Going to Sanxenxo. And doggy tales.

Oh, we do like to be beside the seaside! It’s that time of year again, when we take ourselves off to Sanxenxo for a chess tournament. And the sun has obligingly come out. So I have been and sampled the pool already, as you never know what tomorrow might bring and the weather forecast is not great. So far I have only seen one familiar face but I suspect that a lot of people will wait until tomorrow to arrive.

En route we stopped for lunch with our friend Colin in Pontevedra, at Michele’s small Estrella restaurant, much to be recommended. Very nice food!

We had hoped to leave our suitcases at the railway station but were unable to find a left luggage office. Colin tells us that it is at the far end of platform one. If so, it is well hidden and not signposted at all. It may well be that there used to be one but that it was used so infrequently that they just closed it down. That seems to be the way of railway stations these days.

So we trundled our small cases into the centre of town, admiring the improvements to some of the pedestrianised areas along the way. They really have been nicely done. Later we trundled our cases back along the same route as the bus station is just opposite the train station and we planned to catch a bus for the second stage of our journey.

Our bus filled up with schoolchildren, on their way to a campsite somewhere, perhaps O Grove at the end of the bus route. On the whole they were very well behaved but, as ever, there was one who could not remain in her seat. By the time we were half way to Sanxenxo everyone knew her name was Iria.

I have to say that the bus journey was very good value: almost an hour’s ride for €1.55 each. Someone should tell Transport for Greater Manchester!

Yesterday on the ferry to Cangas we saw a couple of cyclists. They had a trailer behind one of their bikes, presumably with camping gear in it. They were also a companied by a wolf. Well, okay, it was a large husky dog but wolf sounds ore melodramatic. I am not sure about cycling with a dog on the lead next to you. It could be quite dangerous. Surely even the best trained dog is still susceptible to being distracted and pulling its owner off the bike. But ... that is not my problem!

Our granddaughter has a dog, a fine black labrador called Milo. He appears to be quite a well trained beast. Yesterday or the day before was his birthday. She posted a picture on Facebook. This is what dog-lovers do in the modern age!

Lots of people sent birthday wishes. One of her friends asked if he liked his presents. Yes, presents!!! Here is her reply:-

 “I’ll have to show you the videos of him opening them next time you're in!”

 Yes, videos of the dog opening his presents! Whatever next?

 I wonder if like all one year olds he liked the wrapping more than the presents.