April 27, 2014

The forecast was spot on – dry, with sunshine now and then and an almighty wind blowing.  We go for it, not just because of the weather, but also because it is Sunday and getting into Santander will be the usual nightmare of motorways, mega-complicated junctions, slip-roads etc and the less traffic the better from our point of view.

The route started off along a cycle track and continued along a small coast road, where we get our first proper view of the ocean.  A football match is taking place on the beach – not an impromptu affair, a proper match with goal posts and everything.  The team playing from left to right only had to tap the ball for it to fly from one end of the pitch to the other.  The road twisted around, up and down, giving us glimpses of sandy bays as we crawled along in bottom gear.  We have to get off and walk two or three times when the gusts of wind just get too strong.  We crossed the estuary on a long road bridge where we were struggling even to walk with the bikes against the wind.

Getting into Santander was as tricky as expected, but thankfully the traffic was light.  I had already done some internet research on hotels in the city and we knew where to aim for, which was fortunate because Santander is a really big city.  The style and feel of the place is very different from other Spanish cities and it is evident from the grandeur of the buildings that this city has been a very rich place in its time.