PANJON (PANXON)

PANJON
Panjon was a small town tucked up on the corner of the big bay that has Bayona on one side. The forst thing you notice is the church up on the hill, and the miles and miles of white sand beaches full of bodies catching the rays or others walking up and down the length of the beaches. All times of the day and evening there are determined walkers in swimsuits getting a constitutional or perhaps showing off the body beautiful, though to be honest the walkers tended to be the craggy souls like us and the sunbathers the more slimline models.
We anchored off the end of the harbour breakwater and despite the wind and slppy waves launched the dinghy and went ashore. It is by now Saturday so time to find the church and the supermarket before Sunday. Having wandered about a bit and sorted ourselves out it was the must have coffee and ice cream on the beach front before seeting back to the boat.
Sunday was calmer and een managed to get to Mass without getting church clothes wet. An amazing church, looks old but is rather new by Spanish standards, started in the late 1800’s but not finished until the late 1930’s. Inside the mosaics on the roof and walls are magnificent, the photos don’t do them justice , and I was taken by the depiction of Our Lady Star of the Sea – much more graphic than that at Tobermory, and the expressions on all the faces were so moving. Look for the upside down man.
Bread from the bakers, then coffee and ice cream again while watching life on the beach, including the man who wandered to the water’s edge in full view of everyone to relive himself. Even Dave, used to the vagaries of male behaviour, eas taken aback. Must be different here! The tourism here was not that of the foreigners, but Panjon is the place the Spanish come for holidays and a day at the beach. This is obviously a well off part of Spain, what we would call the commuter belt for Vigo and Bayona.
So off home, and get ready for the trip to the marina tomorrow. We have to call in for mail and diesel, as well as to do some sail changing for which we need a pontoon to fold up the one we ae taking off.
If you look at the pictures taken from the beach Spirit is the furthest out, you can just see a glimpse of the brown sail cover. Look slightly left of centre.