Next Ria and on to Portugal

So -on to another anchorage 30 miles further south in Ria Mouros

Two nights at this beautiful anchorage, taking the dinghy ashore to enjoy coffee and cakes at 2 euros for 2 and lemon beer for 1 euro.Then across to Portosin marina at the other side of the ria to use the laundrette to wash the bedding and to stock up on provisions.We also enjoyed swimming from a tiny, hidden cove. We  had intended to stay 2 nights but we made the mistake of going out for a meal on the last night. Scruffbag had octopus and I had Galician style hake and the waiter recommended a local wine. It was superb but the second bottle was a mistake. The next morning hungover and having eaten too much unaccustomed food we decided to stay a third night and spend a lazy day recovering.

Sunday morning with light winds we set off for Portugal.

Making friends with the orange bucket

We left La Coruna on a day of light winds. We knew we would have to motor sail but we were anxious to be on our way.What we had not reckoned with was the swell. Sailors with experience of this part of the Atlantic tend to check the swell forecast as well as the wind. To my cost, we did not. The swell was awful and our angle to it not the best. We had set off at 8am and planned to have breakfast on the way -HA!.Within a short time I was feeling queasy and soon retired below with an orange bucket for company. There I stayed for about 6 hours, talking to the bucket for the whole time, Scruffbag was not sure which was greener, my face or the contents of the bucket. Never in 30 years of sailing ......


All good things come to an end, however and the one good thing about seasickness is the speed at which it departs once ports or calmer waters are entered

On entering the ria I was soon up on deck with cries of: " I am starving. Where are the biscuits?"

We were soon at a beautiful anchorage in the Ria de Camarinas eating the pate de foie gras and drinking the champagne that we had been saving for 2 years for this moment.

We spent 3 fantastic nights at this beautiful anchorage and scruffbag was able to test the new high tec washing machine.

Then it was time to leave for Ria Mouros, a short 30 mile sail away.

La Coruna and Beyond

We spent about  10 days in La Coruna, the last 5 waiting for the strong winds to abate. One of the not so delightful aspects of the town marina at La Coruna is the effect of the swell. The boats roll around and strain at their ropes like nowhere we have moored before - so much so that mooring ropes get chewed up and a snubber is an essential piece of kit if you are to have any hope of a night's sleep. We bought new mooring ropes.That said, the town has  some delightful historic areas and an interesting fort within minutes of the marina.

There is also a museum which is the house where Picasso spent some of his formative years, while his father taught at the local art school - not brilliant as a museum but a good opportunity to see the inside of a Spanish apartment of the period. There is an excellent art gallery and we were lucky enough to catch a temporary exhibition of Goya sketches. The town is also full of excellent modern art.

A short journey away by train is Santiago de Compostela, the end of the long walk for all those pilgrims. It is an attractive old town and I am glad we saw it - though the queues were too long and our interest too limited to kiss whatever it was one kisses in the cathedral.

Back to La Coruna and we went to look at the Tower of Hercules, reputed to be the oldest lighthouse in Europe

And then, finally the wind died down and we were ready for the next installment.