Friday 11th January 2008

After doing the chores, we used the campsite Internet (unfortunately not WiFi) to update the blog and plan our next visit back to England. We wanted to use the cheap airline options before we got into Southern Italy where there aren't any, so we booked flights from Pisa to Bristol in mid March. This fits in well with meeting up with our son in Rome at Easter and will enable us to see our good friend Grahame taking the lead part in a farce being staged in Street, Somerset. I must contact Grahame and ask him to reserve some tickets for us.
We hoped to stop at a campsite in the Picos de Europa and do some walking but we knew that, being January, we would have to be lucky with the weather. We weren't! After the glorious weather yesterday, we were woken in the early morning by gale force winds and rain. Although the weather was better when we got up, it was obviously going to be very mixed. Sure enough, heavy showers hit even before we left and continued all the way to the point at the base of the Picos where we had to make a decision. The decision was to abandon walking in the Picos and head on to Galicia. The wipers were in action for the majority of the journey but we did have a break for most of the time that we were passing the Picos so we were able to admire their jagged peaks.
The sat nav was very confused by the many stretches of motorway (or motorway class roads) – the whole of this route is being upgraded with new bridges, tunnels and dual carriageways. We did however arrive safely and in good time at Camping Playa Reinante just west of Ribadeo and just in Galicia. The campsite was closed with a long chain blocking the entrance but, just as we were deciding what to do next, the owner appeared (from a local bar?). He opened up for us and the only problem was deciding where to park – we had the whole campsite to choose from. The site is right next to the beach and has a magnificent view across the bay with the Atlantic rollers pouring in. The owner gave us a postcard of 'Playa de las Catedrales' and explained in German, our only common (very poor) language, that it was only five minutes walk away. The sun was still up and, surprisingly, shining so we decided to walk there to investigate. There are a series of large natural rock arches on the beach that are similar to the architecture of a cathedral, at least to the person who named them. They are best seen at low tide and it was much nearer to high tide when we got there. They were still very impressive as the rough sea, caused by the strong winds that had blown all day, were breaking and boiling all around them. We hope to go back in the morning, weather permitting, to see them at low tide. As I write this, the wind is howling and it is pouring with rain, but we are hoping for an improvement!
Photos: View from Henrietta's door on our pitch at Camping Playa Reinante; Playa de las Catedrales at high tide.