Galacia is an autonomous region of Spain in the north west corner. We arrived here after crossing the Bay of Biscay and have now been in the region for twenty days. The sea is blue, the weather is sunny, the surroundings are beautiful and we are in “holiday mode”.
Every few days we sail a little further along the coast. Sometimes we anchor off long sandy beaches and other days off small fishing villages. Once we stayed a few days in the middle of “the big city”. The beaches all have fresh water showers which aren’t heated but free. The villages have shops and cafes that sell a lot for a little. It is great fun to be able to decide from day to day if you want to live in the country or “in town”. Yesterday we anchored just off a harbour across from the supermarket and restocked our fridge and larder before going to the dockside cafe for our evening meal. Right now we are floating just off the beach.
We have been out cycling four times since arriving which has given us a chance to see a little further inland than the harbour and surrounding village. The decision to bring mountain bikes with us was definitely a good one. Without them we wouldn’t have seen half what we have experienced. We would have also missed a lot of exercise and be a few kilograms heavier. Heidi’s bike developed a strange “clank” and we visited three workshops trying to get it repaired. The third guy had it easiest as, by then, the derailer had committed suicide amongst the back spikes. All our routes are in Neill’s diary.
The area is strewn with islands, islets and rocks so navigation is challenging. Just sailing one village down the coast can involve ten changes of course with six tacks. Sailing is fun and rewarding paticularly when you sail from anchorage to anchorage with no engine except to lift the anchor as you leave. We are permanently being overtaken or passed by sailing boats in “motor boat mode”. Just now our neighbour motored straight to the beach and anchored. We took three tacks to get there but used no diesel 🙂 Time and patience are great attributes for sailors.
We continue to eat in the best resturant where ever we are. This is invariably on the sailing boat Artemis of Lleyn. Home made cheeseburgers, home made pizza, home made scones or brownies. The menu is variable and the food amazing. We also ate out in La Coruna where Max discovered a great restaurant with stunning service and good food. Sometimes, during a long hard bike climb, there is nothing better than water straight from a roadside spring.