Santander

The weather continues to be excellent, with cool nights around 57°F and comfortable daytime temperatures reaching about 72°F. Despite being close to the sea, the humidity has been surprisingly low, making it ideal for sightseeing.

After a short but scenic 7-kilometer bus ride, we arrived in the center of Santander and found the tourist information office located right on the main plaza.

As luck would have it, just as I stepped off the bus, I received a message from the manager of Banco Santander informing us that the wire transfer from Wells Fargo had successfully arrived in our account. What a relief! We immediately stopped by the bank and withdrew some cash. After the uncertainty of the past few days, it felt good to have access to our funds again.

While Ursula and I took care of our banking business, Kurt and Renata spent time exploring the local market and enjoying the lively atmosphere.

Santander quickly won us over. In our opinion, it is every bit as attractive as San Sebastián and Bilbao, perhaps even a little more elegant in some ways. The city is exceptionally clean and well-maintained, with attractive buildings, broad sidewalks, and inviting public spaces. During our walk, we visited the tourist office, the cathedral, the main post office, the art museum, the maritime museum, and several areas of the historic old town.

One thing visitors should know is that many shops close around 2:00 PM for the traditional siesta and reopen from about 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

During this quieter period, we visited the beautiful Palacio de la Magdalena and its surrounding grounds before returning to our hostel for a short rest. Naturally, Kurt could not resist another swim in the Atlantic.

The day concluded with an outstanding dinner at Restaurante Bodegas Marzón. Our table featured a variety of dishes, including cod, jumbo prawns, octopus, tuna salad, and tender veal cheeks. It was one of the best meals of the trip so far.

As I write these lines, the clock has just passed 11:00 PM.

Tomorrow morning, we will leave Santander and continue west along Spain’s spectacular northern coast. Our next destination is the charming town of Llanes, where we have booked a small hostel for the next two nights. We are looking forward to discovering another corner of this beautiful region.Read more