Cangas de Onis:- 16th-19th May

We returned to the Aguila Réal from Casa Asprón and were shown to a lovely spacious corner room. Looking in one direction a funfair was being erected, it turned out to be bumper cars, and we could see across to the bus station in the other. The hotel filled up on the Friday with a large group of young folk, who were amazingly quiet. Most of them went off to the bumper cars in the evening. We thought about it too, but decided against it.

The weather was very wet at times every day, and the temperature dropped too. At one point it was given as 11C in Cangas and only 6C for Covadonga. The newspaper had reports of severe hailstorms and snow again in places. We expect that it was sleeting or snowing in Covadonga too.

Much of our time was spent either in cafés or looking in the tourist shops as well as spending some time on the internet at the post office (free). Most of the museums were still closed. We walked to the Puente Romana and along the river as well when it was fine. However we needed our 'winter' layers of clothes to keep warm, and the heating was back on in the hotel. We wondered how folk were doing on the various Caminos with the cold and the rain/sleet/snow.

On Sunday it was still showery when we walked round the weekly market before going to church. The service was at mid-day and was for Pentecost as well as being First Communion. After the service, which was not much longer than last week, we walked round the street market stalls again to buy some fruit before going for lunch. In the covered market they were selling fabada (Asturian white beans), sausages and chorizos as well as regional cheeses. In the square behind the covered market were the fruit and vegetable stalls, with clothes etc being round the church. After lunch it was time to think about packing, checking the time of the ALSA bus to Arriondas, a final walk and supper.

The two fisherman had been scooping up crayfish

The park by the river, behind the Information Centre

The restaurant 'Meson El Puente Romana' and its garden which was crowded when we ate there last week, muddy and deserted today

The new bridge from the Puente Romana

The clothes section of the market

A stall in the covered market

A preserved cider barrel with hórreo to the left

The Hotel Aguila Réal across the river. This is walled through the city as a flood defence and also has a walkway.