…I think My blog limits words….😁

….so back to Santander. Ok the beaches are great and the city is pretty good too. We stayed in a neighborhood close to Old Town. What we love about Most Spanish towns are the vibrant city centers. Starting around 6:00 the townspeople- of all ages come out – for a beverage, to stroll, to talk, or to play. We see a bazillion dogs. And most wear their best clothes. Groups will talk – for 60-120 minutes – then head home. That is the purpose of one of my photos to show this vibrant aspect of Spanish culture.

The photo with the escalator…crazy & amazing. This escalator is next to the street and is the neighborhood way back from old town. There was a series of about 6 of these to our neighborhood at the top. Pretty sweet.

The last photo is from a vantage point tower in our neighborhood with sweeping views. Santander is on a peninsula so we had views of the bay & port in 1 direction and the open sea in the other direction. Children playing soccer/futbol were below us.

Our hotel is historic with Spanish guests – a good glimpse into everyday life.

After the recuperation started in San Sebastián – and we ate our way through the town, hiked the great parks, trails, scenic vistas and strolled the beaches…. we knew that we had to either move to San Sebastián or move on. Hmmmm after careful consideration….we are moving on to Bilbao & Santander.

It is Thursday & the Guggenheim is closed ….yes big ooops😎

The photos of the titanium in the sunshine turned out well.

We are renting a car and exploring the coast.

You will see photos of :

Coast along the way

Random & interesting sculpture and

Santander. Major port city with spectacular beaches, lovely light house. Botin is an architecturally interesting art museum located on the water. Captivating exhibits of both new & traditional masterpieces. Beach – long expanses of exceptionally clean sandy beaches with gentle surf. One end of the beach is marked by the lighthouse which

GreenPeace had a very poignant message.

This walk along the river was our bid adieu en route to the bus station.

San Sebastián is on a peninsula, so you are never far from the water & beaches. They are wonderful expanses of sandy beaches making for great walks.

Then there are these parks waiting to be hiked with amazing views of both the bay & City.

Then the food – omg – I know/ boring – it brings back memories for us!

You are probably wondering what happened to the Camino Adventure of Greg & Kathy.  Nothing tragic – just a bit of bad blister luck.  

• We loved the Camino – Frances trail.  It is a very soulful venture.  And you are surrounded by life in its fullest at all times.  
• The trail itself
• The surrounding countryside
• The fellow peregrines 
• The food providers
• The alburgues- hostels
• The pilgrim dinners
• History, amazing villages

We are very proud of our accomplishment.  We spent 9 days on the trail including 1 rest day. We hiked over 160km or 100 miles.  Our last day was over  an 18 mile hike and 6 other days were half marathons.  Our first two days were in the Pyrenees getting accustomed to the trail and a mere 8 & 11 mile hike.  Our hearts & legs were strong – our feet fell victim to the heat of the day & blisters.  We tried to break through and at the end we feared that we would damage our feet.  It was a tearful realization made in a lovely cathedral to savour our victories, heal our feet and enjoy the Spanish countryside in a different way.   

We were fortunate to reach Logrono where they were celebrating San Mateo wine festival – enjoyed the festival and planned our new route through Spain.  We did not have an alternate game plan – only to hike the Camino.  

On a bit of a whim we took a BlaBlaCar to SanSebastian.  Beach, history, architecture, amazing wine & food and fun. And it is here that we decided that the north coast of Spain is to be our next adventure.  

We have rented a Fiat 500-easy to park & fit through insanely tight streets. And are following the Atlantic & our whims.  

Are we disappointed that our Camino de Santiago is on hold —yes.  And we are realizing that many new and wonderful adventures await. 

We loved San Sebastián – vibrant, historic, soulful, and at times a bit funky.

We stopped in a tiny market in old town & purchased fruit – while waiting to pay … I couldn’t believe their ingenuity…behind the counter on the wall are hooks where they store their donuts for sale!!