The Earth Pilgrims Retreat

Sebastian Burch and Satish Kumar on one of the walks during the Earth Pilgrims Retreat.

As I sat looking out of my window this morning I see the large trees like giants on this land giving home to the birds I hear chirping as they hop from branch to branch. In the distance I see the green meadows giving food to the cows and nourishing the fruit trees whose fruit will soon be made into cider. In the far distance the mountains are standing around us, as if protecting us, from who or what I wonder.

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. Morning walk and around the farm

This is my introduction to the Earth Pilgrim Retreat that has just taken place at the hotel. Thank you to everyone who helped and participated so this event took place, especially to Sebastian who planted the seed and Satish for making the long journey to be with us. If success can be measured by happiness I think we scored tops.

Satish talking with the group at the local Santa Marina Chapel

Contemplating the River Dobra

Evening Yoga session with June (Satish’s wife)

It was a wonderful experience, to be and listen to everyone, our walking with nature embraced us with all elements; the fire of the sun at the beach, the wind up at the lakes and the overflowing river the Dobra. An amazing and very memorable time!

Work shop in a woodland classroom on the farm.

Embracing the elements at the lakes of Covadonga

The open evening with 35 attendants

The Earth Pilgrims retreat was held at the hotel from the 30th of September to the 5th of October and attracted participants from Spain the UK and further a field.

The group photo.

Blog entrance written by Joe

Tienda Ecológica Olea

Maria, Samantha and Joe outside the new shop in LLanes

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Maria worked with us at the hotel two years ago and since leaving has been setting up a shop in Llanes specialising in organic products. Yesterday she had the inauguration of her shop and it attracted quite a gathering of people.

A good gathering of people in the inauguration of the shop.

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The shop is called Olea Tienda Ecologica and sells all sorts of organic and fair trade products with a good range of food items including fresh fruit and vegetable as well as cosmetics, cleaning products and even organic seeds and fertilizers.

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Fresh fruit and vegetables on sale

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The shop is nicely decorated, the products are very well presented; Maria is as helpful and pleasant as ever, so it makes a lovely place to do your shopping. You can find the shop by the harbour in Llanes.

Maria helping a customer.

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From all of us at the hotel we wish Maria all the best with her new venture and encourage everyone in the area to go along and visit the shop

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The Asturian Coast line

Whatever way you look at it, it is beautiful. There are sandy beaches, rocky coves, gusty headlands and sheltered harbours. One of my favourite estuaries is the river Niembro in Barro, there is a beautiful church and cemetery hugging the river, something you see in paintings and wonder where it can be…
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The church at the Niembro river estuary

On from the village there is a lovely coastal path leading you to the beach of Torimbia, a golden shell of sand with gentle waves, I love it in the winter when you can be alone with the seagulls and your footprints in the sand.

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Torimbia beach

There are many paths along the coastline some better than others, but most have magnificent views, from above Torimbia you can see the Picos de Europa snow topped mountains, it is wonderful to look 360 degrees and take in the sea , the headlands and the mountains, turn again it is real. Walking on from here you reach the river Bedon, and then on to a pebbly beach, San Antolin, here in the mouth of the river lie the remains of an old monastery with its hidden history. There is a tale of a rich nobleman in the 11th century who killed a young couple in anger, because he was in love with the damsel. Later he regretted this and built the monastery, then spent the rest of his life as monk. The monastery became abandoned in the 17th century for unknown reasons.

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Rugged headlands

Walking on along the headlands and across fields, sometimes a little prickly with yellow gorse, you stumble across Gulpiyuri an inland treasure, a unique inland beach, it has beach and sea surrounded by rocks, grass and shrubs, with the sea entering through a hidden tunnel, it is a very strange feeling to sit there and not see the big open sea.

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The inland beach of Gulpiyuri

Continuing along the rugged cliff tops you reach Playa La Huegla an inlet with a magnificent rocky arch as though protecting this little bay. The first time I saw this I paddled across the river to the beach on the other side walked around the corner as the arch came in sight I let out a Whew! Nature in all its splendor. We go to see manmade buildings and gaze and marvel but this must be truly marvelous too…

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Joe at Playa La Huelga

Another favourite beach is Cuevas de Mar, I think the name says everything, but this is my starting point, I wander over the headland which on a stormy day can have some incredible blow holes, the rush of the sea below, the whistling of the air and the drawing in of the sea only to be released a minute later with an enormous spray of water, many times we are surprised by the force of the air and get a surprise soaking. Up ahead is the small Ermita (chapel)of San Antonio, where lies the remains of the family of Conde de la Vega del Sella, a lovely place to rest, occasionally with goats grazing nearby.

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Blow holes!

The coast has many variations from cliff top walking to beautiful green meadows that seem to stretch out its hands to the sea, I love to see the cows slowly plodding along or ruminating on a feast of wild flowers and pasture with the seagulls flying overhead. There are 483 kms of coastline in Asturias from East to West, so there is a lot to discover from fishing ports, to Lighthouses standing as giants to warn the sailors of the nearby coast, not forgetting the dinosaur footprints which hold many a tale of adventure, and perhaps a little imagination.

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I could talk and talk about this wonderful coast, but perhaps it is time to stop and go for a swim……………………………Splash !

Blog entrance written by Joe

No Car Holiday

In this day and age where the use of a car is a daily necessity for many people, the opportunity to leave the car keys on the side table and forget the traffic queues is something to be relished. Over the last couple of years we have been working looking at different walks, outings and activities which can be done whilst staying at Hotel Posada del Valle with out the need of a car.

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The path along the stream beneath the hotel.

We now believe Hotel Posada del Valle makes a very good base for a relaxing holiday without a car. There are excellent walks in the surrounding countryside of various grades that start and finish directly from the hotel. The walks focus on the surrounding hills and valleys enabling our guests to visit some of the local villages where it’s possible to get a feel for the rich culture and rural life of Asturias.

Granary store or “Horreo;” typical rural scenery.

With a little more effort (or the with the help of a short taxi ride) it’s possible to walk along the Sueve mountains, a coastal mountain range with stunning views of the coast and surrounding mountains – with it’s semi-wild horses and rich fauna and flora, the Sueve is a place to let life slow to a gentler pace. It’s also possible to walk from the hotel to the coast along the Fito hills where the views never fail to impress. A taxi can be taken for return to the hotel if required.

Views from the Sueve Mountains

Walking from the hotel to the coast

The range of walks can be extended by the use of public transport from Arriondas where it is possible to get the narrow gauge railway (FEVE) or use the bus service (ALSA). The public transport isn’t that frequent but with good planning there are normally sufficient services. Arriondas is 3 kms from the hotel and can be reached either walking directly along the road taking about 40 minutes or by using the more scenic route “La Senda Verde” which takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. There is also a good taxi service between the hotel and Arriondas the journey costing about 5 Euros.

The FEVE narrow guage railway

By use of the public transport from Arriondas it’s also possible to visit Oviedo the capital of Asturias with its art museum, cathedral, pre-romanesque churches and shopping centre as well as the coastal towns of Ribadesella and Llanes, with their fishing ports, beaches and old town centres.

The old town in Ribadesella

Finally we shouldn’t forget the hotel has 2 lounges and a terrace for relaxing as well as its own 20 acre organic farm with an interpretive trail, places to sit and relax and depending on the time of the year, walks and strolls around its wild flower meadows.

The hotel farm

Guests who come without a car should realise that it is difficult to get in to the higher mountains such as the Picos de Europa as there is no public transport service, except in the very height of summer. We do however promote a car-sharing scheme but find that it is not always as successful as we would like it to be. We hope to develop this in the future.

To reach the hotel by public transport see the link on ‘non flying travel options’ under the Travel Arrangement section of our web page.

The feedback from guests who have chosen a no-car holiday and have set realistic goals has been very positive, taking a slower paced holiday and spending quality time in a focussed area being the highlight and positive aspects of their trip.

The cross on the “Pico Moro” or Moors Peak which can also be reached walking straight from the hotel.

Let’s gather together at the Earth Pilgrims Retreat!

The first smell of autum is in the air and natures harvest hangs heavy on the trees and hedgerows. On the 23rd of September a full moon will light the night of the Autumn Equinox, a peak time to celebrate our sense of change and transformation, a reminder of our cyclical belonging to Gaia. A week after, as the moon wanes on the 30th of September, it will be a time for Earth Pilgrims to Retreat, and while we do, the trees will start to loose all attachment to what earlier on in the year was their source of power and richness, the beginning of a natural period of meditation and tranquillity. A moment of silent transformation in nature. As it is, we will come together on the Earth Pilgrims Retreat to partake in this reflective and creative moment of life.

Earth Pilgrims can choose to live their life as an open inquiry into the wholeness of nature. Wondering the world of existence without destination, but full of freedom and a powerful sense of belonging that unfolds a sense of service and commitment to the Earth. The World is a place full of meaning, where every moment is a glimpse of the existential dialog of life, or as Father Thomas Berry felt it; - we are living the dream of the Earth.

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During our time together we will listen to the gentle words of nature. Each Earth Pilgrim will have a chance to remember and deepen their awareness of the different beings in this land. Signs of life in a planet that is both our mother and our grand children; reflections of our soul that each day become more detailed and perfused with subtle qualities. Let us join an exploration on how nature is the most profound source of meaning within each one of our cultures and why without nature the awareness of our own culture would dissipate into its own voidness.

The event runs from Thursday evening 30th of September to Wednesday morning 6th of October. Satish Kumar (two full days), Sebastian Burch and Hotel Posada del Valle's Community invites all earth pilgrims toretreat with us during this special occasion.

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More Information on The Earths Pilgrim Retreat

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Blog entry written by Sebastian Burch

Summer vegetable harvest and diversity

Different aubergine varieties in the vegetable garden.

Late summer is always a good time of the year for home grown vegetables and here at Posada del Valle this year is no exception. This is the time of year when there is the greatest variety of produce to be harvested and we are certainly harvesting a lot of lovely different vegetables for the hotel restaurant.

There are the root vegetables; carrots, beetroot, parsnip and potatoes, the leafy vegetable; lettuce, cabbage and spinach beet. Then there are the onions, leeks and beans and finally the warm weather vegetables; cucumbers, aubergine courgettes, peppers and pumpkins. But it’s not only the range of different vegetables which add interest and diversity to the vegetable garden it’s also the different types and varieties of the particular vegetable which are available. The peppers, aubergines and pumpkins we grow are an excellent example of the type of diversity which can be found with in any one crop.

Leeks

Beetroot

Leeks with a beetroot dressing!
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This year on the farm we are growing four different types of peppers, three of which are particular to the north of Spain. The first to come in to harvest is the “Pimiento de Padron” which gets its name from the Padron region in Galicia. It’s a small pepper which is normally just fried and eaten whole, very often as a tasty tapa (a small snack). Normally this pepper is not hot, but just occasionally you can get a very spicy one which can blow your mind, so it’s a bit like playing Russian roulette when eating them! Another pepper we are already cropping is the Basque or “Gernika” pepper. Although it looks like a fearsome chilli pepper, if it is eaten young and green it has a lovely flavour and is not hot at all. If you allow it to ripen and use it when red then it can have a kick to it.

The Basque or Gernika chilli pepper

The third variety we grow from the north of Spain is called “la Isla” and originates from Cantabria. It’s very similar to the standard blocky California type which I assume it has been selected from in the past. The fourth pepper we grow originates from the Landes region in south west France; it’s fairly long and tapering in form with a thinish wall. It grows well in our area and we have been growing it for many years now. We save all our own seed from these pepper varieties and have been doing so for some time.

"La Isla" blocky peppers.

We started harvesting our aubergines about two weeks ago and this year we are trying three different varieties. One is the standard “commercial” hybrid variety “Bonica” (meaning pretty) and the other two are non hybrids. At this moment the two non hybrids look very promising, they are producing beautiful fruits, but slightly different to what you normally see in the shops. One is Rosa Bianca (of Italian origin I assume) which is producing round pinkie white fruits on a short sturdy plant and the other Tres Hative de Barbentane (presumably of French origin) producing long thin dark fruits on rather a tall plant. If the two non hybrid varieties are successful under our conditions then we will be able to save seed from them.

Standard commercial hybrid "Bonica" aubergine

Longer slender fruits of "Tres Hative de Barbentane"

Pinkey fruits of Rosa Bianca

Another crop where we are trying different varieties is pumpkins. We grow both the Potamaron and the Butternut squash varieties as standards, as they keep well and can be used in winter and early spring. We’ve grown these two types for many years now as they normally perform very well.

Potamaron pumpkin, one of our standards

Butternut squash; the other standard.

We are also growing vegetable spaghetti or “Cabello de Angel” as it is known in Spain for a second year. In Spain the pulp from this pumpkin is preserved like a very sweet jam (which sticks to your teeth) and then used in sweet pastries and cakes! We will most probably serve it as a vegetable like a marrow, though we may do a few experiments preserving it.

Vegetable spaghetti or “Cabello de Angel”

We are trying a new type this year, the Vasca-Mallorca type, (variety Marina.) It appears to be the highest yielding of the different varieties we are growing producing lots of large dark green fruit 60 cms long with a brilliant orange flesh. The first fruits should be ready to pick in a couple of weeks and as they are meant to be very tasty so I cant wait to harvest one to see if it lives up to expectation. If they don’t taste good there will be lots of them to feed to the goat

The big Vasca-Mallorca pumpkin

One of the many problems with large industrial monocropping is that the number of varieties being grown of any crop is being reduced drastically. However with small diverse cropping systems it is possible and beneficial to grow lots of different varieties, many of which are no longer of interest to the commercial growers but very often are culinary delights. Growing different varieties helps maintain agriculture diversity which is so threatened today and incorporates resilience into the cropping system. The popularity of trying heirloom varieties with amateur gardeners these days is an encouraging sign of the renewed interest in tradition and diversity and may also reflect a rejection to the excess of uniformity industrialised cropping brings.

Harvesting fruit and vegetables ready for the evening meal, enjoy diversity!

Inspiring Asturian Dream; Posada del Valle

Every so often it boosts our confidence here at Posada del Valle to come across an unexpected independent review. So it was very rewarding to come across a review by some of our recent guests: Ben and Marina Curtis and their young son Leo. Part of our aspirations for the hotel is to help spread the word about our aims and philosophy.....it seems it is working.

Read the review