Spain part 1: Santander and Somo

Santander was a beautiful place to spend a month. 

We knew we wanted the flexibility in our trip through Europe to stay in the one spot for awhile and as our journey progressed we decided Spain was the place. Originally (so long ago now!) for our time in Spain we thought we could get jobs or volunteer as well as some hiking along the Camino de Santiago (St James' Way) but that evolved.  We decided we were most excited about staying put for a month somewhere near the beach, and do small walks on the El Camino de Santiago.  Doing a huge part of the walk was out of the question (I think that it is more than 800km long), but setting ourselves up in the beach-side town of Santander meant that we could do a few parts of the Camino Del Santiago Del Norte quite easily. 

In the end even that turned out differently than we imagined. Kat finished off some research work then got sick (and now has stories to tell about a home visit from a Russian speaking doctor and a trip to the emergency room). Whereas I landed a job working remotely for a client in Australia that allowed us to save up some additional travel money, but this did tie me to a computer. We learned some Spanish (but there's a lot more to go!), and we saw some amazing sights. Little did we know that Santander was once summer residence of the Spanish royalty, but more on that later.

Beaches

The first week in Santander was really hot and we took the opportunity to visit three of the best beaches in Spain, according to Rough Guides.  We went to Playa de la Magdalena, Somo & El Sardinero; all of which lie along the Camino Del Santiago Del Norte  and all are very close to each other and all beautiful in different ways. The beaches were full of Spaniards enjoying the final weeks of the summer holidays. We enjoyed watching some play paddle ball and alternated reading in the sun with swimming in the ocean. It was so lovely to be at the beach as it had been awhile!

La Playa de la Magdalena

El Sardinero

El Camino del Norte

"The Way of Saint James" follows the legend that St James' remains were taken from Jerusalem to the city that is now known as Santiago de Compostela.  Although a pilgrim could take any route to get there, regular routes developed over the centuries.  Nowadays, the northern (del norte) walk has about 20 pilgrims starting per day and follows the northern coastline whereas the standard or "the French" camino (so-called because traditionally most pilgrims were French) can draw up to 200 pilgrims per day, particularly in the peak season (source).  The weather is probably less reliable in the north, and apparently goes up and down a lot more.  Overall, I think there are a number of reasons to pick the French route over the north, but we were happy to join a part of the north route along the beautiful coast.  Luckily for us, it passes through Santander. 

On our first weekend, we took the local ferry across the bay where locals go for warmer waters trapped in the bay by the sand bank (no Dolphin Sands Road-ing here, although one would think that the real pilgrims would go all the way around).  With our tent, backpack and hiking shoes, we didn't really fit amongst the beachgoers who I am sure never wear sunscreen.  

A little out of place at Somo

We had a pleasant walk along to sand dunes and beach for a few kilometres to reach the campsite at Somo.  After a bit of a standoff with a waitress where I was trying to explain that I only wanted one meal and she was only trying to find out our table number, we left for our (reverse) walk along El Camino del Norte.

A beautiful coastline

Deep in thought

This walk took us along the clifftops by Somo where we saw the true wrath of the Atlantic, again like our visits to the Cliffs of Moher and other places in Ireland. With nothing to stop us falling off, and no idiots trying to get that perfect photo likely to fall off, we quickly left the busy-ness of the beach and Somo behind and thoroughly enjoyed the combination of sun and wind.  

Kat making friends with el Camino del Norte

Kind of wish they moved after 2 hours (we passed them in both directions)

It seemed a strange place to find a crop of maize, but that's indeed what we found, alongside wild berries, that I foolishly tried to eat.  The picturesque walk along a dirt track, sometimes overgrown with berries was quiet and peaceful and ended in a steep descent into a cave-like bay where we took a dip and briefly read our books. 

The downwards climb at the far end of our loop

Our return to Somo coincided with my ability to finally internalise (and express) the word for 'ice-cream' and we settled in for a night interrupted "only" by what I would describe as a cannon, or some other ear-splitting explosive device, going off every hour, something that took me back to the traumatic experience of sleeping in the backyard of a train station in Edinburgh.

Sunday was a lovely day, a long sleep-in to then wake with coffee and pastries on the beach, which we visited tent and large backpack in hand and enjoyed for the remainder of the day before a comfortable ferry ride back to our cosy room in Santander.  Although we did not earn a plenary indulgence, or a compostela/certificate of accomplishment (only awarded for those on a religious journey who make it to Santiago de Compostela and who walked over 100km), we did have a great weekend, with many of the things we both enjoy.  Food, coffee, walking, camping, and beaches.

El Camino

TOUR DE COFFEE: Wakey uppy juice, A cup of the good stuff!

Today, this hilarious video motivated me to get around to writing a post on coffee. 

“I'm trying to de-wank my coffee so i'll just have an International Roast. You know that powdery, instant coffee that comes in a big white tin." Kitty Flanagan on ABC's The Weekly


Currently Rob and I are enjoying coffee in Santander. One reason we are glad we chose to spend a month here, is they have a great cafe culture. It came at a time when we were really wishing we could walk down the street and simply "be" at a Melbourne cafe, even a snobby one! 

Before leaving for our trip I had a GRAND PLAN to do away with coffee for a year. Or, at least, to reduce my reliance on my morning coffee. 

This failed miserably. 


Leading up to our adventure was a very busy period that involved goodbyes (over coffee), alertness to move/sell/pack (cue caffeine), Christmas and New Years (hourly offers of coffee) and the grand event of a wedding weekend (a certain coffee scenario). 

Gilmore girls coffee-ism

It wasn't just that I kept my coffee habit way into the New Year as we inched closer to our departure date, but also that before we knew it, we were in Vietnam. The cafe culture in Vietnam is really like no other. I would live to take this moment to lay almost all of the blame the country for continuing my reliance on coffee! (This is probably more a compliment than anything else.)

...and so began our 

TOUR OF COFFEE!

Our coffee and cafe passion/habit has created a huge dent in our budget but I think it has been worth it. It is has been truly fascinating seeing just how different coffee is perceived in different places and how variable the cafe experience can be. We have found it surprisingly hard to predict when a "good" coffee will be served and when it won't. Our tastes have also evolved and we have realised just how much of a Melbourne-centric view of what makes a coffee good. 

Malaysia
Our first destination is certainly more hazy in my mind than other places. Adjusting to the humidity, trying not to get lost in our first country and still faintly clinging onto the notion of giving up the drink, coffee was not top-of-mind in Malaysia. I have previously tried the infamous Kopi Luwak (coffee cherries eaten and defaecated by a civet) which is mainly found in Indonesia but I also spotted it in Malaysia and Vietnam.

In Kuala Lumpur we did try something new (and hideously over-priced even by Melbourne standards!): coffee ice cubes that melt as you add hot milk.

Not really worth it!

Nepal
Nepal, naturally, was more of a place to sample tea. Outside of the touristy areas, cafes serving espresso coffee are scarce. Since Rob was last there in 2009, the expansion of cafes is astronomical because coffee machines now exist. Well, they might have been there but he didn't notice because it would not have occurred to him to buy a latte back then!

The tourist cafes ranged dramatically and you could not rely on first impressions! Of course, it is pretty amazing, and kind of outrageous I suppose, that a country battling with massive weather challenges, poverty, vast electricity restrictions and a range of other issues has any of these cafes at all. Our best coffee was probably at Himalayan Java (the Starbucks of Nepal) in Thamel.

Latte art! 

Lady selling Nescafes in Durbar Square

Cambodia 

Cambodia was really more about continuing my love affair with mango shakes/juice/smoothies but we did sample a few lattes. Importantly, we got the teeniest cutest take-away coffee you have ever seen!

Baby coffee for the bus

Phnom Penh latte

Vietnam's Ca Phe
Ca phe is serious business in Vietnam. Having spent a month in Ho Chi Minh, we tried to sample the dizzying array of styles. The big Vietnamese coffee chain, Trung Nguyen Coffee, has a multiple page coffee menu offering everything under the sun. Trung Nguyen are everywhere but that doesn't mean there aren't a multitude of other cafes. (Quite like Melbourne!) 

Rob and Ann at ca phe time!

What initially makes the cafe experience in Vietnamese unique is that often the coffee is brewed slowly at your table using a gravity drip system. Even at the most basic cafes your coffee choice involved numerous factors: black, white, hot, cold, ice cubes, milk, condensed milk, ice cream, etc. The beans are from everywhere, including Vietnam. It took us awhile to get our heads around the concept of having ice with a hot beverage. The best thing about the cafe culture in Vietnam is also probably the highlight of many aspects of the country: the community atmosphere on the streets.   

We actually failed to take many photos of our coffee experiences but I did capture Rob having coffee on the Mekong so that's something! 

Ca phe sau on the Mekong!

French Quarter cafe in Hanoi (note the mopeds outside)

China
Finding ourselves in another country famous for its tea and tea rituals, we didn't have many expectations for China. However, we had recently left Vietnam so caffeine was not optional at this point! We got by with instant and 3-in-1 packets (better than nothing!) for much of the time. When we splashed out on a tourist coffee (priced as such), it was hit-or-miss. This was kind of a let-down as when we did buy it, we saw it as a luxury. 

Drinking Beijing yoghurt was really a better
idea! (On the street so you could recycle the jar.)

Not all coffee was targeted at tourists. We have to give an honourable mention to the Guang Zhou cafe: One Dollar Coffee which did not, in fact, provide $1 coffee. It did provide a huge coffee that I would not recommend. 

Looks a lot like Starbucks!

In Beijing, Sarah, Rob and I visited a cafe with a great set-up overlooking a garden. It would have fit right in at home. When we were there it was absolutely dead and I wonder how viable it will be into the future.

Japan
Oh Japan! ...I don't want to say anything bad about you...still....months down the track and many km's down the road. However, coffee is not always your strong suit. A bit unfair to say when tea is obviously the priority. (Viewing a tea ceremony in Kyoto was a beautiful, tranquil experience.) 

In an exception to the rule, in Kyoto I searched the net for a cafe with good coffee being the sole criteria. I came across a cafe with coffee that an Australian tourist promised would transport me to Melbourne*. Vermillion Espresso Bar almost got there! Rob was even confident enough to order a soy latte. This has been extremely rare!

Kyoto for coffee

Kat's sideways latte

Rob's sideways SOY latte

* Whilst writing this post I found out that the barristas/owners lived in Melbourne for many years. They say that they drew their inspiration for the cafe from Melbourne. Uh huh! 


Mongolia
We didn't have high expectations for Mongolia but inside the capital we were most pleasantly surprised. Ullan Bataar seemed to have its own unique style of cafe culture going on. Possibly it is due to the boom times of recent years, but whatever the reason, we benefited. In UB we did a fair bit of planning and I did some work so it was great to have a plethora of cafes to choose from each day! We even had a Luke's! (For those not in the know: "LUKE'S" a homey cafe; your local; the place you want to be in the morning for your cup of joe! Origin: Gilmore Girls)

This was not the best UB had to offer but not too bad!

Finland
Excited to be entering a new continent full of coffee potential, but wary of the Northern Euro price tag, Rob and I found ourselves at our first European stop: Helsinki. Initially bursting with joy at the sight of outdoor cafes and European squares, I could hardly contain myself. Then I found the Finnish knew the way to my heart: a small chocolate on my coffee saucer.

Danger: Fairly consistent chocolate
accompaniment! Pretty good coffee.

Bearded Rob and Oliver at Robert's Coffee
Chain Cafe- they were everywhere!

You might think that was the end of it. That once in Europe life was a coffee dream. No, not quite! You see, I do prefer a cafe latte and, obviously, milk isn't really the way in most of Europe. So I have been switching it up, an espresso here, a cafe latte there. Apparently there is a Parisian cafe that serves Flat White's now! 

Ireland
During our road trip of Ireland we found the coffee to vary greatly. Our first Irish coffee (actually invented for tourists apparently) was absolutely horrible. Not at all what Mum had remembered from the past. Luckily those that followed were better. 

The best part coffee-wise in Ireland for me was that Mum gave Rob and I Keep Cups! (From an Australian company but sold in Dublin!) They have been brilliant, especially whilst we were on the road in Ireland and then on our various camping expeditions.

On the "interesting" side...

Keep cup coffee!

Mum with her Irish coffee!

Scotland
Still flummoxed at my discovery that "Lemon, lime and bitters" is not a drink found commonly in the UK (or Ireland) but actually a beverage of Australia invention, I took awhile to assess the coffee landscape in Scotland! When I did, I found some great coffees and some average ones. 

One of the better coffees was at Loch Lomond at Cafe Street Mocha or maybe I was influenced by the clever handle at the entrance!

Loved this door handle 

Latte art! A side of toffee!

The Netherlands
We were welcomed to the Netherlands by a sunny street-side picnic lunch and coffee with my friend Ilir and his housemate, Jackie. A fantastic way to kick off our time in a beautiful country....until Jackie mentioned that he had his coffee with milk- "the WEAK way". Thus we were welcomed to mainland Europe! Really, it was about this time that I put a bit of extra effort into embracing the espresso. (Rob was ahead of me on this one!) Regardless, I did have some good lattes in the Netherlands and not much beats a coffee on a pretty canal in Utrecht.

A cycling pit-stop for coffee

Mini stroop waffle!

Coffee along the canal

France
During our first half of our short time in France we were spoilt by relatives, in all ways including coffee! We weren't in France long enough to visit a huge amount of cafes however, given the fact that we sought out the French quarters in many other cities does give some indication of what we expect from French cafes. (Refer to Vietnam above for example.) That said, we had an absolutely disgusting coffee in Montmartre!  

In Bordeaux we visited the Medoc region for a chateau tour. Apart from the wine tastings we were presented with a beautiful picnic that included a great coffee and the regions celebrated Caneles de Bordeaux. 

Bordeaux style

Spain
So far Spain is right up there in the coffee stakes! Not only is the espresso good but they make a great cafe con leche- finally I've hit the jackpot. The price tag is also much more condusive with our coffee habits. So far my favourite cafe is el museo de la musica which perhaps doesn't really sound like a cafe at all. I actually want to eat here at some point.

First coffee in Santander

"TAKE-AWAY" POINTS

• You really can't really generalise about a country's coffee: surprises abound
• Noone seems to serve coffees in latte glasses like at home! 
• We are coffee snobs...but only a little bit. Nothing gets in the way of us and caffeine, even a lack of latte art or a 3-in-1 packet.
• Coffee is an adventure!

Brilliant Bordeaux

I've wanted to visit Bordeaux and its surrounds for many years now, especially once I heard more about it from my friend Lorène. She sent me some amazing postcards over the years. 

Arriving at Bordeaux we were welcomed by a random lady sitting at a bus stop. That felt kind of nice! Then we were greeted by our friendly Airbnb host, Marc. He made us a coffee and gave us some excellent tips for seeing the city. His apartment had some nice views over the city and a great hammock on the balcony. Coffee and hammocks...what a place! After only one night Marc was off to Nice for a short holiday so we ended up having his whole apartment to ourselves.

Bordeaux is an interesting town. We used the city bike scheme to get around initially but it ended up freezing money on our credit cards for a few days which was annoying. (It seems like most cities don't quite have these schemes quite right, for tourists at least.) Anyway, it was a pleasure to walk through the streets of Bordeaux and along the Garonne river. You can tell a lot of work has been done (and was being done) in restoration of buildings and public facilities. The city is apparently the largest urban World Heritage Site and is recognised for the unity of its architectural heritage.

Rue Vital Carles and Cathédrale Saint-André de Bordeaux

Bordeaux town

Monument aux Girondins

Amazing sculpture "Sanna" by Catalan artist Jaume Plensa.
Really jumps out at you in the right light

A lovely garden of Bordeaux

Am I the only one who sees a dragon face on this?

Turtle: a popular meeting point

One of my favourite parts of Bordeaux was walking and picnicking along the quay. The Miroir d'Eau de Bordeaux (Water Mirror) is a huge reflecting pool in front of Place de la Bourse. It produces fog every fifteen minutes. It was so much fun watching people of all ages splashing about and a nice relief on a hot day. I found it a rather artistic use of water and light and would love to see it in different seasons.

Garden along the esplanade near Place de la Bourse

 Children playing in front of Place de la Bourse 

Me (just a bigger child) enjoying Miroir d'Eau de Bordeaux!

The Hermione, a replica of the French frigate which transported General Lafayette to America, arrived in Bordeaux on the Garonne river whilst we were there

The things you do in London

Another highlight was catching up with my friend Lorène and introducing her to my new fiancé! We had a picnic lunch in a nice garden and it was great to find out what she was up to with her translating business and more about her life in Bordeaux. She gave us some tips for Saint-Émilion, a place she is very passionate about. It was funny because we had a conversation about how sometimes taking too many photos means you can miss a moment because you are behind the camera, but then later I was sad because we didn't manage to take a photo of us;it is usually nice when someone lives across the other side of the world! Instead here is one I love from London in 2010:

WHAT ABOUT THE WINE? (I hear you ask.) 

Just a small local selection!

Château d’Agassac vineyards

Bordeaux is after all the world's wine industry capital. We had a lovely private tour of two château (Château d’Agassac and Château Paloumey) in the famous Médoc region followed by a picnic amongst the vineyards. Rob, knowing full well what he was doing, asked our tour guide about whether there were any good breweries in the area. The look on the guide's face was absolutely priceless!

The most interesting thing about d’Agassac, a 16th century château  was that a Dutch expert had come to the area to advise on drainage of the site. Paloumey also had a long history but the vineyard was abandoned for around 50 years with the new owner building a tennis court instead! Of course we also learnt a bit about the French appellation system and tried a few drops. Both vineyards were beautiful and a lovely place to spend the day.

Inside Château d’Agassac

Château d’Agassac

Lunch at Château Paloumey