Bahia Santander

... swift action resulted in them being relocated underneath the van, despite the protestations of Lymºs board, which proceeded to lash out and cause him bodily harm about the head. (A: ha ha ha !!) However, all is forgiven and we all lived to surf another day.

A very pretty (cobbled alleyways, olde worlde stylee, cows in a field with not only udders, but also tuneful bells which, when youºve got a dozen, made quite a din a la Mike Oldfield) little town, unlike the campsite which was essentially a sodden piece of grass, for which we were charged Euro 22, for the pleasure of a night's shut-eye.

Leaving San Sebastian behind we drove to Santander to spend the night. With nothing more then the car, no place to stay and no plan. As luck turns out we found a cheap Pension to stay at, and ate in their quaint little restaurant, treated to warm hospitality, good food, and free Grappa and Lemonchelo

... taking place for the past several days. The idea is that all the major immigrant groups in Santander are represented, with a different group taking the lead every night - tonight was Bolivia.

The food selection here was much more extensive than over at the medieval fair, which was really just pastries, South American-style BBQ, and the odd crepe and kebab/couscous joint. Here, there was all that and more, as numerous South American countries ...

... Burgos.

I kept wandering and ended up on Calle Vargas again, stopping at the Diferente here to pick up some picnic supplies. I had seen some Iberico pate at the Diferente in El Sardinero earlier, but couldn't find it at this location :( After, I wandered back towards El Sardinero, past the cathedral, before hopping on a bus - I didn't feel like a 45 minute walk back to the pension today!

Lunch was a quick picnic at a little ...

... my bus, I hopped onto the stupid little tourist train, something I rarely do. Part of the reasoning was also because I wanted to hike up to a lookout, but didn't really feel like doing so when it was 31 C and sunny out. The ride itself was a little boring, but did offer nice views down on Burgos.

Back to the hostal to pick up my backpack, stopping in Springfield along the way to pick up a t-shirt. Disappointing was the fact that the ...

... a
group of Costa-del-crime-a-like, trolley-wielding pensioners
,clutching our boarding passes and waiting to board the ferry.
Notorious for its choppy seas and 'mal
de mer', the Bay of Biscay ferry crossing has a reputation that
precedes it. One that Brittany Ferries has tried to gloss over,
offering 'mini-cruises' where you can take the 20 hour crossing,
over-indulge in food and wine before throwing it back up, spend half
a day in ...

... of notes that I never want to forget: The way both our kids say "DUNK!" instead of "Duck!" when warning to duck below something (like a low hanging tree branch or toy structure for instance). The way they both say, "Ay ay ay!" now as an exclamation instead of "Wow!". The way Ella always says "geel" instead of "girl". The way Ella talks ... with her teenage mannerisms at the age of 4. "And then... smack ... ummm.... smack... dramatic pause and flutter of the eyes as she ...

... with me there also. Our place is a 10 minute walk from the University campus, and a 5 minute walk to the beach. It is AMAZING! I am so excited to be here and to experience so many new things and meet so many new people. I already have so much to say about Santander as a city, and I have only been here for 1 night. I will write more about the city late though since this entry is already WAAY too long. Now I am going do some homework and then go eat lunch. Ta ta for now! -Alexandra

... London. Plans to travel up through the west of France to catch the D-Day beaches, Bayeux tapestry and Mont Sant Michel will have to wait for another day. I'm sure I can bring you something equally interesting from London however so hope you join me for the last few entries of my odyssey I'll post from there. Next entry -> a new home and a big rest in ...