def read(self, url, timeout=30):
        """Get and parse a WFS capabilities document, returning an
        instance of WFSCapabilitiesInfoset

        Parameters
        ----------
        url : string
            The URL to the WFS capabilities document.
        timeout : number
            A timeout value (in seconds) for the request.
        """
        request = self.capabilities_url(url)
        u = openURL(request, timeout=timeout,
                    username=self.username, password=self.password)
        return etree.fromstring(u.read())