Big Waves - Short Boards

So we have decided that the Sierra Nevada is insurmountable with our camper van, the Costa del Sol is overcrowded, and the oranges are not ripe enough yet.

There is also plenty to discover in northern Spain. Here and there, we cross the Camino del Norte, a very demanding pilgrimage route that runs for many kilometers directly along the coast. 

On pilgrim paths, there are often drinking water sources, which we like to use to fill up our canisters.

I have to hit the tap near the Capilla de los Dolores with brute force, and then the rush comes out with such a splash that it knocks the bottle out of my hand.

The hero then strolls across the street with the large supply container and is back in no time. The fire hose has filled the canister in seconds.

We happily continue our journey, as overnighting in parking lots is PRO-HI-BI-DO right next to the sea! In Spain, they even have four syllables available to vehemently express a ban while banging their fist on the table.

We wind into the nearby mountains and push the Kangoo to its limits.

Upon reaching the top, I treat myself to a large glass of fresh water and can hardly put the taste experience into words! I feel like I am drinking an entire public swimming pool. Sentimental childhood memories of trips to the swimming pool in Fürstenwalde come rushing back, and hastily and bravely, I swallow the precious liquid down.

Zappa comforts me and notes that the chlorine content will soon evaporate with the shaking in the caravan.

We sleep in a former quarry nearly three hundred meters above sea level, and are awakened by the ringing bells of the haunting goats that caper around the rocks.

However, when the coffee in the morning tastes rather strange and the water still smells like a swimming pool days later, we wonder what the pilgrim will think of it.

At least the water pipes and supply tanks in the caravan are now thoroughly disinfected; that can't hurt.

In the meantime, the weather is becoming more autumnal and showing itself from its mixed side. We have reached the wild coast of Galicia and are amazed by the green mountains, deep river estuaries, and long white sandy beaches. The numerous eucalyptus forests emit an intense scent of detergent, the wind shakes our mobile home, and the late sunrise is at 8:30 AM.

The hero finds out online that we are near one of the best surf spots in Europe. Waves of up to four meters are forecasted, promising an exciting afternoon. Well, Praia Pantin is not Nazaré, but it is still six hundred kilometers away, and the waves won't be higher there tomorrow either.

So we mix in good spirits with the surfer vans in the beachside parking lot and wait for the tide.

And we are not disappointed! Right on time at 5:00 PM, the waves rise up. Huge dark walls surge, roar, thunder, and rumble so much that one can hardly hear their own words, breaking and rolling onto the deserted beach with dazzling white foam crowns. We stand impressed by the water and keep a respectful distance. Smarter than the Gringo couple, who stands in awe with their feet in the water and is caught off guard by a cold wave that seemingly comes out of nowhere. Their shorts are soaked, but they are still having fun, albeit now more cautiously.

We are given the full program. Only the surfers are missing for the grand show. 

We learn that Pantin at this wave height is only suitable for professionals and presents an extreme challenge. The initiated discuss that the exposed beach break is considered a wave machine and struggles to cope with this impressive swell with triple overhead. The experienced locals retreat to nearby spots in such closeout conditions.

Aha. We found it incredible even without surfers.

And interesting: the eye of the Spanish authorities is also vigilant in the off-season. All wave spotters who disregard the PRO-HI-BI-DO signs for mobile homes and caravans in the front row of the free parking lot are referred to the back positions by Señor Reglamento in the early evening. And then one has to be quick, or all spots are taken. 

Insight of the day: those who take signs seriously are sometimes clearly at an advantage!