Two cows in their stable, in Arenas de Cabrales

We drove up into the the Picos mountains of Asturia, a few miles inland from the north coast of Spain. Helena chose the place because it seemed to be famous as the centre of goat cheese production. 

The twisting and winding road climbed steeply up a limestone gorge, carved out of the rocks forming the cliff sides of the river valley  sometimes hundreds of feet above the flowing water.

It was hot in the bright sunshine under a clear blue sky and when we arrived in the village we went for a prowl around the small village of Arenas de Cabrales at the junction of several large streams big enough to carve huge gorges.

We ventured behind the main road away from the more touristic places up small lanes and footpaths. the village became increasingly rural with most of the older houses becoming the farm buildings they were obviously constructed as, nestled amongst some newer and adapted houses.

In every direction the backdrop was of the high peaks of the hills and tops of the valley walls with greener more verdant slopes closer to the village. As we strolled I cam across several old barns and stables at street level, whilst some of the first floors of the buildings acted as barns for the storage of hay and other feedstuff.

I heard a rustling and the tell tale clanking of an alpine bell, whIch all the cows and goats seem to have. I realised it was coming from one of the ground floor stables of one of the village buildings, and noticed there were bars on the upper part of the door. I peeked in but could see nothing so poked my camera through the bars after judiciously putting the ISO on to auto.

I was delighted to find these two dear cows at the back of the stable and with just enough exposure to blip them.

Soon after we returned to the main street beside one of the main streams through the village and had a simple 'Menu de dia' meal sitting under a wooden barn raised on mushroom  shaped blocks much as old barns were sited back in England, usually to preserve the feed from rats. A delightful day all round.