Playas De Liencres 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.<br>

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. <br>

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 ...

... Burgos. <br><br>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! <br><br>Lunch was a quick picnic at a little ...

... only at the distance between boundary of the centre and the boundary of El Sardinero. <br><br>Almost the entire walk between El Sardinero and the centre is along the ocean, either along the beaches of El Sardinero, or the harbourfront paseo in the centre. It's less touristy in the centre than it is in El Sardinero. I continued walking past the centre, over to Calle Vargas - there are still a few tourists there, but it had the feel of a street ...

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

... that I managed a wee bit of Spanish and even learnt a new word, bomba. I was hoping to camp in Santander, but the campsite closed last week. Instead I found a pension in the city centre. It was ok and the owner very pleasant, although I did get told of once for forgetting to leave behind the key when I went out and once for forgetting to turn of the bathroom light!! Spentthe whole of Tuesday exploring the city. It ...

... well with the exception of my little brush with the 7th circle of hell-aka food poisoning. I am very excited to go to San Sebastien this weekend and to see what the rest of this week brings. However, I am excited to be coming home soon. I miss my family and friends and especially my dog, Lola. I am also DYING for some better food (haha...no pun intended!) when I get back home. I can only go so long without sushi... muchos besitos (many kisses), -Alexandra

... shelter and food were finally sorted. The weather might have been mocking me, as the next three days it was overcast and dreary, but resting easy has rarely felt so good... Santander is a sprawling but graceful beach city and the capital of Cantabrian region, located just to the west of 'Basque Country'. This means that the locals are a different breed from ...