LLanes - Gijon

12th – 15th July

I had a horrible couple of days going West along the coast mainly because the wind was right on the nose all the way so I had to tack into the wind, crash through waves for 17 hours at a time……hard work and very tiring…. I stopped at LLanes but I got there in the dark and left before light so what can I say…. Nothing. I passed the fantastic Picos mountain range but as it rained for two days non stop I never saw the summits which were apparently still covered in snow !! Eventually the sun came out just as I entered Gijon…. .pronounced “Ehon” the largest city in Asturias. It was completely flattened during the civil war but they have done a good job reconstructing it, its very busy, there is a huge beach very Spanish and the better for it….great food….coffee that would be a class B drug in the UK and lots of people walking up and down for no apparent reason. They are very proud of the Roman remains which to be honest don’t amount to much but at least they can put up a statue to fill a space and very nice it is too.
Gijon’s other claim to fame is that they have the worse street singer in the world….she is so bad I think it must be a joke …..people laugh and give her money to shut up I think.
I’m also seeing a lot of pilgrims on the trail from France to Santiago de Compostela you can spot them because they carry a scallop shell, to show their devotion to St. James, strapped to their rucksacks. St. James’s day is in fact on the 25th July so Debbie will arrive at the start of the busiest day in the city’s year, loads of processions etc. I expect.
Gijon is also a crossroads for a lot of British boats and last night I was invited to join a couple of really nice recently retired ex-coppers who are on their way to Greece for a drink with another couple aboard their boat. The do started at 10, which is normally my bed time, and finished at 4 a.m!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A great night and I really don’t feel like the walking dead today.
I’m off early again tomorrow with the wind this time I hope.