Most of them are small and may surprise you <br />with their clean sands and odd shapes, <br />as you stroll along a rocky, sea-bashed coast. <br />Few are spoilt by second homes <br />and many are ringed by fields with grazing cows. <br /> <br />Waters are rough and cold round here <br />so only the intrepid swim, <br />but surfers take advantage all year long <br />of heavy, rearing waves. <br /> <br />Dinosaurs used to roam these shores <br />and much, much later Neanderthals <br />gorged on seafood and slept in nearby caves. <br />Romans, of course, must have been delighted <br />by all the local treats, and history <br />lies in layers on this land. <br /> <br />Rain can set in, even in summer, <br />so it's a lottery, like Scotland. <br />Heaven or hell, you're never sure <br />and you have to come here several times <br />to savour perfect days. <br /> <br />But if you're lucky with the weather, <br />you have fifty beaches close at hand <br />and mountains, forests and rivers; <br />Asturias is a summary of nature's bounty.<br /><br />Robert Melliard<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/asturian-beaches/
