Praia das Catedrais (Augas Santas), Galicia, Spain.

Wow, just wow. Our first night entering Galicia is staying near Praia das Catedrais (Augas Santas). It is an amazing place, and somewhere I must apologise for. The reason to say sorry, is because it is so difficult to limit yourself with photos there. Especially as an old photographing Geologist, rock formations are always attractive.

Allow me to explain; to gain the best access to the beaches you need to be there just before, during and after low tide, as high tide makes it very difficult to walk along and see the structures. Also, the water can be a touch chilly in the beginning of Autumn. You need to organise yourself early and apply online for an access pass to the beach as it is a national park, and they can have restrictions of numbers. You can do it on the day, but being around the tides means it is hard to get the timing right if lots of other people are also trying to gain access. Also, they may have reached their limit for that session.

I took nearly 150 photographs in the 2.5 hours we spent in the area. It doesn't sound like many when you look at how many selfies people are taking. But, I do try to limit my snaps, to make them easier to process later, to think about the quality of each photograph and also so that I can actually enjoy being where I am. I have to admit, I must be getting old, as I really cannot understand why people need so many selfies. Why do people now have to put themselves into the beauty of the landscape when photographing things? To me, I could happily never see a photograph of myself as long as I had some beautiful photos and memories of a location. The place is what draws me there, not the fact that I need to remind myself I was there.

So, in relation to the volume of photos, I was able to narrow it down to 39.... yeah, sorry, it is still a lot. But the light was amazing and the scenery fantastic. I totally recommend it.

The absolutely gorgeous coastal heath colours and contrast to the sky.

The geological obsession starts again.

When you sprain your ankle earlier in the day, the cool waters of the Bay of Biscay can help.

Layer cake

A fractured relationship

Soft and hard

Follow the light

One of the arches carved by waves

This weirdo kept touching the seaweeds, molluscs, rocks, you name it, he touched it.

Not got the mussels for it?

Flipper lady?

Is it just me, or does this light create the shape of an overweight gendarme in profile?

Human crab lady thing

In comes the tide, down goes the sun.

Holdfast, my friend. A kelpish foot

Bodies above

Photo of a photo of a photo. She was taking a photo of the couple taking a selfie and I took  one of her!

What better way to finish the day than with a glass of Galician red and a plate of Pimientos de Padron. A great Galician tapa.