Spain Travel – Asturias: Bermiego, an Asturian Mountain Village
Spain Travel Asturias: Bermiego, an Asturian Mountain Village
To get to know the outdoor travel opportunities in Asturias, we had spent the morning cycling along the 22 km long Bear Trail or Senda del Oso, and local tourism expert Ana had explained all the different Asturian tourism offerings to me, from outdoor adventure to history, culture and culinary experiences. Now we had finished our biking tour and Tito Conde, my outdoor adventure guide, and his friend Estefania packed me in the car and we started to drive up the steep slopes of the Asturian mountains.
After a drive on narrow and steep winding roads we stopped in a local Asturian mountain village called Bermiego. This is one of those villages that look like nothing has changed over the last couple of hundred years. I would guess that very few tourists ever make it to this small village; that is why it has this wonderfully authentic rural feel to it. Cows and sheep were grazing on the steep mountains surrounding us; and the sound of cowbells was filling the entire narrow valley. The high mountains across from us were still covered in snow.
We parked the van and started to walk through this village with its attractive stone farm houses. The weather had not improved much since the morning; it was still overcast and drizzly, but Tito had lent me his ski jacket and that was keeping me warm. We walked on the narrow road for about 20 minutes until Tito pointed out a special site in this area: the so-called "tejo milenario" (or the thousand-year-old yew tree) which was located right next to a stone chapel.
Tito explained that yew trees were used by the ancient Celtic tribes in this region as locations for their tribal rituals. After Christianization, yew trees still retained their significance and chapels were often built right next to the biggest and oldest yew trees.
Then we drove down the mountain to a village called Quiros whose main attraction is an ethnographic museum that was slated to open in June of this year. Quiros is a small mountain village that used to be a centre of coal mining which has a long tradition in the mountains of Asturias. The museum is located in a farmers' house and showcases rural Asturian living on two floors of the building. The lower floor is home to a stable, a laundry washing area and a water trough, a wooden shoemaker's workshop and other work areas.
The second floor provides educational displays that illustrate the agricultural lifestyle in Asturias with actual artifacts and big photographic exhibits. The different roles of men, women, children and the elderly on the farm are explained along with the chores that all the members of the family had to complete. Life on the farm in the harsh climate of the Asturian mountains was difficult; large families with many children had to share the space in small wooden or stone houses.
One of the displays explained that in 1752, there were 51 wooden clog makers in the village, 6 carpenters, 5 smiths, 3 stone masons and 11 tailors. Basket making was another important skill of the time. Agricultural tools, baskets and backpacks made from animal skins were on display and work processes were explained.
The bedroom of the house was absolutely tiny and naturally came equipped with a chamber pot. Even the bed itself, although made for a married couple, looked like it was made for a dollhouse by today's standards. Tito explained that this was actually a rich man's house; if that was the case I was wondering what a poor family would have lived in. The Ethnographic Museum of Quiros does a fantastic job of illustrating the harsh living conditions that a family would have faced 200 years ago up here in the Asturian mountains.
From Quiros we continued our drive through an impressive mountain landscape to the Teverga area in southern Asturias. We stopped in a village called San Martn de Teverga where we were going to have a late lunch. Tito suggested a restaurant called Casa Laureano which is renowned for serving authentic Asturian mountain cuisine. The restaurant was booming and all the guest rooms were full; this was obviously a very popular local eating spot. Now was my first real chance to experience hearty Asturian cuisine.
Tito introduced me to the restaurant's owner, Seora Maria Valina Rey, who kindly agreed to show me around her kitchen. One interesting feature of this restaurant is that the kitchen is located between the front guestroom and the back guestroom, so any patrons who wish to sit in the larger back guestroom actually have to walk through the kitchen and can see the huge pots boiling on the stove.
Seora Maria gave me an introduction, in Spanish, to her hearty cooking: a big pot of "fabada", the savoury Asturian bean stew with ham, blood sausage and Spanish chorizo sausage, was simmering away on the large stove. Next to it was another pot holding "fabas con almejas", another bean stew with mussels. The third bean stew was called "pote Asturiano", another bean stew with sausages, cabbage and potatoes.
Stuffed peppers with wild boar meat and roast beef were also waiting for hungry customers. Home-made desserts included "arroz con leche" rice pudding, and a "flan de queso" cheese flan. Given the agricultural and mining history of Asturias, these types of hearty dishes were perfect for nourishing local farmers and miners to take on their backbreaking work.
Given that it was almost 3 pm now, Tito, Estefania and I were pretty famished and we were definitely looking forward to a solid lunch. To give me a truly representative taste of Asturian cuisine, Tito ordered fabada, favas con almejas, and pote as well as salad with tuna. The chorizo sausage was actually made with wild boar meat. Minutes later Seora Maria arrived to serve our food in huge, piping hot bowls. We could all help ourselves with the serving spoons and there was no way we would be able to eat the huge quantity of food that was served.
/>This was my first chance to try fabada, the famous Asturian bean stew, and it was extremely tasty and quite salty, given it is flavoured with ham and sausages. It was definitely the perfect meal after a long day of bicycling and sightseeing. For dessert we received another huge bowl, this one filled with rice pudding, one of my favourite desserts. We only made a small dent in our big bowls of food, but we thoroughly enjoyed this filling Asturian smorgasboard.
It was now late afternoon and we had one more place to discover: Cueva Huerta, an extensive cave in the Asturian limestone mountains near Fresnedo. This karst formation has a length of 14.5 km which makes it the second largest cave system in Asturias. Once we were equipped with helmets and headlights, Tito took us into the cave's main gallery and explained that we were going down a 30 metre drop. Three species of bats live in this cave system, one of which is on the endangered list. Our headlights were limited to 1 Watt, a low enough light level that would not disturb the colonies of bats.
Asturias, with its limestone mountain chains, is a favourite destination for cavers and speleologists. Tito's company, www.deporventura.es, offers guided tours into the Huerta cave system. In addition to the Gateway Tour that explores the first 300 meters of the cave on a wooden walkway, he also offers more advanced caving outings that include rappelling into the deeper zones of the cave.
I realized I am definitely an above-ground sunlight-loving land animal and was glad to come back up from the cave. We started our drive back to Oviedo through some of the mountain gorges and caught some glimpses again of the Bear Trail, the Senda del Oso where we had gone bicycling this morning. On the way back to my hotel, the Barcelo Oviedo Cervantes, Tito stopped at a supermarket and I picked up a few snacks and fruits for a nice evening in my cozy hotel room. I was really looking forward to a restful evening after a long day of activities on a rather cool and drizzly day. Thanks to Tito and Estefania I had received a great introduction to the mountain adventures of Asturias. And tomorrow I would get a chance to explore the Picos de Europa National Park. All Inclusive Adult Trip - Questions You Should Ask Boston Convertible dealer whets buyers appetites for MINI Countryman Simple Guide for London Travel Planning For A Destination Wedding A Christmas Shopping Plan Pet Care during Summer Time Turkey - The country and the culture Enjoy Kerala Tour Packages Why renting a Myrtle Beach condo is the best option? Cairo & Luxor Egypt tours from Marsa Alam by flight, Marsa Alam Tours Daily Le Marche Region in Italy – Perfect Wedding Destination in Italy Tour to Cairo & Luxor from Marsa Alam by flight How to Choose the Right Holiday Destination