Today we are having a rest day in Llanes for three reasons. One we've had a pretty strenuous 14 days walking so far and the other is that Mark has an infected arm, probably due to a spider bite or rogue blackberry thorn - and we have extra days for recovery and sightseeing. We have taken advice from a local farmacia and with some antibiotics and drawing ointment Mark is recovering quickly. There is access to medical centres through the tourist offices and the farmacias.
Needless to say, we have chosen a lovely town, Llanes, for the day in very cool conditions. 20o and light drizzle.
(PS A Danish pilgrim who chatted to us for a while last night said that there had been a warning about spider bites and subsequent infections on their local Camino network.)
Throughout the town are banners of La Virgen La Guia, the patron saint of the town.
We had a leisurely breakfast down by the canal.
Exquisite confectionary and postres. I settled for a Florentine.
A lively port with fishing trawlers and small pleasure craft.
Llanes is proud of its seafaring past and particularly its contribution of sailors and boats for the Spanish Armada.
The most compelling sight along the wharf is the Cubos de la Memoria or the Cubes of Memory, created by the Basque artist, Augustin Ibarrola.
From the San Pedro Path you have a fabulous view of the town and the coastline, east and west, and of the Sablon beach.
The sturdy defence tower built during the reign of King Alfonso IX. Notice the Sidra Bar nearby. Cider is the preferred drink in this area. Flat and dense...and an acquired taste.
They decant the cider from a great height, either manually or with these ingenious gizmos.
Gothic church of Santa Maria, built in 1480, with an intricate Romanesque facade.
El Casino was built with money brought back from the Indianos, the Spanish who emigrated to South America and returned in the late 19th and early 20th century. Probably involved in the slave trade.
On their return, the wealthy landowners would plant palm trees in the grounds of their stately homes, as a mark of their wealth acquired in South America.
There are some wonderful examples of this era.
Next door to our pension is an artisan store with all the remarkable produce of the Asturias - meats, cheeses, wines, chocolate. Everything is beautifully packaged and presented.
Dinner at La Bolero. Exceptional.
Fabulously attentive staff. Our waiter's first night. An immigrant from Venezuela. Attentive because we were there first customers at 8 pm when the kitchen opened. Everyone else eats from 10.30 and long into the night.
Two restored pelegrinos, ready to hit the road again tomorrow.
M&M
1 comment:
Very Nice place to rest hope La Virgen's holy powers heals the arm quickly :)
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