Cain....and back Again !

Tuesday 18th May 201

Up and about very early (well,early for me, anyway !)

around 7 a.m. packed wally ready for the Road, did sandwiches and food for a long day, and set off to do the 'Spectacular' Cares Gorge route, http://www.walkingeurope.info/walks/walks/walk_descrip/6110/

a pretty gentle,undemanding walk, although I intended to do it twice ! -there...to Cain, and back again.

I decided after the days before parking problems to park just short of PuertoPoncebos at the car park for the Funicular to Bulnes, where I had seen a reasonable size car park, and by going early thought I would be able to park fairly easily.

I wasn't wrong, there was only another car on the car park,and so picking my spot for an easy esacpe,when it was cluttered later I set off around 9-20 a.m...what a time to start,but already the sun was hot and beating down.

As I set off on the trail I could see in the distance a lonely figure ahead,although that person headed off away from the trail after a short time.

I was that early that I seemed to be the only person, walking along the trail that followed the gorge from Poncebos, all the way to Cain, above the River Cares,and alongside a man made canal, which takes water through the mountains alongside.

Looking ahead was a great sight, hot sun, steep ravine either side, and all the time accompanied by the sound of the water in the River below..

I kept going and going, the sun was higher and higher in the sky it felt really warm, as the Sun had finally started putting in an appearrance in the Picos !

It's hard to describe the sights I saw that day, just all along as you walked ,after the initial climb out of Poncebos, it was a relatively gentle undulating walk, with the Ravines and mountains above you on either side, and because I had set out early, no signsor sounds of anyone - Great !

Just as I was almost in Cain, around 12-30 p.m. I started to meet a few people, who were obviously just setting out to walk to Poncebos, where I had come from.

Arriving in Cain http://www.bugbog.com/walking_tours/spain.html

it was a pleasant little hill village, which obviously thrived on providing meals for the no doubt hordes of tourists, who arrive during the summer months walking the gorge--

not this pensioner though, I'd done my butties, and found a shady place to stop and eat ( and cool down) I did treat myself to an 'Exotic'ice lolly though, before setting off on the return route...

As you can imagine , by then the Sun was well up in the sky, mad dogs and englismen were the only ones out in the middaysun ! although I didn't see many mad dogs, plenty of idle ones lying about in the shade though..

As I was in Cain, and leaving for my return journey I was going against what seemed like a 'tide' of humanity, as loads of people appearred from the Gorge, obviously intent on a lazy lunch...

I travelled back along the trail, seeing an entirely different view of the Gorge,whilst the Sun pounded down on my head - by this time the Foreign legion sun cap had well and truly been called into service.

After a short time I once again had the trail to myself, and apart from the heat had a rather unremarkable journey back to Poncebos...apart from cracking my head on a low rock tunnel through the mountain, leaving me seeing more stars than I had whilst already in Spain !!

Arriving back at Poncebos around 4 p.m. I was well pleased with myself..those left lunching in Cain would not be back for many hours yet !

Poncebos was littered with cars, but I found Wally ready to take me home, having selected my site well !

I drove back to Arenas..so early even the Supermarket hadn't opened for the evening, but I return later for some BBQ Items !

I treated myself to a BBQ, loads of cold beer, and a wonderful shower,

a great day, hard to describe.