Chiqui Santander

Twas a rough old night as we free camped (including a wonderful fish barbecue) on Oyambre beach, and it soon became apparent that our surf boards were non too happy perched a-top the van roof; this to the extent that they attempted to become detached at around 5am ...

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

Yesterday night was supposed to be the last night in Santander, but the plans have now changed - I'm liking it so much here that I'm staying an extra night. This means that Bilbao will be cut from the itinerary but really, having already been there twice, there's not much left to see. Bilbao's a funny town - I've explained to friends that as a tourist, other than the Guggenheim there isn't a big draw. But I still loved it there last year because I ...

... I'm quite pleased to report that my guidebook wasn't correct, when it said the beaches of Santander were crowded with pasty-white Brits, baking next to bronzed Spaniards. I had enough of that in the Canary Islands a few years ago! Though I suppose this was an aberration - it seems like tourism is way down in Spain this summer due to economic problems elsewhere, so it's mostly Spanish tourists on the beach, and not foreign ones.

The ...

... sipping on a San Miguel.

The local cheese from Burgos is supposed to be delicious, and is commonly served as dessert either in a tart, or with honey, fruit, and nuts. Though it was on the menu, the waitress told me they didn't offer any. I was looking forward to try it, but haven't found a place that offers it yet. I prefer not to buy a huge chunk of it from the numerous "Souvenirs of Burgos" tourist trap-type stores that are around. And ...

... calm waters and sunshine and eating
breakfast watched as the hazy mountains of Northern Spain came slowly
into view.

From the deck, we watched Santander
come into view (Plymouth it isn't), long fingers of sand forming
miles of beautiful beach reflected the early morning sunlight, a
backdrop of green hills, themselves backed by craggy mountains.
Never having been here before and anticipating, correctly as it
turned out, that we may not ...

... he describes to me why he believes in Aliens and how God made them ... and he works through the logic as to why I'm not too confident that Aliens exist at all. He is so serious and logical about the whole thing and its all so precious! I love it. These perfect and wonderful moments in time with the kids and our family are priceless. I hate the fact that I can't document every one of them for my future memory's sake, but the reality is that life speeds at such a pace that ...

... out or shopping and a convenient ferry port on the long western routes with Bilbao being another alternative (and international airport). Plan on eating out a lot when holidaying here, like the Spanish who seem to take every meal from breakfast to dinner at the local eatery. If you've not arrived by car or coach, car hire is strongly recommended to see the Picos de Europa mountain range, a very short drive from the coast. Breathtaking drives along ...

... shared bathroom and far from town, nice walk though. Thats really how to sum up my stay in santander walking, to the town and the bus station, home and then the next day i actually caught a bus really cheap and easy only £1, but i walked around the rest of the day, and ate more helado of course!! There are plenty of beaches to choose from here and they are all fairly similar in quality but a bit different in populations, basically just keep walking till you ...