Gijón

We hadn’t heard of Gijón before the wind blew us there. But gee, we’re glad it did!

After crossing the Bay of Biscay from La Rochelle, we landed on the shores of Northern Spain in the early hours of 12 October. Arriving in a new place by boat, under the cover of darkness, can be very disorientating. But we were welcomed by the jovial cheers and thumping sounds of a nation that likes to party! And as we found out the next morning, the celebrations were not just for our successful crossing, but also for Spain’s National Day.

Not only that, it was also Sullivan’s birthday. How many kids can say that they sailed on the Bay of Biscay and landed in a new country on their birthday? Not a bad way to kick off being four!

We immediately had a good feeling about Gijón. The city is situated on the coast of central Asturias, and is the largest of the province. The people here have been so friendly and welcoming to us, despite our lack of knowledge of their language and culture. The first thing the customs officers wanted to know when they boarded our vessel was whether we had tried their local cider (sidra) yet..! (We had.)

And so, whilst we waited for the weather to turn back in favour, we spent our week in Gijón wandering through her medieval streets. They are filled with boutique shops and trendy vegan cafes. Traditional tapas restaurants sit beside modern craft brew bars. This is our kind of place! And the children loved visiting the aquarium, testing out the various playgrounds, and wandering around the picturesque coastline.

We’re off to a good start!