Cantabria & Asturias, a whale and an eagle
Good morning all! I hope this finds you well and happy.
I'm writing from the beautiful little fishing port of Tapia de Casariego- it turns out it was well worth embroidering such a long name after all! This is just at the edge of Asturias, before the border with Galicia.
I arrived in Spain at the huge port of Santander...a very impressive variety of architecture with a backdrop of enormous mountains. It's perhaps not super friendly...but it's easy to see why that might be...I couldn't say many good things about my fellow passengers....I felt for the French staff, who were clearly apprehensive about whether someone was going to kick off....a huge party of 500 people; loud, pissed and entitled, wearing the fancy dress of those who rarely wear fancy dress (nuff said), and a few fairly obvious drug/tobacco/money smugglers. If I lived in Santander and I heard an English accent, I doubt I'd be inclined to greet them with that much warmth either. Many people come on a mini cruise- sleeper ferry from Plymouth, 2 hours at the hypermarket/dealer/launderer and then back on the ferry to Portsmouth. Suffice to say I felt very glad to be abroad again. But Santander is expanding, and now the ferries go to Cork all summer....and I was very lucky enough to see a whale from the cabin window....so special (and so graceful for something so big!). I had never seen one before. La POP in Santander is a lovely shop with a wide variety of yarns, fabrics to die for and a bit workshop at the back where she gives sewing lessons. I was looking for something very specific for a pledger whose ancestors were from this part of the world (via Chile) and I find just what she wanted!
I'm being very spoiled on this part of the trip...it's so lovely to be sharing it with Shane, and we pick up a hire car in Santander...the road goes past awesome mountain ranges- probably a bit wasted on me as I only peek up occasionally over my knitting and navigating (maybe I can multitask a bit after all). It's not long before we arrive in the next region; the principality of Asturias. This is cider country and it is rather nice too. We're going parallel to and sometimes on the Camino....the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The first stop here is Llanes- where I find the Fawlty Towers of yarn shops. Not only because she is spectacularly sure but also because this is her domain....it's not a shop set up for customers. You can't touch the yarns, or even see them up close...I've written a lot about the pleasure of yarn shops, but here I might as well have been shopping online. I get a bit of cotton, because it is something I'll use anyway, but I really don't want to include this shop...I can't take a photo anyway, as it is not allowed inside, and the shop window is filled with the swimming costumes that taste forgot. Feel a bit cross but this dissipates as I find another shop; Is merceria Las Panesas, with two lovely older ladies and some wondeful yarns....and wish I hadn't spent anything at the other one. And this one will go into the blanket, I won't name the other one, but suffice to say if you are stuck in Llanes with a dwindling supply, go to Las Panesas, and avoid the other!
And Llanes is somewhere I wouldn't particularly want to get stuck. It's extraordinarily pretty and beautifully situated- but don't the inhabitants know it! I'm reminded of Harrogate or Frinton...I'd never understood why the French stereotype of Spaniards is of rude, arrogant and stuck up people, as that has never been my experience in Spain. I can now only assume that Llanes is where it came from- and there are a few French tourists here. And I don't think it's just an antitourist attitude- I see a couple of full on arguments in the streets between locals, and hear a couple more at night. Perhaps the place is just ruined by beauty. There is a nice cafe run by a lovely Venezuelan lady, so sweet she must get walked all over here!
So it's with quite a light heart that we head onwards to Gijón....here is somewhere I would happily get stuck. It's a very big city, and fast growing, and it's easy to see why....a gorgeous city beach, clean air and streets, lots of squares, parkland and a happy city buzz. Beatriz at Lanas Cachemir is superlovely and the shop is a delight! So much choice and interesting things...I find a beautiful soft trapilho (you may know it as spaghetti yarn) made from viscose. I ask if it's local, and she tells me, no, but from Barcelona, so it is Spanish...and then we both say at the same time- Spanish for now at least, and giggle. Shouldn't really, as the Catalan separatist issue is all over the news here....huge implications for the whole country- Spain is a federation, and if one nation secedes....Asturias itself is a principality- the first born of the Spanish royal family becomes the Prince or Princess of Asturias...like the Prince of Wales. As we leave the shop, someone asks Shane for a light, 'tene fogo'...the language here, like the road is halfway to Portugal. They say that before printed mass media and television, everyone in mainland Europe could understand the people from the next two or three towns and any further they would have trouble....languages don't follow borders, they merge and melt into each other.
We're staying at a roadside motel, next to the biggest hypermarket I have ever seen, and the launderette there is well 21st century...all the machines are preloaded with washing liquid and super efficient. Not such great news for me as it's definitely biological, so antihistamines or itching! I hear on the grapevine about anyone lovely wool shop and cafe with hand dyed yarn in Gijón (Xixon in Asturian), but time and budget mean I can't stop everywhere. There is a beautiful and poignant sculpture here called 'The Mother of the Emigrant', a woman sadly waving towards the sea. It's a timely reminder in this time of demonized immigrants, that this used to be a continent of emigration...many emotional goodbyes on this Atlantic coastline.
And then follows a wonderful day, we go off the main road and stop at the little village of Canero, have a lovely lunch and then go and knit on the beach. I've been lucky enough to see some beautiful places in my life but this would take the biscuit, with icing and a cherry on top. All around is a wooded valley full of wildflowers...and the beach is between the sea and a river...saltwater swimming, then freshwater swimming = heaven and no sand everywhere! The sound is just birdsong, and a beautiful big sea eagle flies over very close....very special to see. It's hands down the best day of my trip, and I feel somewhat akin to guilty....anxiety is such a habit for me (that I am trying to break) but it's ok to feel really happy once in a while isn't it?
The way finishes in beautiful Tapia...a gorgeous fishing port, much used by French and Basque fishermen in the past. The shop Lanas Laura is ever so sweet, a small selection, but it's it's small town, and she makes lovely crochet decorations for the window. The day finishes with a sunset evening picnic...and I feel grateful for it all....the natural beauty, the food and the company of Shane.
And now onwards to Galicia, which is still in Spain....for now, at least!
Wishing you all love and light, and slices of true happiness now and again ;) Billy xxx
'
I'm writing from the beautiful little fishing port of Tapia de Casariego- it turns out it was well worth embroidering such a long name after all! This is just at the edge of Asturias, before the border with Galicia.
I arrived in Spain at the huge port of Santander...a very impressive variety of architecture with a backdrop of enormous mountains. It's perhaps not super friendly...but it's easy to see why that might be...I couldn't say many good things about my fellow passengers....I felt for the French staff, who were clearly apprehensive about whether someone was going to kick off....a huge party of 500 people; loud, pissed and entitled, wearing the fancy dress of those who rarely wear fancy dress (nuff said), and a few fairly obvious drug/tobacco/money smugglers. If I lived in Santander and I heard an English accent, I doubt I'd be inclined to greet them with that much warmth either. Many people come on a mini cruise- sleeper ferry from Plymouth, 2 hours at the hypermarket/dealer/launderer and then back on the ferry to Portsmouth. Suffice to say I felt very glad to be abroad again. But Santander is expanding, and now the ferries go to Cork all summer....and I was very lucky enough to see a whale from the cabin window....so special (and so graceful for something so big!). I had never seen one before. La POP in Santander is a lovely shop with a wide variety of yarns, fabrics to die for and a bit workshop at the back where she gives sewing lessons. I was looking for something very specific for a pledger whose ancestors were from this part of the world (via Chile) and I find just what she wanted!
I'm being very spoiled on this part of the trip...it's so lovely to be sharing it with Shane, and we pick up a hire car in Santander...the road goes past awesome mountain ranges- probably a bit wasted on me as I only peek up occasionally over my knitting and navigating (maybe I can multitask a bit after all). It's not long before we arrive in the next region; the principality of Asturias. This is cider country and it is rather nice too. We're going parallel to and sometimes on the Camino....the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. The first stop here is Llanes- where I find the Fawlty Towers of yarn shops. Not only because she is spectacularly sure but also because this is her domain....it's not a shop set up for customers. You can't touch the yarns, or even see them up close...I've written a lot about the pleasure of yarn shops, but here I might as well have been shopping online. I get a bit of cotton, because it is something I'll use anyway, but I really don't want to include this shop...I can't take a photo anyway, as it is not allowed inside, and the shop window is filled with the swimming costumes that taste forgot. Feel a bit cross but this dissipates as I find another shop; Is merceria Las Panesas, with two lovely older ladies and some wondeful yarns....and wish I hadn't spent anything at the other one. And this one will go into the blanket, I won't name the other one, but suffice to say if you are stuck in Llanes with a dwindling supply, go to Las Panesas, and avoid the other!
And Llanes is somewhere I wouldn't particularly want to get stuck. It's extraordinarily pretty and beautifully situated- but don't the inhabitants know it! I'm reminded of Harrogate or Frinton...I'd never understood why the French stereotype of Spaniards is of rude, arrogant and stuck up people, as that has never been my experience in Spain. I can now only assume that Llanes is where it came from- and there are a few French tourists here. And I don't think it's just an antitourist attitude- I see a couple of full on arguments in the streets between locals, and hear a couple more at night. Perhaps the place is just ruined by beauty. There is a nice cafe run by a lovely Venezuelan lady, so sweet she must get walked all over here!
So it's with quite a light heart that we head onwards to Gijón....here is somewhere I would happily get stuck. It's a very big city, and fast growing, and it's easy to see why....a gorgeous city beach, clean air and streets, lots of squares, parkland and a happy city buzz. Beatriz at Lanas Cachemir is superlovely and the shop is a delight! So much choice and interesting things...I find a beautiful soft trapilho (you may know it as spaghetti yarn) made from viscose. I ask if it's local, and she tells me, no, but from Barcelona, so it is Spanish...and then we both say at the same time- Spanish for now at least, and giggle. Shouldn't really, as the Catalan separatist issue is all over the news here....huge implications for the whole country- Spain is a federation, and if one nation secedes....Asturias itself is a principality- the first born of the Spanish royal family becomes the Prince or Princess of Asturias...like the Prince of Wales. As we leave the shop, someone asks Shane for a light, 'tene fogo'...the language here, like the road is halfway to Portugal. They say that before printed mass media and television, everyone in mainland Europe could understand the people from the next two or three towns and any further they would have trouble....languages don't follow borders, they merge and melt into each other.
We're staying at a roadside motel, next to the biggest hypermarket I have ever seen, and the launderette there is well 21st century...all the machines are preloaded with washing liquid and super efficient. Not such great news for me as it's definitely biological, so antihistamines or itching! I hear on the grapevine about anyone lovely wool shop and cafe with hand dyed yarn in Gijón (Xixon in Asturian), but time and budget mean I can't stop everywhere. There is a beautiful and poignant sculpture here called 'The Mother of the Emigrant', a woman sadly waving towards the sea. It's a timely reminder in this time of demonized immigrants, that this used to be a continent of emigration...many emotional goodbyes on this Atlantic coastline.
And then follows a wonderful day, we go off the main road and stop at the little village of Canero, have a lovely lunch and then go and knit on the beach. I've been lucky enough to see some beautiful places in my life but this would take the biscuit, with icing and a cherry on top. All around is a wooded valley full of wildflowers...and the beach is between the sea and a river...saltwater swimming, then freshwater swimming = heaven and no sand everywhere! The sound is just birdsong, and a beautiful big sea eagle flies over very close....very special to see. It's hands down the best day of my trip, and I feel somewhat akin to guilty....anxiety is such a habit for me (that I am trying to break) but it's ok to feel really happy once in a while isn't it?
The way finishes in beautiful Tapia...a gorgeous fishing port, much used by French and Basque fishermen in the past. The shop Lanas Laura is ever so sweet, a small selection, but it's it's small town, and she makes lovely crochet decorations for the window. The day finishes with a sunset evening picnic...and I feel grateful for it all....the natural beauty, the food and the company of Shane.
And now onwards to Galicia, which is still in Spain....for now, at least!
Wishing you all love and light, and slices of true happiness now and again ;) Billy xxx
'
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