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Pretty towns and sweeping beaches in Cantabria
From Santander I headed west into Cantabria. I travelled by bus except for the last day. I very happily walked, and it was my favourite day of all. Santillana del Mar is a pretty little medieval town. Despite it’s name (del Mar) it is not on the sea. The first building I encountered was a convent. If a convent gate is open I always like to peak in. Why? To see if there are nuns cookies for sale. Sure enough I was rewarded with a tempting assortment of baked goods displayed on glass shelves. I debated the options with the help of a couple from Prague who came off the…
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La Bahía Santander
When I say I am going back to Spain it’s sometimes met with this response: “Don’t you want to go somewhere else?” Well, yes. Yet I am drawn back to Spain. There are 17 comunidades autónomas (similar to provinces) and each offers up its own traditions, landscape, climate, food, drink, and in some cases its own language. For me, returning is a nice combination of familiar Spanish traditions I happily anticipate (like vermut and fresh squeezed orange juice) and new customs to discover. Each trip I pick somewhere new to visit. On this latest trip I headed north. If you trace your way on a map from Madrid directly north,…
