The cashful Society

 When you look upon a Googlemap it shows Ballota as a bit of an urban area. Then you scan down and the truth is revealed. It is a scattering of, mostly new, villas.  I remember our first trip into Asturias, gazing at the new motorways being thrust into the hillsides.  The car has changed the place.  Where we are going would once have been the reasonable flat bit with small holdings and a bit of arable. The fields remain but easy access to the A-8 has meant it can be the semi-rural home / weekend retreat / holiday let for many.  The houses are new and kempt - except when they aren’t.




We start buy going off-piste again, following the track down to the river crossing at the Puente de Piedra.  Emerging from the woods we enter Ballota - which is disappointingly free of reviews for its car park. Wiki tells me, in four languages, the place has 212-305 inhabitants and bugger all else.





Let us pause at the Casa Fernando for food.  It is  1 star hotel with 1434 reviews - and still manages 4.4 stars.   Five hours before I wrote this Estela wrote ;Super recommended. I visited Casa Fernando with my family by chance and it was a complete success. We loved everything, they treated us great and at a great price. We will be back :)’  A day ago Triton added ‘Hotel restaurant, you eat very well, typical restaurant with homemade food and abundant dishes, they take out the dishes on trays due to the size of the portions, €14 daily menu with dessert and coffee 👍.  Very fast service. It has parking for about 10 trucks and also cars.Very close to the highway exit.’



We have not brought bread for a while so I am going off main track to find the Panaderia Ballota. It gets 4.9 stars.  Vincnet was blown away a week ago.  ‘I couldn't pay by card and I didn't have any cash with me, so I got a free croissant and cup of coffee’   Marc had more cash on him.  ;Essential stop on the Camino de Santiago. They have a very good sweet bread, €3.50, it can be both a breakfast and nutrition for the stage of the day. You cannot pay with a card..






Time to move on.







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