Day 15 - Zero in Santander

Date: Saturday June 29

Start: Santander, Cantabria

End: Santander, Cantabria

Daily Mileage: NA

Total Mileage: ~173mi (~278.4km)

Today we took a zero in Santander. This meant that, upon waking, it was already raining. This is how our zeros have been going on this walk, but overall we’ve had great weather for hiking, so we can’t complain too much. The day actually cleared up (mostly) by noon or so, so all was good. 

Since Shawn hadn’t been feeling well yesterday, we took a long slow morning - sleeping in and then lazing around the remainder of the morning, catching up on email and admin (like bills), and watching the start of the first stage of the Tour de France, which began today in Florence. (For those less familiar with the Tour, many years the first few stages begin in neighboring countries before heading into France. Actually last year, the first few days of the Tour went through Basque Country, beginning in Bilbao, where we spent our last rainy zero.)

Santander along Pereda Avenue and the waterfront promenade.

Eventually we peeled ourselves away from our cozy room and headed out to find some lunch. Since we are having a little rest day in the Cantabrian capital, you might expect that we would search out a bit of the local gastronomy. We did try, stopping by a few restaurants, tapas, and pintxo bars, though seats and tables were full up. 

We certainly could have tried harder, but instead we went to a well rated Chinese restaurant. lol. We’ve noticed that they do NOT eat anything remotely close to spicy in Spain, at least not in the areas we’ve traveled through. A couple times a waitress or bartender has warned us that the sandwich or pintxo we’ve requested is “spicy”. We have yet to find even the most remote hint of heat in any of these foods. Our Chinese was the same. Despite the flaming hot chili icon next to the dish we selected, there was not a single suggestion of spice. I might have been more likely to classify it as slightly sweet. It was just okay but got the job done. Lunch ☑️ 

After lunch we continued through Puertochico to the outskirts of the downtown area. It was time for ... laundry! That exciting time of the week when we wash our hiking clothes so they can smell good for the first five minutes of our next hiking day. We do love pulling the clothes out of the drier though ... so fresh and so clean! And so warm! 

Having finished up our errands, it was probably time for a coffee break. Since it was chilly, we found a little cafe/bakery where we could actually sit inside, where it was warm, and enjoy some coffee and cookies. 

Back at the hotel, Shawn settled in to watch le Tour. Since I can’t sit still for more than five minutes, I head back out to do a bit more exploring. The rain had held off since its morning debut, and there were plenty of people out enjoying the weekend. We’d already established this when trying to find a bite for lunch – all of the cafes and restaurants full up with people enjoying pre-lunch drinks and tapas.

I took the top picture of the Centro Botin museum on our way in on the ferry yesterday. The bottom picture was from the entrance along the promenade today.

I wandered back down to the promenade along the bay and visited Centro Botin, an art museum set in a unique set of buildings along the waterfront. The buildings themselves, which looked a bit like a couple of UFOs had landed on the promenade, were really the best part of the visit. Inside, each level had floor to ceiling windows along both the waterfront side and the opposite side, these windows facing the adjacent park, Pereda Avenue, and the buildings climbing the hillsides of Santander.

View across Santander Bay from the rooftop of Centro Botin. We were hiking just along that shoreline yesterday.

The current exhibits were a bit of a mixed bag for me, some a bit too contemporary for my tastes. Can’t you see how this collection of solitary lines painted across paper represent all of our journeys? Where does the line start, where does it end? What does the line mean? I am literally following a line on a map across Spain, and for art – this is a bit of a stretch, even for me. Some of the exhibits were very good though and, as already mentioned, I loved the views from the building. After walking through the exhibits, I ventured to the rooftop terrace for more views over Santander Bay and the city.

I actually did not dislike this arrangement – a whole room of canvases of lines. We are walking that squiggly one just below center.

After the museum visit, I did a bit more strolling. There was a children’s carnival set up in the adjacent park, and kids were powering up rock climbing walls, skateboarding, and playing football. Most of what was happening looked like regular sports set up as carnival attractions. Get in line to... kick this soccer ball. But there was music and a festive atmosphere and all the kids appeared to be having a good time, which is the important thing. 

Don’t worry, just after I took this photo, the little boy’s sister came to cheer him up. Soon they were playing.

Beyond the park, I walked by the Santander Cathedral, stopping in the plaza to eat some gelato and people watch, the best of all town activities. Heading back to the hotel, a Pride parade was just making its way down Pereda Avenue. I fully support everything about this... but am so skittish about parades. Watching them feels awkward... do I clap? Being in them is even more awkward... where am I looking? Forward? At the people along the road? Do I clap?

In Iceland, Shawn and I had happened upon a parade in Reykjavik. I can’t remember the occasion, but basically there were two official parade things – a vehicle of some sort and a small band – and then the rest of the parade was just everyone joining in from the streets so we could all walk together to some park grounds, where there would be more entertainment. It was really just the most efficient way to gather everyone in town and get them to the park, I guess. You were the parade. Everyone joined through peer pressure, bringing enough people to the park for a good party. At first this seemed ridiculous, but in hindsight the herd operation did work.

These men fishing reminded me a bit of the statues of Los Raqueros, not too much further down the promenade from here.

We spent the rest of the afternoon/evening in the hotel, other than a quick trip out to pick up some pizza for dinner – still not doing a great job sampling the local cuisine! It was a nice day though - plenty of rest and relaxation. A bit of wandering. A bit of art. Clean clothes. That’s about all I can ask of a zero.