Arriondas:- 20th May

A dry day! After breakfast we packed the final items and left the hotel to catch the 10.15 ALSA bus to Arriondas. Arriving there at 10.25 we went across the road to check the FEVE time for the next day, then to the hotel, La Estrada again. Here we were able to leave our bags securely, until our room was ready, while we went into town. We walked past a restored and well kept 'casa indiana', the one opposite the hotel is in a sad state. Then we walked along the river and saw both a very hairy caterpillar and several lizards. One was quite big but ran into the bushes before we could take a photo.

We went to El Submarino again for their soup and 'arroz con pollo', after which they brought us fish and chips!! apparently part of todays menu del dia. We were too full to even try to eat them so they very kindly changed them for coffees. We expected to pay for the menu plus coffees but they didn't charge us the extra, taking the coffees as exchange for the fish, which was very kind.

After siesta we went to the riverside park again and sat near the hórreo in the sunshine. The temperature was up to 19C today. Afternoon drinks, then supper and a final re-packing to get everything ready for the FEVE journey from Arriondas to Santander and the ferry home. We had a few presents and had also finally succumbed and bought a small cowbell in Arriondas - a genuine one - in an ironmongers so used our daysacs to carry these extras and our food for the train.

Arriondas:- the view down the river and across to the mountains from the park

Casa Indianos:- a style of architecture for early 20th century houses built by families returning from the Americas

An eggar moth caterpillar

Two small lizards

The park in Arriondas:-

The preserved hórreo
(grain store)

Every picnic table has its own permanent barbecue