Lago de Sanabria y Alrededores, the largest glacial lake in Iberia.

Sometimes good comes from bad, our planned visit, to the Parque natural Somiedo had to be curtailed, this being due to the rotten weather that arrived shortly after us. We had a lunch of hearty Asturian fare in a hostelry perched above the river, in the small town of Enfrago. After speaking with the owner and some of the locals, it was decided we should night-stop and continue upwards in the morning.
Alas, Monday morning, the mountains were shrouded in cloud, and heavy drizzle soaked all. The onward and upward journey would take us through a height of just over four and a half thousand feet, and sadly, as we passed up through the fog and mist, through and into the snow line, we could see nothing but the road edge.
      

With the snow behind us, we paused to look back at the Puerto de Somiedo, the entrance way for us, South out of the Parque, "perhaps we will visit another time if the weather could be kinder."

With time on our hands, we decided a visit to The glacial Lago de Sanabria y Alrededores, of which we had never visited.

Just silence, on a vast scale!

Playa Viquiella, not a soul could be seen or heard, just crystal clear ice water.

Crested Tits perched through the fence, at the beach cafe.

Iberian long-tailed tits clung under the rocks, whilst searching for insects.

A Short-toed Treecreeper foraged for insects with its long beak and seemed to miss the Beetle.

Spain to the right and Portugal left, we continue down a small windy road left into Portugal.

A quick walk around the medieval Castle at Bragança.

Our road continues its meander, South through the stunning and empty countryside.

We near to our next destination, the International Duero, the huge gorge, through which flows the Rio Duero, splitting Portugal and Spain. The entire area covered with huge rolling hills, some farmed some covered in gorse and wild flowers, a natural haven for wildlife.