada de Babel also has a fine dining restaurant that caters to the more earthly needs of the hotel guests. Lucas added that when they opened their hotel, the restaurant was open to the public. But it became so popular and resulted in such a huge workload that Lucas and Blanca decided to close down access to the public and turned the restaurant into a private facility for hotel guests only.
After working 20 hour days at the beginning of their career as hotel owners, they fine-tuned things over a number of years and finally found the right mix which allows for a great personalized guest experience and a good quality of life for the owners as well. Lucas added that he absolutely loves making a personal connection with the guests, which had already become evident in our conversations as we walked around the property.
Armed with my camera, I was ready to document the entire process with photos and video clips. Reyes, the chef, has been working at the Posada de Babel for 13 years now and has become a real member of the family. She started cooking while Lucas was explaining what was happening. My dinner was going to be locally caught "merluza" (hake) and Lucas explained that this fish had been caught by an angler on a hook, not by a large trawler in the ocean.
Reyes started by quickly pan-searing the fish on both sides, and then Lucas shared the secret with me: the key to making a perfect fish filet is to wrap the pan in aluminum foil and take the whole pan and put it in the oven to cook the fish through. This is the perfect way to prevent the fish from drying out. Reyes had already prepared a tasty salsa with tomatoes, garlic, onion and virgin olive oil that would serve as the bed for my delicate hake filet. Since I had requested a spicy fish, she added ginger and fried leek on top of the fish and drizzled olive tapenade on the side of my plate. Together with some fresh Asturian bread I had a delicious spicy dinner with real ingredients from the Asturian oceans and the countryside.
Well, it had been a very long and exciting day today, and I dropped into my bed absolutely exhausted. But tomorrow, on my last full day in Asturias, I would have another chance to explore the area around Llanes and get to know the coastal regions even better.
About the Author
Susanne Pacher is a Travel Journalist specializing in Unconventional Travel you can get tons of great unconventional and unique travel information and tips if you Click Here
|
|
The Mountain of the Sacred Cat, 1923 $34.99 Paul Klee The Mountain of the Sacred Cat, 1923 - Giclee Print |
|
|
Entlebuch Mountain Dog and Domestic Cat $19.99 Reinhard Entlebuch Mountain Dog and Domestic Cat - Premium Poster |
|
|
Young Mountain Gorilla with it's Arm Up to it's Face $39.99 Beverly Joubert Young Mountain Gorilla with it's Arm Up to it's Face - Photographic Print |
|
|
The Cat Who Moved a Mountain $7.99 The New York Times bestseller from the author of The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal. On a quest for peace and solitude, Qwilleran heads for Big Potato Mountain, where he discovers quite the opposite. A real estate tycoon, who had tried to develop the Potatoes, has been murdered. Qwilleran thinks the accused man--one of the locals--is innocent and is soon on his way to discovering the truth behind the crime. |
|
|
Mountain Biker on Cliffs, Turnagain Arm, Alaska, USA $24.99 Paul Souders Mountain Biker on Cliffs, Turnagain Arm, Alaska, USA - Photographic Print |
|
|
Field with a Mountain Range, Turnagain Arm, Alaska, USA $129.99 Panoramic Images Field with a Mountain Range, Turnagain Arm, Alaska, USA - Wall Decal |
|
|
Hartz Mountain Hartz Mountain Long Life F&t Cat Collar 3270089714 $1.19 Long life f&t cat collar For cats Kills fleas and ticks for 3 months For use on kittens 12 weeks of age or older Brand #: Hartz Mountain 3270089714 UPC: 032700897147 Keywords: collar flea & tick cat 90 day pet reflective |
|
|
Hartz Mountain Hartz Mountain Kitten & Cat F&t Collar 80483 $3.33 Kitten & cat f&t collar Kills both fleas and ticks for up to 7 months Clean, fresh scent and water-resistant Safety release snap reduces risk of neck injury to your cat For use on kittens 12 weeks of age and older White Brand #: Hartz Mountain 80483 UPC: 032700804831 Keywords: tick & flea collar cat pet |
|
|
Hartz Mountain Hartz Mountain Kitten & Cat F&t Collar 94268 $6.66 Kitten & cat f&t collar Kills and repels both fleas and ticks for up to 7 months, PLUS it kills and prevents flea eggs for up to 7 months, thereby stopping the flea life cycle and preventing re-infestation Safety release snap reduces the risk of neck injury to cat Water-resistant For use on kittens 12 weeks of age and older White Brand #: Hartz Mountain 94268 UPC: 032700942687 Keywords: flea & tick collar cat pet |
|
|
Hartz Mountain Hartz Mountain Kitten & Cat One Spot 01915 $4.32 Kitten & cat one spot A monthly treatment that kills and prevents flea eggs and larvae for up to 30 days It also stops the flea life cycle and prevents re-infestation for 30 days Do not use on kittens less than 12 weeks old Package contains 3 monthly treatments Brand #: Hartz Mountain 01915 UPC: 032700019150 Keywords: cat one spot treatment ultraguard flea & tick drops pet |
|
|
Hartz Mountain Hartz Mountain 4oz Cat F&t Powder 84138 $2.75 4oz cat f&t powder Water-resistant powder effectively kills fleas, ticks, and lice for up to 7 days For use on puppies or kittens 12 weeks of age or older 4 oz. containers 1 for cats, 1 for dogs For cats Brand #: Hartz Mountain 84138 UPC: 032700841386 Keywords: flea & tick powder cat pet |
|
|
Arm and Hammer Multi-Cat Strength Cat Litter 28 lb $18.99 Arm and Hammer(R) Multi-Cat Strength Cat Litter The Arm and Hammer(R) Multi Cat Strength Cat Litter is the right product to have if you own several cats in your home. This litter box comes with a unique blend of substances that help in easy clumping which makes it easy for you to clean the box and flush the waste away. Made with fortifying baking soda crystals, this litter box can easily absorb strongest of odors. Features: Made in the USA Contains baking soda Extra-strength litter provides advanced odor control Rock-solid clumps let you remove the source of odors easily 99% dust free & low tracking Destroys odors instantly Fresh clean scent is released after each use Ideal for multi-cat households Advanced multi-cat strength formula helps keep the heavy traffic litter box odor free Item Specifications: Description: The more cats you have, the more you need the extra-strength odor-blocking protection of Arm & Hammer Multi-Cat Extra Strength Scented Clumping Cat Litter. Multi-Cat's activated Baking Soda crystals absorb even the toughest odors and our most advanced clumping technology makes scooping a snap. Multi-Cat keeps cats coming back to the box -no matter how many paws are in the litter. Directions: Fill a clean, empty litter box with 3-4" of litter. Remove clumps and solid waste daily to keep the rest of the litter fresh. Add more litter to replace what you scooped out and maintain a depth of 3-4". Once a month, empty and clean the litter box. Warning: Cat feces can sometimes transmit a disease called toxoplasmosis. Pregnant women and immunosuppressed persons are most susceptible. Always remember to wash hands thoroughly after handling used cat litter. Unused cat litter poses no toxoplasmosis threat. No medical conditions are known to be aggravated by exposure to this product. For further information consult a physician. |
|
|
Arm and Hammer Multi-Cat Strength Cat Litter 40 lb $25.99 Arm and Hammer(R) Multi-Cat Strength Cat Litter The Arm and Hammer(R) Multi Cat Strength Cat Litter is the right product to have if you own several cats in your home. This litter box comes with a unique blend of substances that help in easy clumping which makes it easy for you to clean the box and flush the waste away. Made with fortifying baking soda crystals, this litter box can easily absorb strongest of odors. Features: Made in the USA Contains baking soda Extra-strength litter provides advanced odor control Rock-solid clumps let you remove the source of odors easily 99% dust free & low tracking Destroys odors instantly Fresh clean scent is released after each use Ideal for multi-cat households Advanced multi-cat strength formula helps keep the heavy traffic litter box odor free Item Specifications: Description: The more cats you have, the more you need the extra-strength odor-blocking protection of Arm & Hammer Multi-Cat Extra Strength Scented Clumping Cat Litter. Multi-Cat's activated Baking Soda crystals absorb even the toughest odors and our most advanced clumping technology makes scooping a snap. Multi-Cat keeps cats coming back to the box -no matter how many paws are in the litter. Directions: Fill a clean, empty litter box with 3-4" of litter. Remove clumps and solid waste daily to keep the rest of the litter fresh. Add more litter to replace what you scooped out and maintain a depth of 3-4". Once a month, empty and clean the litter box. Warning: Cat feces can sometimes transmit a disease called toxoplasmosis. Pregnant women and immunosuppressed persons are most susceptible. Always remember to wash hands thoroughly after handling used cat litter. Unused cat litter poses no toxoplasmosis threat. No medical conditions are known to be aggravated by exposure to this product. For further information consult a physician. |
|
|
Mountain Cat (Unabridged) $13.09 The savage Rockies - home to bloodthirsty Indians and ferocious beasts.... |
|
|
The Mountain Cat Murders $7.99 Accused of murdering Dan Jackson with her father's .38 in the town of Cody, Wyoming, Delia Brand sets out to find the real killer, and along the way, discovers the truth about her father's unsolved murder. |
|
|
Virgil and the Mountain Cat $45 At once uncompromising and highly inventive, David Lau's poems are imbued with a musicality that lightens the dark undertones of spoliation and entropy. Many of the poems embody a nexus of interaction with historical events, films, modernist poetic texts, and works of artbut from this allusion and evocation, a multifarious voice emerges. In these pages, the electric linguistic experiment meets a new urban, postnatural poetics, one in which poetry is not just a play of signs and seemings but also a prismatic investigation of our contemporary order: "Hurry up before our factory leaves. / The first column of the Freedom Tower / traduces its ensorcellment in the facade." Here is a poetry both deeply lyrical and resistant, a poetry relentless in its invention and its stance against the apathy of convention and consumption. |
|
|
Virgil and the Mountain Cat: Poems $16.53 No Synopsis Available |
|
|
Cat Who Moved a Mountain $6.82 No Synopsis Available |
|
|
Trilobites of Black Cat Mountain $35.05 No Synopsis Available |
|
|
Mountain Landscape with an Iceberg and a Waterfall Cascading into the Sea, Tracy Arm, Alaska, Usa $24.99 Jeff Foott Mountain Landscape with an Iceberg and a Waterfall Cascading into the Sea, Tracy Arm, Alaska, Usa - Photographic Print |
|
|
Mountain Landscape with South Sawyer Glacier and Waterfall, Tracy Arm, Alaska, Usa $24.99 Jeff Foott Mountain Landscape with South Sawyer Glacier and Waterfall, Tracy Arm, Alaska, Usa - Photographic Print |
|
|
Arm and Hammer Ultra Last Cat Litter $16.99 Arm and Hammer(R) Ultra Last™ Cat Litter The Arm and Hammer(R) Ultra Last™ Cat Litter is designed efficiently to provide a pleasant smell at all times when you have pet cats in your home. Made with the right combination of substances, it wards off foul odors and also aids in easy scooping and clumping which makes it easy for you to flush the waste away. The baking soda coated granules body is designed to lock the strongest of stench. New ARM & HAMMER(R) Ultra Last™ provides powerful long lasting odor control that keeps working even when you can't scoop. Each granule is coated with ARM & HAMMER(R) Baking Soda PLUS. Powerful Odor Destroyers to help keep your home smelling Fresh All Day™. When scooping has to wait, choose Ultra Last™ Features: Made in the USA Keeps living area odorless Easy to flush Easy scooping Item Specifications: Size: 28 lb Warning: Cat feces can sometimes transmit a disease called toxoplasmosis. Pregnant women and immunosuppressed persons are most susceptible. Always remember to wash hands thoroughly after handling used cat litter. Unused cat litter poses no toxoplasmosis threat. No medical conditions are known to be aggravated by exposure to this product. For further information consult a physician. |
|
|
Arm & Hammer Cat Deoderizer Dispenser $33.24 Our Arm & Hammer Stay Fresh Deodorizing Dispensor for Jumbo Hooded Pan System helps keep your litter box odor free while the litter stays first-day fresh longer. Large capacity deodorizer compartment utilizes arm and hammer litter deodorizer for maximum odor control.Easy to use electronic dispenser controls odor at the convenient push of a button.Size: 8 inches long x 6 inches wide x 4 inches highThis convenient dispenser is compatible with the Arm & Hammer Jumbo Hooded Pan System - Item 13872941Easy to operate, simply attach, fill with Arm & Hammer Deorderizing Powder and push! Requires 2 AA batteries (not included)Model: 22160 |
