Asturian Beaches Poem by Robert Melliard

Most of them are small and may surprise you
with their clean sands and odd shapes,
as you stroll along a rocky, sea-bashed coast.
Few are spoilt by second homes
and many are ringed by fields with grazing cows.

Waters are rough and cold round here
so only the intrepid swim,
but surfers take advantage all year long
of heavy, rearing waves.

Dinosaurs once roamed these shores
and much, much later Neanderthals
gorged on seafood and slept in nearby caves.
Romans, of course, must have been delighted
with all the local treats, and history
lies in layers on this land.

Rain can set in, even in summer,
so it's a lottery, like Scotland.
Heaven or hell, you're never sure
and you have to come here several times
to savour perfect days.

But if you're lucky with the weather,
you have fifty beaches close at hand
and mountains, forests and rivers;
Asturias is a summary of nature's bounty.