| The Road Goes Ever On and On
Down to the | | | | long as they are in a good spot, and kiwis (must |
| Door Where It Began. So wrote J.R.R. Tolkien, | | | | have come with the eucalyptus). As with real estate, |
| creator of The Lord Of the Rings. My family | | | | everything is location, location’. A |
| lives in Middle-Earth; around here it’s called | | | | protected hill-side facing south is perfect for flora |
| Asturias. Surrounded by green mountains and rolling | | | | that need the heat. Which is also a good spot for |
| hills, the landscape bears strong resemblance to the | | | | tomatoes, peppers, or melons. There many gardens |
| descriptions found in Tolkien’s works. Located | | | | here, both floral and vegetable. Sometimes they pop |
| on the north coast of Spain, Asturias is known for | | | | up in surprising places, far from any house, along side |
| being fresh, temperate and green. Very green. | | | | some path with stone walls and thick hedges. Rows |
| Spaniards call it Paraiso Natural, a Natural | | | | of corn, with beans climbing the stalks; potatoes and |
| Paradise’. Wandering around the countryside | | | | varied greens; different vegetables and herbs; |
| here, I half expect to see elves, trolls, and halflings- | | | | produce and plenty in season. A careful eye will spot |
| and I must say some folk around here do indeed | | | | wild herbs when moving about the land: mint, thyme, |
| resemble hobbits, or characters out of a | | | | marjoram, rosemary
some of these have been |
| children’s story. Very quaint and picturesque. | | | | planted, and grown wild, others happen on their own. |
| As I go walking around this land, the thought of | | | | Watch out for stinging nettles, but at least there is |
| roads and ways going ever on’ becomes | | | | no poison ivy! |
| reality. Every village is connected to the surrounding | | | | I have learned something about grazing animals from |
| fields and woods by a network of linking cowpaths, | | | | all this. Even regular milk cows have a natural |
| which ultimately reach the next set of paths, and so | | | | environment (outside of feed-lots and stalls). |
| on. Tolkien was right, all roads are one, like a river | | | | Sometimes during a walk a clearing in the woods will |
| with many branches. That’s what I love most | | | | appear, and behold! Cows grazing among the trees |
| about the walking (or running or biking or horseback | | | | and in the meadows. They actually like wandering |
| or however you choose); every time is different, | | | | about, feeding off the land, winding in and out among |
| because after 4 years of exploring here I still find | | | | the trees, clambering up hill-sides, getting a cool drink |
| new ways, paths I have yet to tread, or new | | | | from the creek, relaxing in the shade
just like |
| connections with the old ones. This is real magic. | | | | humans! Deer are also found, and it is quite common |
| The environment here is similar to that of lower | | | | to encounter these. There is a smaller kind and a |
| Britain, to Atlantic France. But much softer in climate, | | | | larger more standard variety (bushy white tails) and |
| warmer and sunnier (at times). The coastal north of | | | | these will graze where they find pasture, or move |
| Spain is separated from the rest of the peninsula by | | | | around the woods. Wild boar are plentiful, and hunting |
| a chain of mountains, the Cantabric mountain range. | | | | for these and the deer are common. Some areas |
| This blocks out the southern heat, and forms a | | | | have been designated hunting zones’, as |
| southern border to the great Maritime Arc of | | | | well as the fishing zones’. This is a trout |
| North-West Europe. This is about as far south one | | | | and salmonarea; the coast is of course known for |
| can go and still be in Northern Europe, geographically. | | | | the variety and abundance of marine life. In the |
| Culturally is another story, because many different | | | | higher mountains there are bear and wolves, but so |
| people have come through this land at one time or | | | | far I have stuck more to the |
| another. The Celtic influence is strong; bagpipes and | | | | in- between’ places, away from the coast |
| wooden shoes are commonplace. So are castanyets | | | | and yet below the heights. We are here surrounded |
| (Arabic finger cymbals), Gypsy sounds from Andalucia | | | | by lower mountains, yet impressive. These provide a |
| (South Spain), and olive oil from the Mediterranean. | | | | plethora of ways to go, from hilly countryside to |
| Asturias is certainly part of Spain, only it lies up north, | | | | higher climbs, where the trees thin out and goats |
| beyond a barrier of high mountains | | | | pasture. The autochthonous breed of cow (usually |
| (the tallest peak is the third-highest in Europe) that | | | | for meat) is the Asturian of the Mountains’ |
| have historically blocked out much of the rest of the | | | | which half resembles a goat in it’s lanky |
| country. The mountains are hard to get over, but | | | | toughness, narrow head with goatish horns, and the |
| these days tunnels drilled through work well, what | | | | ability to scramble over rocky mountain-sides with |
| with the freeway and all
a high speed train line is | | | | the best of them. These days, with a declining human |
| due at some point in the future, so for now we | | | | population, and a vanishing tradition of cowherding, |
| must content ourselves with standard Eurorail. There | | | | people are putting a variety of grazing animals out to |
| is an international airport as well. By car it’s 4 | | | | pasture, if only to keep the grass down and maintain |
| hours to Madrid, and about 3 hours to the border | | | | the fields. Sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, whatever |
| with France. Asturias is an average 50 miles (90 km) | | | | will eat the prairie- we know a family that keeps |
| wide, and a debatable 150 miles long (depending how | | | | ostriches! |
| you mark it). | | | | One of the best routes to take in this particular area |
| Given the climate, this is too far north for much | | | | is called Fuensanta, which takes its name from the |
| wine-making, but apple trees grow in abundance, so | | | | famous springwater found there. This water is |
| alcoholic cider is the local drink. And it is renowned | | | | bottled and sold throughout Europe, and the natural |
| throughout Spain, now gaining popularity abroad as | | | | beauty and freshness of the place tells why. Here is |
| well. The cider is thin and vinegary, best for clearing | | | | a gorge which rises steeply into the mountains, |
| the digestion, although there is also a sweet version, | | | | reaching a series of waterfalls which are the source |
| without alcohol. I like it after a nice run through the | | | | for all this wetness. Fill your bottles up at the |
| hills, which brings us back to the paths. When one | | | | beginning of the path (there is a public fountain) and |
| goes out trekking’ it will soon be noticed | | | | walk the 6 mile (10 km) loop, following the rise of the |
| that there are many many trees, including the apple. | | | | land to the falls and then descending again. Make sure |
| Chestnut, oak, sycamore, ash, beech, walnut, hazel, | | | | you brought some empty bottles in the car so you |
| firs, and eucalyptus
which is an import that took | | | | can fill them up for drinking at home. |
| root in the last century. There are also some palms, | | | | Yes, we live in Middle-Earth. I know this to be true |
| especially closer to the coast (another import of | | | | when on an early morning the mist hangs over the |
| course). In orchards or standing alone there are | | | | valleys and dales between hills, when the rolling fields |
| cherry, pear, apple, plum, fig, peach, besides a | | | | rise to meet the looming mountains at sunset, when |
| multitude of berry bushes- blackberry, currant, | | | | the stars shine clear and bright in the night-sky. The |
| raspberry, european blueberry. A favorite pastime | | | | view from a highpoint shows the landscape dotted |
| when out and about is stopping to enjoy some of | | | | with houses, fields, grazing animals, gardens, fruit |
| nature’s gifts, a welcome refreshment on a | | | | trees, and the wooded slopes of the mountains |
| long hike. | | | | surround valleys of hills. There is land to plow and |
| It bears repeating that although this is a Northern | | | | woods to walk and waters to swim. The sea is less |
| clime, Asturias is far enough south to support a | | | | than an hour away from the ski-slopes on high |
| variety of flora; in addition to the trees named above | | | | mountains, whose peaks are snowy most of the |
| there are oranges and lemons that do quite well, as | | | | year and tower in the distance. |