on from La Coruna
PROGRESS
Andrew and Hilary Clark
Sun 8 Jun 2008 15:08
After three days we had hardly sampled the delights of La Coruna, but felt
that we should move on before we took root. So another rolly motor-sail took
us to our first proper Ria Alta at Cedeiro.
We were immediately struck by the differences between this coast and the
west coast of Galicia. The coastline is much more rugged. The Rias are
deep inlets in the cliffs, and are much less populated. We rounded the
breakwater at the head of the Ria and anchored in
the bay, just about where the proposed new large marina will be sited. But
there should still be plenty of room to anchor in the future. The town is
quite a small place, with a picturesque river running right through the
centre.
A damp start the following morning decided us to go on to Viveiro, some 30
miles further to the east. As the rain showers came through, they blotted
out the coastline completely and had us reacquiring our radar plotting
skills. I suppose that we will be grateful for the practice when we get back
to the English
Channel! Viveiro sits at the head of another stunning Ria, and the marina is
very well sheltered.
We have had two minor crises looming onboard for the last week or so.
Firstly, Hilary has completely exhausted our supply of English language
books to read - I even caught her flicking through the pages of Reeds!
Unlike Southern Spain, this area is Spain for the Spanish, and we
have not even seen a copy of the Daily Mail printed in Madrid! The second
problem was that one of my front teeth was splitting, it seemed to have
developed a vertical crack and a bit of it was sticking out at an
uncomfortable angle. But we found a most delightful dentist in
the town. I did not feel a thing -anaesthetic by hypnosis - and the tooth is
fixed as well!
A relaxing day in Viveiro followed, wandering around the old town and
pottering on the boat. There is always something to do - either preventative
maintenance or corrective maintenance. And some of it definitely involves
getting your hands dirty! Saturday saw us pressing on to the east, with the
next stop being Ribadeo. This time we were fated with crystal clear
visibility, although the north-east wind had a real bite in it. This will be
our last port in Galicia before we press on along the Asturian coast to
Gijon, and it looks to be one of our favourites. Old and narrow streets
climb away from the port to the town centre above, giving a sense that you
are treading a route used by generations of seafarers before. The entrance
was made even more interesting by a large stone beacon and light that was
not in the pilot books or on any of our charts (but was at least in
Reed's!).
As we came under the bridge just before the marina, Hilary said "that's a
nice looking little restaurant up there". So we went there for dinner. Now,
I am not sure who this guy Michelin is, but evidently he dropped by this
place to kick the tyres, and said that if they kept up the standards he
would tell a few of his friends. Anyway, the food was pretty good, as was
the view. We saw a yacht arrive and anchor in the bay outside the bridge on
the west side. Not only was she rolling uncomfortably, but the customs
launch turned up and boarded her for good measure.
Today we have walked out to the lighthouse on the western headland of the
Ria. Bright, warm sunshine gave some glorious views over the coast and
inland towards the hills behind the coast.
Tomorrow will be on to Gijon, and preparations for the crossing to La
Rochelle.
