The first post for a while, and after the shift in direction for this blog. This one is all about the Pasiego valleys in Cantabria, an area in the interior of the province that is famous, but not filled with swarms of tourists. The area is known for its cheeses, food (stews, meats) and beautiful scenery. Rugged mountains surround you as you walk through the valleys along "trails", term used loosely as they are often unmarked and you feel as if you are trespassing through someone's farmland.
The Valles Pasiegos are made of 3 valleys: Pisueña, Pas and Miera. We decided to go to Miera, specifically San Roque de Riomiera, the main town in the valley, to see what there was to see there. According to the lady at the little tourist office, it's the smallest and least-exploited one of the three. It's easy to see why--there aren't any officially marked trails except one, which takes you through the valley, passing by the different cabins of the Pasiego people. Of course there are other trails, but if you're not a local, good luck finding them and figuring out how to get from one place to another.
When people talk about the pasiegos, they usually refer to the people that have lived and farmed the land for generations, raising children, cattle and caring for the land in their own way, and not having contact with the cities around the province. The stereotype is that of uneducated farmers who resist change, don't want tourists moving in, and keep to themselves and their old ways of moving cattle from one area to another, year after year, to allow for even grazing of the land. They may not have official education, but can probably tell you all that you want to know about the animals, plants and cultivating the land around them. They live in little cabins, and each farmer owns several, which they rotate through various years.
Enjoy this walk through the valleys! Please leave comments/questions if you have any! :)
A typical pasiego cabin-this one is still lived-in because the roof has been patched with a mixture of old materials and newer shingles.
Check out the milk vat--there's even a puddle of spilled milk on the ground! :)
A newer take on a cabin
A local resident of the valley
A random mix of stone with a new section just attached on the side. They're going for practical, not esthetics!
Huge shrooms! Wonder if these are poisonous.... I'd love to go on a walk with an expert one day!
The cool mountain with a smooth and wavy skirt
Vultures, we think. There were 4 of them circling round and round overhead....we didn't stop to find out from close-range... ;)
More giant shrooms!
A renovated cabin--newly refurbished but in the old style with slate slabs for the roof
Peacefully nestled in the hills
A lost shopping list of the essentials: oil, water, boxes of wine, mandarins, cured panceta, apples and beer!
