05/10/12: Santander

I can say that the stay at Güemes was very positive. I ate, rested, and joined in the evening meal with the other pilgrims:

There were a surprising number of pilgrims about. Since Irun, where we were around fourteen in number, I've come across numbers of five, six or maybe a dozen. But here at Güemes there were more than thirty pilgrims - on both evenings - occupying multiple tables.

The morning dawned bright and hazy, the moisture in the air giving some lovely qualities to the light:

As agreed the evening before, I shared the walk with Begonia. She is, among other things, very photogenic ;0) so you'll have to indulge me in my preference for photos of beautiful Spanish women :0)

Here we are fairly early on, as we head for the coastal path towards Soma:

The mists rose out of the valley as the skies cleared. It was going to be hot.

We headed northwest from Güemes into Galizano to pick up the coastal path and follow the sea. With only minimal signage here we missed our first opportunity but picked up the coastal path in Langres - the next village. As we headed out I was struck by the lovely colour of the flowers, so naturally another photo was needed!

There was also a residence nearby that, my instincts told me, was once a very old hermitage or fortified building of some sort:

A few minutes later and we were climbing up onto the cliffs by the sea. We looked back to where the path started, everything brilliantly illuminated:

Looking southwest into the mountains, the light was also beautiful:

This was only planned to be a short stage for two reasons. One because for Begonia it was the end of her walk. She has a flight back home on Sunday. And for me it was a chance to not overdo things with my leg, having been able to rest for a day or more in Güemes. We chatted and walked while the sun got hotter, and pretty soon we could see Santander

Such beautiful weather for October, yet I noticed that autumn isn't far away:

We were soon in Somos, which is where one can take the boat ride across the bay to Santander. Obviously MUCH more attractive than the long detour around the bay, walking on the roads. With beaches available it seemed daft not to take advantage :0)

The boat departs every 20 minutes, so it was a short wait by the quayside:

The boat crossing is cheap and simple. I enjoyed taking some photos of the approach to Santander:

We landed on the harbor in Santander and out came the camera. A beautiful and clean city - I was already enjoying being there.

We headed directly to the albergue, much the better for shedding the rucksacks and a quick cleanup. We arrived around 13:00 to discover that it didn't open until 15:00hrs. However the door was answered and it was suggested that we could leave our bags in the hall. I don't think so, so after some haggling (thanks Begonia) they were stowed inside. However, we weren't allowed in so we killed some time by becoming tourists for a while. I wasn't especially focused on the names of the churches etc. but here's an interior of one nevertheless. They were kind enough to leave it open while we took photos:

Here's an external shot of the cathedral. I did intend to visit it during mass but things didn't work out that way. Never mind - I'm sure my time was much better spent!

We walked past the old market (closed) and back towards the albergue, which was now open

A quick shower and a change of clothes and, it was agreed, time to visit the beach(es) :0) Off to the harbourside walk and past the marina:

Much is made of the bay of Santander. It is reputed to be among the most beautiful anywhere. I can't say I disagree (as later photos will further confirm):

It was clear by now that Begonia and I were having a great time together. She bought the ice creams, and we headed down to the beach and wandered across the sands, the Atlantic splashing on our pilgrim feet. I felt about seventeen once more, I found such a simple thing so enjoyable.

We wandered and wandered, stopping briefly to watch the surf school, and the students entering the water for the first time:

The afternoon went on forever :0) We wandered into the Parque de la Magdalena on the far Eastern shore of the bay. This was the place where the town council built a summer residence for the king and queen of Spain, finished about 1907 in an 'eclectic style' and used every year by the Spanish royal family until about 1932. The views from up there were superb although we didn't bother visiting the house.

As we turned for the return leg back into town we passed some flowerbeds. I wouldn't have known they were begonias had I not been told, but she felt this was a sufficiently compelling reason to stop for photos, so naturally I was happy to oblige :0) As you can see, she is actually more beautiful than the flowers :0)

The light began to fade as be dropped back into the city, which made for some great photos:

It was now almost 20:00 hrs and time for food. Since we were in Santander it seemed only reasonable to have sardines. After asking about, Begonia got some recommendations for the old fishing barrio, so we took a bus ride to the edge of town. The recommendations were certainly right - we had a fine meal off the menu for 10 euros (including wine):

It was a slightly frantic search for a taxi to avoid being locked out of the albergue. Rules vary somewhat but the hospitalero in Santander was particularly strict. Can't complain at being able to stay in Santander for 8 euros, and we did make it, but the place was crowded when we got back just in time for lights out.