Ria de Cedeira
Cruising along this granite
coast is a joy with its rocky cliffs and headlands full of caves with towering
and densely forested hillsises above rolling back inland.
The Spanish seem to be
making a serious effort to grasp the sustainable energy nettle in this region.
Wind turbines stride across the tops of numerous of the steep hillsides,
whizzing round to satisfy the national energy policy. Despite the presence of
these giants there is still the feeling of remoteness and views are still
staggeringly good; it is difficult to say whether this renewable energy source
is a blot on the landscape, we feel not.
Cedeira is a smaller Ria
which provides another safe anchorage in a wide bay with lots of local boats
moored on buoys, so care is needed not to tangle the anchor with the buoys'
thick ropes. 4 or 5 visiting yachts were there: two French, a 30 year old
British yacht that was exquisite, a Swiss yacht and later the little French
yacht that seems to follow us into anchorages a day or ½ a day later.
The town of Cedeira is large and well endowed, there is a
relatively new fishing harbour which is now being extended using European
development funding. The buildings are extensive and of a high standard, there
is a bigger fishing fleet here than we have seen elsewhere although it forms a
small part of the local economy.
The part of the town further up the hillside is steeped in
tradition.
This time we were able to walk far up the hillsides which
are carpeted, as all the hills are in this region, with densely planted
eucalyptus interspersed with Scots pine, elder growing below and chestnut trees
here and there. We saw walnut trees, shrubby fig, heather, bracken and myriads
of wild flowers. It is very luxuriant, very steep and the air is full of the
aromatic scent of eucalyptus – gorgeous.
