Spain part 4: Around Santander town

Santander is a port city in Cantabria, northern Spain. Much of Santander was lost in their Great Fire of 1941 and this significantly changed the architecture of the town.

Two of Santander's highlights are its cathedral and palace, both of which we visited on Spanish speaking tours:

Cathedral
The mainly gothic cathedral, it has been renovated over time, was built between the 12th and 14th century on top of the former Santander Abbey. Parts of it survived the '41 fire so it is rather a special place in town. My favourite part of the tour was looking at the stonework at the entry to the church. Rob liked the altar the most and it was a good thing that the guide decided to put the lights on for us to see it (after the request of another tourist)!

Detail on cathedral exterior wall

Part of the lovely church windows

The altar

The cathedral 

Church from the road

Palacio de la Magdalena

The palace at Santander was constructed in 1908 to provide a summer residence for the royal family of Spain. The royal family used the palace until the Second Spanish Republic in 1931. It is now used as a meeting hall and conference centre and, in the summer, by the Menednes Pelayo International University. It has a magnificent view coastal views from the highest point on the Peninsula of La Magdalena. 

We joined an evening tour of the palace which took in a recreation of the royal residency. It was in Spanish so we took it as an opportunity to try to practice our comprehension! The inside was grand but we probably enjoyed the outside of the palace, its views and the surrounding public park the most. Apparently the Queen (originally from England) most enjoyed the landscape and architecture as it was very close to her native home at the Island of Wight.

Palacio conference room

Palacio de la Magdalena

View from the Palace

Palacio de la Magdalena

Kat and Palacio de la Magdalena

Flower beds and Palacio de la Magdalena

Walking around Santander

Santander was a great town to walk around. My favourite walk was easily along the top of the cliffs overlooking the bay area and Somo. 

Cliff walk Santander

Overlooking Santander bay

Santander is very hilly and it has an outdoor elevator that takes on one of the bigger hills. Of course, we went on a walk that saw us climb to the top of the elevator in order to take it down! There are some nice parks scattered around town, including the lovely Llamas Park. Many days our route would be past the market, through the town hall square and towards the esplanade. Due to the windy roads and hills, it was easy to be surprised as you came around a bend to a beautiful view of the sea or a grand building.

The palace area also has lovely walks with views of the beaches and lighthouses. There is a small zoo nearby the palace gardens that has penguins and seals, as well as a ship exhibition. 

Cloudy day view over Santander town and looking out into the bay

Elevator 

Elevator

Saw Hat Luffy from Japanese manga series One Piece

Statue and marketplace near home

Rob's royal throne

A beautiful Spanish leaf!

View from our apartment

We lived near the town square: Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Hanging out in the square: a favourite pastime for all

Ayuntamiento (town hall)

Ayuntamiento

Trying the specialty cakes of Santander

Santander town

Beautiful archway

Lovely buildings

Santander bank building

Spain part 3: Picos de Europa

Not far from Santander are the Picos de Europa.  With a cable car that can help you climb all the way to the very top, we just had to visit.

Because we had the weekend free, we were trying to work out how to get the bus there on Saturday and back on Sunday, but in the end, we could not really confirm when the bus would return, and we could not find a local tour agency that could arrange getting us there.  It was far simpler to rent a car for 24 hours, and do the trip ourselves.  This actually gave us a great deal of flexibility, and meant that we could use the car early the next morning to visit
some of the places in Santander that are a bit harder when tied to a public bus route & schedule.

We were up early (in Santander-terms) and at the rental agency by 9, but having lost our senses, we had left our passports at home.  In the end, with the delay of going back to pick them up we were on the road at about 9.45, and got to Fuente Dé by midday.  The clouds were thick, but relatively high up, allowing us to almost see all the way to the top, with the last few metres of the cable car's ascent blocked from view on the ground.  

Can't see the top

Although there are only two cars that go up and down in tandem, we did not need to wait too long before starting our ascent.  Crammed in with 18 others, there was little room to move, but our strategic positioning meant we had both a great view of the ground, and the "flight" upwards.  Looking back down from the top took your breath away and it was hard to believe we had covered so much height in such a short time.  

From the top 

With a cloud blanket

The clouds had lifted slightly, allowing us to sit just under them, admiring the view and munching on our prepared lunch.  Others were smarter than me (Kat), and recognised the need for warmer clothes at high altitude, so I was keen to get moving.  We walked amongst the mountains for a few hours, stopping as we felt like it, exchanging pleasantries with mountain goats, and chatting to a sheepdog who had very little interest, in us or anything else for that matter.

Nothing to see here

Once amongst the hills, we were lost to all sounds of people and civilisation but for the occasional tinkling of a sheep/goat's bell in the distance. If Kat hadn't been sick during this period, we would have done the 16km loop walk back down to th car park but as it was, she wasn't quite up to it.  It was a lovely day, so instead we sat, and talked and walked and sat and talked and walked and did it again in reverse until we were back at the cable car station, with no one in line but ourselves to enjoy the relaxing ride back down.

Cubby holes

On a break

Pictures of rocks

We punctuated the 2 hour drive home with a stop in the river-side town of Potes.  It was a beautiful place and we enjoyed walking the backstreets downhill from our car park to the small river and taking in the last of the sun with a coffee and tapas.

We woke early the next morning to enjoy a slow and late sunrise over Santander Bay and then explored further west along the northern coastline before it was time to return the car.  We found a nice spot where the light should start from just behind the palace. There were far fewer people out and about that I had expected.  At home I would normally expect a place to be buzzing with cyclists and runners and dogs and all sorts.  But our morning friends were a sole backpacker, a man with a pipe and a dog, and another man with a metal detector.  As the sun started to shine through the beach cleaners also put in an appearance.  Not much happens before 9 or 10 am in Santander!

Man and dog (and pipe)

As the sun progressed on its journey, we drove further north, and found an even better spot overlooking a small inlet.  It was so good to be able to move from place to place with our own car.

For the best spot to see sunrise, it is hard to go past Parque de Cabo Mayor, make sure to find the lighthouse!

Little car enjoying sunrise

Costs:

* 16 Euro/pp return cable car

* 25 pounds car rental (it was easier to book through a British website)

Glad we found this spot

Spain part 2: Santillana del Mar and Comillas

One weekend whilst we were in Spain, we took a trip to the two towns of Santillana del Mar and Comillas, only a few hours from Santander by their cheap and comfortable inter-city buses.  Our host in Santander advised against staying for the night as, in her opinion, we didn't need long to see both places, I even overheard a conversation in a cafe of some other toursts that were leaving on a bus at 11.30, visiting both towns and returning for a show in Santander at 8pm.  We think we could have easily spent more than a weekend there, particularly in Comillas.

Santillana del Mar
Parts of Santillana del Mar had certainly become a touristy town, but with good reason.  They have a beautiful old church, lovely architecture, well-maintained cobblestone streets and nearby are caves in which lived some of the earliest human inhabitants.

Santillana del Mar's main drag (Collegiate church in the background)

Posers in front of the Colegiata de Santa Juliana at Santillana del Mar

While we saw the outside of the church and wandered about town by the early Saturday afternoon Kat unfortunately began to feel even further ill, and retired to bed, but I (once making sure she was comfortable) returned to see the inside of the church.  No photos allowed inside (I apparently, was the only one observing the rule).

Unfortunately, I was not able to see the cloister, as there was a wedding but I did get to have a lovely, peaceful and solitary look around.  For the thousands of pilgrims that have walked this way over the years, while extraordinarily grand for such a small town, it seemed a very peaceful & spiritual place to be.

What is now the Colegiata de Santillana del Mar (or 'de Santa Juliana') was once a small chapel built as long ago as the 9th century when the remains of Santa Juliana were supposedly kept here.  It flourished into a great monastery and became a collegiate church in the 12th century.

Morning sun on the Colegiata de Santa Juliana 

Within the walls of the monastery

For the latter parts of the afternoon we were entertained by local triathletes who were almost cycling and running past our window, being encouraged by a very repetitive man on a loudspeaker.

About town there are some proud coats-of-arms

Stunning house decoration

Late afternoon in Santillana del Mar

Comillas

Comillas, well, a day probably wasn't enough.  Our bus came into town in the late morning, but was stuck on the outskirts because of a road closure for a cycling event.  Deciding not to wait, we walked the last kilometre or two and cheered on the cyclists as the peloton passed through.

Bike back!

We first were excited by the necropolis, with a large angel standing guard.  Originally, the angel was there to protect the marquis' first son, but eventually the place was opened up and the angel was given to the town to protect the souls of their dead.  It was a beautiful and peaceful place with a view of the surrounding hills and down over the town.  

Guardian angel standing watch - ever ready at Comillas

We continued up the hill, eager to leave behind the crowd and traffic of the cycling event behind us and hoping to find the entrance to the Pontifical University - which I think is under renovation.  We did not manage that, but had a very enjoyable walk.  We returned for lunch where Kat found a Kat-sized personal Lighthouse - and we visited the local port/marina, which itself had a nice view of the esplanade and I think was once used for whaling. 

A Kat-sized lighthouse

It was only after lunch that we visited the town proper. We passed a man playing a digeridoo outside the grand church on the multi-layered market square, and walked part of the pilgrim route to a beautiful spot overlooking the beach, where a tall monument to the Marquis of Comillas was erected, sticking our beaks into the pilgrim's albergue on the way (which was packed full). 

Church of San Christóbal rising above the market square

Comillas Beach

On the pilgrim's path, outside an albergue

We of course, paid homage to the sand and water - where we realised that our experience of the beach differs greatly from the local Spaniards.   Spanish beach-goers set themselves up to face the sun, wherever it might be, while we generally always orient ourselves to thew water.  They probably have good reason, summer had started to draw to a close, and we were on an Atlantic facing beach, so the water wasn't what you would call inviting. Kat grabbed this lovely photo of this phenomenon in action.  Umbrella and backs to the sea and wind, faces to the sun!

Setting up at the beach

Sun is the priority, not water

This was all before enjoying an early dinner, where we had the unfortunate opportunity to overhear the horror of sleeping in one of the flea infested beds at the albergue.  The American recounting the story from the night before had just arrived in town at 7pm  to find all Comillas albergues full, and that he would need to continue walking!  Long hard days that reminded me a little of our efforts in Nepal.  A small part of me was jealous that he was on such a beautiful long hike, but the other part of me was looking forward to a nap on the bus that would carry me back to my nice warm and flea-less bed, in an apartment with hot running water, a stove, refrigerator and wifi!