Santander to Potes

 Oct 18, 2024

Despite having a great little apartment in Santander, we could not get a decent booking for the upcoming weekend. Ours was already booked by someone else. So, with slight apprehension, we decide to jump on a bus to a town up close to the Picos de Europa called Potes. Vamos!

Walking around the town of Potes. Stone construction everywhere. Such a cute place, lets go....

The view from our apartment.....

 

Potes means Bridges and there are quite a few. There are several rivers that converge here.

 

Our apartment turned out to be really nice!

We don't waste any time and get our picnic lunch ready. We're heading off on our first hike in Potes! Incredible scenery here.....

 

As we head up the mountains we realize we're hiking in a cork oak forest. Quercus suber.

 

We also find alot of Strawberry trees or Madrona. Its Arbutus unedo!! Its a heavily producing evergreen fruit bush. We chow down!! yummy....

Along the hike  of the day...

 

Here you can see where someone harvested some cork.....it grows back.

Time for our picnic...perched on the side of a windy cliff.....will it storm???

So many mushrooms....

 

 

 

Heading back down the far side of the loop trail....

The town of Potes below.....

 

Back to town.....

After a few days in Potes we head up higher towards the Picos in hopes of taking a cable-car up to the high mountains of the park. We jump on a bus to Espinama....we find an ol fashion but relatively comfortable apartment. The weather is changing for the worst. Cold and rainy....

 

The entrance to the cable car is just over those mountains. But its too late to go today, hopefully in the morning.

Up early the next day to see if we can make it through the pass and fulfill our hopes and dreams of riding the cable car......but it doesn't look good.....its raining and most certainly snowing up the mountain. The cold grips us, we cannot continue.....the risk is too great, we cant risk our lives......with a final glimpse of defeat we turn back, the mountain victorious.....

But we do find a way to have a picnic next to some horses!!

 

Our plans foiled, we head back to warmer Potes....we find a really quaint apartment further from town...

Its good to be back in Potes with the fabulous views....

 We really enjoy the nature around here.  Definitely one of our favorite places in Spain. We have an affordable, nice, quiet apartment a good grocery store nearby and some super hiking.....think we'll stay awhile!

More to come.....

KnJ

Santander

 Hi All,

From Comillas we headed for the port city of Santander. It is the capital city of  Cantabria. We met several people that came across on the regular ferry service from the United Kingdom. It seems to be a major port although tourism is an important part of the city's economy since it has some nice beaches and a mild climate.

Arriving at our apartment ....

 

 

Santander is really hilly and so the government has installed escalators in many parts of the city. The date palms are abundant!

 

Built around 1910 the Magdalena Palace was a summer home for the privileged Spanish royal family. Its situated on a 69-acre peninsula at the entrance to the bay.

Also located on the peninsula is a small aquarium and three galleons of the Cantabrian mariner and scientist Vital Alsar Ramírez. Vital made several extremely long sailing expeditions around the world and is worth reading about.

In 1973 Las Balsas expedition used three rafts, and became the longest-known raft voyage in history. Some 9,000 miles from Ecuador to Australia! It is the only known multi-raft crossing of the Pacific to date.

 

 

 

 

Now that Ive got dinner ready, I'll end this....

 

We only could stay in Santander for just a few days because we couldn't find a place over the weekend. Like I said, it has beautiful beaches and a mild climate.

So we head out to a town called Potes near the National Park "Picos de Europa". I'll have a new blog on that coming soon.

Regards,

KnJ

 

Llanes and Comillas

 Moving from the Asturian mountains to the coastal city of Llanes famous for their seafood, cheese and cider.....

 

 Outside the cider house the sculptures show how the cider is "thrown" into the glass to add a touch of fizziness to the drink.

Here we're having a sampling of the cider, the famous Asturian bean stew and prawns from the Cantabrian sea.  Some of the best Spanish food so far but next time we'll have beer and wine!

One of many beaches on the camino del norte....

Moving out of Llanes...

 

Moving on to Comillas Cantabria....

Views from our Hotel in Comillas....

Near our hotel we visit the spectacular Capricho de Gaudi!

El Capricho is a villa designed by Antoni Gaudí. It was built in 1883–1885 for the summer use of a wealthy client, Máximo Díaz de Quijano who died a year before the house was completed.

 

 The detail of the home is incredible. Here you can see the stained glass windows that show (amongst other things) a dragonfly playing guitar, a blackbird playing piano, & butterflies flying in the blue circles.

Mr. Gaudi and I contemplating the future of the world....

 

The house is covered in these custom made sunflower and leaf tiles. A true work of art by the master Antonio Gaudi. In 1977, the last descendant of the López-Díaz de Quijano family sold the property and it was restored and turned into a restaurant in 1988. Finally, in 2009, the building became a museum.

 

Not only does Comillas have the Capricho, but also other architectural charms such as the Capilla Panteón de Sobrellano. This chapel was constructed in 1878.

 

 

 

And also the extravagant Palace of Sobrellano. Note that Gaudi assisted architect Joan Martorell in the design of this palace

 

 

 

Comillas was a special stop for us in many way. Seeing some of Gaudi works outside Catalonia and also taking a cold swim in the Cantabrian sea made this destination one of a kind.

See you on the next post.