43:32.421N 07:02.182W Ribadeo

Ariel of Hamble
Jim and Valerie SHURVELL
Fri 3 Jul 2009 21:30

43:32.421N  07:02.182W  Ribadeo

 

2.7.2009.

 

A foggy start and about 8 miles of fog and then a much better day.  Off of Luarca we found a large family of bottle nose dolphin numbering about 15 in all.  They were feeding on swimmer crabs in the surface of the sea.  They came and played in the bow wave and generally played around Ariel before returning to feeding.

 

Ribadeo is situated in a ria estuary just past a large bridge that we had to go under.  The mast of Ariel is nearly 20 meters high and although the bridge is 30 metres high it was still unnerving to pass underneath it.

 

The town of Ribadeo has some classic old buildings that were built by Spaniards who had become wealthy by their business dealings in the late 19th century in South America.  Some of the buildings now need some restoration because of the neglect during the days of General Franco.

 

A trip across the ria estuary in the tender/dinghy to Castropol revealed some more old historic buildings and a church dating back to 1467.  The views across the river and ria from Castropol are beautiful.



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