Forget the flamenco. What about some stirring reels from a Galician piper? Spain is a land of many parts, the more so since the blessed departure of the dour Franco years. Far from the sun-scorched beaches of the Andalucian coast, beyond the treeless plains of Castile, a different Spain awaits, a land of cloud-fringed crags and lush green meadows. Whoever passes this way crosses paths with the pilgrims who, for centuries, have followed the Camino de Santiago across northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela, where St James the Apostle supposedly lies buried.

Green Spain extends from the stylish and old-established beach resorts of the Basque coast, notably Hondarribia and San Sebastian, along the foot of the Picos de Europa to the misty meadows of Galicia. The Basque Country, Asturias, Cantabria and Galicia are all self-governing regions in their own right, but some things they hold in common: a zest for life, and in particular a love of eating well.

These images were taken with Nikon D200 (10 mpx) using RAW format, all are available for licensing.