THE Altamira Caves in northern Spain and the paintings on their walls dating back 14,000 years is a great reminder of how far the human race has come.
Pablo Picasso said of the Cantabria region caves: “After Altamira, all is decadence” and it’s easy to see what he means.
Cantabria is a city with beautiful squares, lots of statues and magnificent churches[/caption]
You only have to look at the ancient drawings of deer, boars, horses and even handprints to realise the art is simple, beautiful and indeed mind-boggling.
I felt privileged to get the chance to stroll through the 270m-long cave, which has an entrance hall, a main gallery and a side hall.
The exhibits on display here is regarded as some of the best prehistoric rock art in the world so it is not surprising this is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The cave with its wealth of art was discovered as far back as 1879 by a local farmer but large numbers of visitors started to affect the art, with over 170,000 people visiting in 1973 alone.
This covered them with a black mould and four years later it was closed to the public.
However, knowing how popular it had been, in 2001 an exact replica was built to give people the chance to see the paintings but not destroy them.
So I have to confess my experience was in the replica, but it was so worth it as I looked at the ceiling with a herd of bison.
And as I gazed at a handprint clearly visible, I wondered about the person who had left it there so many thousands of years ago.
The Cantabria cave experience was one I will keep in my heart forever but here I experienced nature at its best in the Picos de Europa Mountain range and national park.
I got to see it via the Fuente De Cable Car, which carried me about 2,000m above sea level to a platform on top of the mountain from where the views were spectacular.
If you are super-fit, you can hike to the top and follow the trails on the mountainside.
‘SPECIAL AND HOLY PLACE’
My next stop was at the Santo Toribio de Liebana Monastery.
It’s is a special and holy place where you can see the cross Christ was crucified on and is under the care of the Franciscans.
It was appropriate that my wonderful trip here ended in the Cantabrian capital of Santander, a ferry port which is a favourite with Irish travellers who want to bring their cars to explore.
This city has everything including the beautiful Palacio de la Magdalena, located on one of the highest points of the peninsula, gifted to the city by King Alfonso and Queen Victoria Eugenia.
It was used as a summer home by the Spanish Royal family until 1930.
It has deteriorated somewhat and has been used for different purposes – an international summer university, a hospital and shelter for victims of the 1941 city fire among other things.
In 1982 it was declared a historic-artistic monument and in 1995 the renovation transforming it to its former glory was completed.
The palace is home to a museum with exhibits that show the part royal heritage played related to Santander.
It is also a popular wedding venue which is not surprising considering the perfect setting and views.
It is fairly evident that the Irish love Spain, with tens of thousands who visit annually.
FISHING VILLAGE
My adventure started in the beautiful fishing village of Cudillero, with its houses, some with seashell designs to enjoy views from the 19th century lighthouse.
I continued onwards to the lovely city of Aviles, where I enjoyed the parks and streets, blending old with the new.
The capital city of Asturias, Oviedo, was a place I loved and one of my favourite places was San Francisco Park, where you can sit with the statues of famous people and even some cartoon characters.
GO: CANTABRIA
GET THERE: I flew with Ryanair from Dublin Airport direct to Santander.
VISIT HERE: Altamira Caves in Cantabria, look for bears and wolves in Picos de Europa Mountain range.
Visit the Santo Toribio de Liebana Monastery for a piece of religious history.
DRINK HERE: Tierra Astur bar and restaurant in Oviedo.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Check out these websites, which have information on both areas: turismoasturias.es and turismodecantabria.com.
Shopping in the city is great and there was also a cider bar where our waiter poured the beverage from the top stretch of his arm.
The Tierra Astur cider house is well worth visiting with over 150 dishes, including over 40 cheeses and lots of sharing dishes made from traditional recipes.
One place I would recommend is ancient palace, Santa Maria del Naranco located just four kilometres from the city on the southern slope of Mount Naranco, with the Church of San Miguel nearby.
WORLD HERITAGE SITE
The palace was originally meant to be a church and dating back to 842, it’s a World Heritage site.
But the capital is not the largest city in Asturias, with Gijon holding that title alongside the golden sand beach of Playa de San Lorenzo.
This is a city with beautiful squares, lots of statues and magnificent churches.
Now we know there is an Irish bar no matter where you go, so I wasn’t surprised to see one in the lovely town of Llanes.
But I just had to explain to the owners that Slainte is not spelt Slointa as per their large sign…
The city has a 270m long cave with an entrance hall, a main gallery and a side hall[/caption]