Tasmania, Australia - On the Road.

The last glimpses of Tasmania will come from the road. It is a bit of a compilation of stop offs while cruising about the coolest of islands, yes I do mean that in two ways.  This is about some wineries, some beaches and some happiness, ok, a lot of happiness.

Just round the corner from the gorgeous Wineglass Bay is this little place, Freycinet Vineyard. It is a little over touristified but still a nice place and some pleasant wines, but when the website has a quote from 2008, you know it needs some help.

Where to next? The Devil's Corner, a wine I just recently saw in the UK, too! The Sparkling was lovely and fresh, but the Resolution Pinot was outstanding.

They also have some great snacks available.

I went with the coffee instead, with this view I didn't want to be distracted.

The quaint Spring Vale Winery, their had a nice Pinot, but their Gewürztraminer was a touch sweet for me.

Spiky Beach and its little conservation park. Very cute. 

Spiky Bridge, not sure how this convict built bridge got its name.....

Ribeira Sacra, Galicia, Spain. Segundo dia.

As there were so many photos from this incredible part of the world, it ended up being divided into two. Here is the second part. A winery tour and a world of food, surprised? I didn't think so.

Windy roads, rivers and trails.

More twists and turns

Or a coloured version

The true stars of the valley.

Some other locals.

I may have borrowed these....

Albarino being made.

We stopped off for a tasting at Adega Vella a small family run winery in an unexpected setting.

Yes, it is right next to the town's cemetery.

On the recommendation of the winery family, we went to a local restaurant Meson Casa Lelo. It was fantastic! Like this fabada, which I couldn't stop spooning ladles of into my plate.

Some Razor clams.

A version of so bucco.

Some grilled fish. All was washed down with some delicious cooled local red and sparkling water.

Crossing the Sil again, and leaving Galicia for Castilla y Leon, the largest state of Spain.

The scenes remained the same, cliff faces covered by vines and the river poking up on occasions. 

But we are still on the camino.

Onwards into the dry interior we go!

Getting around to Galicia

Our most recent holiday was focused on the north west of Spain. Starting in the principality of Asturias, through Galicia, a little part of Castilla y Leon and back to Asturias again. Flying into Santander airport and then grabbing our hire car, which in tradition of travel we promptly named Coutinho Santiago the Fiat Panda. Then we got a driving, in some beautiful Asturian country, sea to the right, mountains to the left. It was a bold green verdant land around us. For the end of summer one would naturally expect the Spanish countryside to be a little more wilted and weather beaten. This it was not, more lush than I have seen any part of Spain, Asturias is fed by waters running down from "Los Picos de Europa" they can't really grow wine grapes here, but apples and legumes love it.

Our first road stop was a cute town of Llanes, it was just a coffee break after the one and a quarter hours drive from Santander, to stretch the legs and poke around our first taste of the sea since May. Yes, living in Warsaw does mean you don't get a great deal of sea influence.

Llanes harbour.

love that the tower was incorporated to other buildings

The first of many bakery windows I ogled.

grimy but not grim

angular

clifftop lookout

The first of our lighthouses on our lighthouse trip.

the egg and the local north western style facades, with the enclosed ornate balconies