289 lines
9.2 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
289 lines
9.2 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
sponsored
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travel
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brittany-ferries-to-santander
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7881763
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-----
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# Northern Spain: visit the Asturias countryside via Santander with Brittany
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Ferries
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## Deep into the Asturias countryside in Northern Spain is a 'forgotten' land
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untouched by time. . .or tourists, says John Wilmott.
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![Soar point: Asturias has great swathes of ecologically important landscape,
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home to species such as the griffon vulture][1]
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Soar point: Asturias has great swathes of ecologically important landscape,
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home to species such as the griffon vulture
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John Wilmott 3:22PM BST 09 Jul 2010
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Up hill and down dale I drove, slowly to drink in the scenery. Round another
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bend, the ground fell away into an abyss, flanked by sheer peaks garlanded
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with hardy trees. There was just enough room for a tiny layby.
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Curious, I pulled in and inspected a faded information board. I didn't need a
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translation to understand that the pictures were of griffon vultures and
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eagles.
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I looked around to see if I could spot any. And up on the right there they
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were, circling and swooping from clifftop to treeline. Not just one or two -
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but clouds of them.
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For half an hour I watched these magnificent species, many with 6ft wingspans,
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hunt for prey in the gorgeous Redes Natural Park.
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What if you have been to the Picos de Europa and are seeking a fresh area to
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explore? You only need to flick your eyes left on the map to notice that the
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mountain range of which the Picos is part extends for dozens of miles into
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Asturias -- and over here it's virtually untouched by tourism.
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## Related Articles
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* [The Picos de Europa][2]
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09 Jul 2010
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* [Spain's north coast][3]
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09 Jul 2010
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Butted up against the Picos is the Ponga range. The mountains, forests and
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rivers are pristine, the silent hamlets a joy to visit. A suggested day tour
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would be to follow the loop off the Beyos gorge on the left edge of the Picos,
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passing through Beleno and Sellano.
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Further west is Redes, a Unesco World Heritage Site due to its splendid
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environment of beech forests, rock outcrops, the wild Nalon river and, of
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course, the vultures and eagles that captivated me.
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Conveniently situated between the coast and all this nature is Asturias'
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capital Oviedo - a favourite of Woody Allen, whose statue is here.
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The historic centre is pedestrianised, making walking a pleasure between the
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squares, stopping at one or two of the bars to sample the region's sharp,
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feisty cider and perhaps a lunch of creamy roast lamb. The gothic cathedral is
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an essential stop for many pilgrims and contains several important treasures.
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And do try to visit Santa Maria del Naranco up on a hill a couple of miles
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outside. An ancient royal place that was later converted to a church, it is an
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arresting building with the bonus of wonderful views.
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If you have the time and inclination, deeper south and west into Asturias is
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the Parc de Somiedo, where a healthy population of brown bears roam along with
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wolves and golden eagles. There's a magnificent hike up the Lago del Valle
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(Valley of Lakes, which is self-explanatory).
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In the mountain towns are taverns serving up hearty grub, especially game and
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the classic fabada stew made with white beans and pork, black pudding or
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sausage.
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More accessible is the Sueve range that lies between the sea and the Picos.
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Just a couple of roads pierce this landscape of high hills, escarpments and
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meadows; one of the main ones is the AS-260 south from La Isla near
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Ribadesella on the coast. Providing ever-better views, it climbs up to the
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Mirador del Fito viewpoint. If you're anywhere near here, the vista of both
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ocean and mountains is unmissable.
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[X][4] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][5]
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* Share: [Share][4] [ ][6] [ ][7]
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[Tweet][8]
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7881763/Northern-Spain-visit-the-Asturias-countryside-via-Santander-
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with-Brittany-Ferries.html
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Telegraph
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## [Brittany Ferries to Santander][9]
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* ### [Sponsored »][10]
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* ### [Travel »][11]
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[X][4] Share & bookmark
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Delicious Facebook Google Messenger Reddit Twitter
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Digg Fark LinkedIn Google Buzz StumbleUpon Y! Buzz
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[What are these?][5]
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Share:
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* [ ][4]
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* [ ][6]
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* [ ][7]
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* [Tweet][8]
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* ![Brittany Ferries and Santander][12]
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[VIDEOS: PILGRIMS' ROUTE »][13]
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### [Travelling in class to Santander][14]
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[![Brittany Ferries to Santander introduction video: Derek Bishton's
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Camino][15] ][14]
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Derek Bishton heads to Santander with Brittany Ferries as he returns to
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Northern Spain to take another Camino to Santiago de Compostela.
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### [Retracing the Camino: day one][16]
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### [Retracing the Camino: day two][17]
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### [Retracing the Camino: day three][18]
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[Derek Bishton's Blog »][19]
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### [Blog: Santiago or Bust][19]
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[![Derek Bishton's blog: Santiago or Bust][20]][19]
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Read Derek Bishton's blog as he takes his Camino across Northern Europe to
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Santiago de Compostela.
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[Picture gallery »][21]
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### [Derek Bishton's Camino][22]
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[![View of Burgos, including Cathedral, Northern Spain][23]][22]
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Great photographs from Santander to Santiago de Compostella in Spain.
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[Picture Galleries »][24]
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### [The Picos de Europa][2]
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[![Potes][25]][2]
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Beautiful mountains, countryside and historic cities.
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### [Spain's north coast][3]
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[![Frejulfe Beach, Asturias][26]][3]
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Magical coastlines, culture, and delicious seafood.
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[Picos and further afield »][27]
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### [Stunning Picos][28]
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[![The market town of Potes with the Picos de Europa in the background][29]
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][28]
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Between the two main pilgrims' routes in Northern Spain lies a dramatic area
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of outstanding beauty.
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### [Eastern promises][30]
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[![Aragon, Spain][31] ][30]
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A leisurely drive from Santander are the delights of Aragon, Navarra and even
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France.
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[1]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/BF_nature_1676160c.jpg
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[2]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7875099/Northern-
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Spain-picture-gallery-The-Picos-de-Europa.html
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[3]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7873218/Spains-north-
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coast-the-Northern-Pilgrims-Route.html
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[4]: #
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[5]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/4590190/Share-this-article-
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What-are-these.html
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[6]: mailto:?subject=A Telegraph reader thought you would be interested in
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this article&body=Depending on your email program, you may be able to click on
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the link in the email. Alternatively, you may have to open a web browser, such
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as Firefox or Internet Explorer, and copy the link over into the address bar.
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%0A%0Ahttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7881763/Northern-Spain-visit-the-Asturias-countryside-via-Santander-
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with-Brittany-Ferries.html %0A%0AFor the best content online, visit
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www.telegraph.co.uk
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[7]: javascript:print()
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[8]: http://twitter.com/share?via=Telegraph
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[9]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/
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[10]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/
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[11]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/
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[12]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/sponsor_brittany_16
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76015a.gif
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[13]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7881948/Brittany-Ferries-to-Santander-introduction-video-Derek-
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Bishtons-Camino.html
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[14]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7881948/Brittany-
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Ferries-to-Santander-introduction-video-Derek-Bishtons-Camino.html
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[15]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/Derek-Bishton-
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Vid1_1676356g.jpg
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[16]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7882042/Derek-
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Bishtons-Camino-Day-one-video.html
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[17]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7882215/Derek-
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Bishtons-Camino-Day-two-video.html
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[18]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7882393/Derek-
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Bishtons-Camino-Day-three-video.html
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[19]: http://my.telegraph.co.uk/bishtonblog/
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[20]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/Derek-Biston-
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Bentl_1676275g.jpg
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[21]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7889579/Picture-gallery-Derek-Bishtons-Camino-in-Northern-Spain.html
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[22]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7889579/Picture-
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gallery-Derek-Bishtons-Camino-in-Northern-Spain.html
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[23]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01678/Burgos-Cathedral-
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v_1678782g.jpg
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[24]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7875099/The-Picos-de-Europa.html
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[25]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01673/NSpain-Teleg-
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Picos_1673508e.jpg
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[26]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01673/NSpain-Teleg-
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Coast_1673005e.jpg
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[27]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-
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santander/7881532/The-stunning-Picos-de-Europa-in-Northern-Spain-via-
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Santander-with-Brittany-Ferries.html
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[28]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7881532/The-stunning-
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Picos-de-Europa-in-Northern-Spain-via-Santander-with-Brittany-Ferries.html
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[29]:
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http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01676/SceneryPeak_1676387g.jpg
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[30]: /sponsored/travel/brittany-ferries-to-santander/7881779/Visit-Aragon-
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Navarre-and-France-via-Santander-with-Brittany-Ferries.html
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[31]: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01678/Spain-
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Aragon_1678922g.jpg
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