The Tiniest Beach and the Biggest Pack of Poodles

 Yesterday I walked from Llanes to Cuerres. Lots and lots of views of the beautiful mountains to the south of me and beaches to the north.

I walked the first part alone, but kept running into different pilgrims I’d been walking with in previous days.

Here is a cafe on the way. Usually, if you have been staying in the pilgrim albergues, there will be people you know in the cafe. You can just say hi as you pass, or you can stop for a coffee and something to eat if you’re hungry.

I walked in to this cafe and stopped to talk with Maria Jesus(“Chus”) from Toledo, and her friend Emi, on the right. I arrived with the couple to the left, Canadians Kim and Diane from Vancouver. They stopped to talk with a Dutch couple they knew. My family asked me if there are other people around. Yes, they are all around,

I left the cafe and Chus and Emi caught up with me. Chus has a list of beautiful spots and historic sites to look for, and yesterday her goal was to see one if the most beautiful beaches in Spain, the beach of Gulpiyuri.

I don’t always have the energy or time to leave the Camino to go see something. Gulpiyuri would take me out of my way maybe a mile. But the weather was nice — rained in the morning but now the sun was out— so I said I’d go along to see Gulpiyuri.

As we were walking, we met a French girl, Cami. I first met her about two weeks ago. She is carrying everything she needs to camp. She only stays in an albergue every few nights, mostly she sleeps out in her tent. I hadn’t seen her for 4or 5 nights, so this was a nice surprise.

Cami and I both have to finish up before October 15. She needs to finish an early childhood training and take the test, and I am going to work in an albergue in Astorga. So hopefully we will be walking at the same pace and will see each other some more. I told her about the beach and invited her to come with us. She decided to join the group.

I have to confess to not understanding everything people say in Spanish, so in addition to being a “gem” and a jewel of a beach, I think I missed the point that it was a tiny beach. Teeny.

We walked towards it, following Chus’s directions. Gradually we came to lots of cars parked along the side of the road. If people were returning to their cars I asked them if it were worth the trouble to go see this beach. (remember, we have been walking past miles and miles of gorgeous beaches!) They all said Si, vale la pena.

So when we finally got there, I have to admit to you- I was disappointed. It was a tiny pocket beach. A little cove. There was a big, stone mountain between it and the open sea, A channel or cave perforated the stone in the mountain, and water gushed in and out. Cami and I looked at each other. It was cute, but kind of a let-down.

Until the poodles arrived. A family came, and brought their poodles to the beach.  There were a dozen poodles and they had a blast. It was a circus of poodles. The family members must’ve liked poodles and I think they bought them from the same breeder. The poodles ran around and played and posed and tumbled in the surf.

These photos don’t quite convey it, but the poodles made the side trip worth it to me.

It was lunchtime and we crawled down to the beach and walked in the water and had a good time.

I only got to my hotel at 5:30, with the detour and all, but it was a fun afternoon. Above is Chus and me at la playa Gulpiyuri.  And below is my hotel, where I met up with another Pilgrim I’ve been walking with, Sarah, who’s from Lancaster.