A walk at the coast and building a fence.

Taking a day off may sound great to many …sleeping in, not walking the dogs, nor feeding donkeys or cleaning stables for a day. But I like working at the donkey-farm so much that it took me a few weeks to finally get myself into a train to the coast and walk a part of the coastal route of the camino. And then, while walking at the seaside, enjoying fresh air, the beautiful countryside and the rough sea, I told myself to take a day off more often to enjoy the beautiful countryside of Austuria, because what a nice two days it were! Isabel (one of the other volunteers) and I took the train from Arriondas to Pendueles where we started our walk for two days. We talked about walking for 30 km a day, but Marleen advised against it and told us to stick to 15 km and take our time. It was a good advice, because after half an hour of walking we stumbled on the first stunning beach during our walk where we decided to have a swim- and lunchbreak. The water was cold at first, but once in it was great, although the current was too strong to swim. After this dip in the sea we sat on one of the many rocks overlooking the beach and had a nice lunch with bread and an omelet. The first day we walked slowly and stopped every so often to see cows with bells grazing in the field, pet wild-looking short-legged horses and looked at the waves crashing onto the shore from upon the many cliffs. I specifically liked the Bufones of Arenillas. This area consists of soft lime rocks (chalk like stone) and over the many many years lots of rain created holes in the stones. These holes are deep and go all the way down to the caves in the sea and when the sea is rough the waves will be pushed up into the caves, into the holes and spit out the water like geysers. We waited for a while for the sea to blow it’s salty water through the cave holes, but I guess that day the sea wasn’t wild enough and did not have enough power to spit water, but the sound of the water under in the caves was amazing on its on..…it sounded like the roar of an ancient dragon waiting to be released after 100 years of solitude. With the dark sky behind us, the many clouds drifting in from the mainland and a strong wind it was magical and picture perfect.
The days off were nice and it was great to see a bit of the coast, but it was also nice to be back at the donkey paradise and work again. It’s just so relaxing to be here and I love working with the donkeys, walking the dogs, cooking vegetarian food or working in the garden, all at a leisure pace and never in a stressful hurry. Last week I was taught how to make a shelter for one male donkeys who got castrated that same week by the veterinarian on the compound in front of the main-house. Making the shelter was fun, relaxed and use-full. I learned a few working-tools related words in Spanish, worked out-side all day and I now know how to use the drill in a proper manner….so if anybody needs some help with drilling holes in wood and placing screws in planks…I may be able to help you.
I probably should start making plans for my next work-away or travel destination, but without internet, without much desire to leave this please any time soon and without bad weather to keep me inside to think about a next destination, I think I might wait a bit and see what tomorrow brings. Till then I will keep on feeding animals, cleaning stables, filling bags with straw, picking apples and figs from under the tree ( never have eaten so much apple-sauce or figs in my life), receiving nose-pushes, nibbles and licks from curious, always hungry and curious donkeys, cuddling my favorite female donkey Burri and now and then take a day for a walk or a canoe trip down the river.
For now many greetings from the donkey and volunteers paradise
Rebecca