June 4th ~ Ribadesella

Awoke to our first really cloudy day and quite a bit cooler. After breakfast, walked into town and walked above the town overlooking the estuary, to an Ermita (Church). Views of the mountains behind the town were obscured by cloud. We continued walking round the old quarter, which was delightful, with numerous 16th & 17th Century mansions built by wealthy traders returning from the Americas. We then did the Tito Bustillo caves, named after one of the potholers who discovered the caves in 1968, who died a few days later in a mountaineering accident. The caves remain in their natural state, with just a few dim lights to show the path, and a guide with a torch. The stalactites and stalagmites were spectactular, and the cave ran for about 1 kilometer . At the end were a number of cave paintings of horses, deer and wild cattle painted over 14,000 years ago> they are in such an amazing state of preservation that they are recognised as among the finest in the world, and of a high quality of artistic detail.

Back to the van for a late lunch and then back to the beach at low tide to find some dinosaur footprints.However,by the time we walked there , it was 90 minutes after low tide, and it was difficult to scramble over the huge boulder strewn beach, and gave up on the footprints. May try and find some more tomorrow.

Walked on in to town and had a drink in a Sidreria (cider bar), as cider is a very popular in the Asturia Region. The rough 12% Sidra comes in an unlabelled bottle with a siphon devise inserted. You press a button with the glass for the sidra to be pumped at pressure into your glass, and you drink the “fizzy” sidra immediately. Chris had difficulty using this dispensing device, (see video!! Lol) and whether it was this method of serving the Sidra or its strength, he was quite mellow and tiddley after a 500ml bottle, and decided against another. Had a wander round the town, buzzing with children playing the squares, at the start of the weekend. After a cheap and cheerful meal and then walked up to the Ermita, hoping for a sunset and pics of the town at dusk. Returned to camp about 11pm, about an hour s walk back from the Ermita.