3 SANTILLANA DEL MAR
We are really amazed at the neatness and tidiness of the countryside, the houses, the gardens and the towns. It really is soo much better than we were expecting – and it’s sooo green everywhere. The meadows are filled with long and lush-looking grass. Everyone has a cow or a horse or possibly one of each!
Oyambre beach
And, while we may be being a bit selective in where we visit, there are some really lovely old buildings in the towns. We hit Santillana del Mar on our third day (that would be Thirdsday!). It’s known as the town of three lies. It has no designated saint (Santi); it’s built on hilly land (not flat as llana would suggest); and is located at some distance from the coast. But the best story about its name is that it was derived from the name of Santa Juliana whose remains are (allegedly) housed in the Romanesque Church in the magnificent historic town centre.
Of course, like Postman Pat will be called Pat when he retires, Santa Juliana was plain Juliana before she became famous. Apparently, and it was before my time so we have to go with stories here, young Juliana was married off to a Turk but was tortured to death because she refused to renounce her religion. There’s a rumour that she also refused to give up her virginity to the old man. So she had to go. Posthumously, she was awarded a sainthood for her troubles. So there you have Santillana. There were some lovely restaurants there too. We just need to crack the combo offers – so far we have had them by random chance when we order a coffee and get a continental breakfast thrown in!
Views of Santillana – Town well with Saint Juliana church behind, main street and tapas which come with a drink (maybe)
Afterwards we headed a bit further east to Suances to check out the beach and sea-front dining options (actually, we restricted ourselves to coffee and an icecream). The beaches here are superb. Good for walking on at low tide when masses of hard sand are exposed.
Dining with a view at Suances beach
We also found a small cove (Playa de Tagle) about 5 kms down a single track road with almost no passing places. Good parking at the end and the cove had built-in accommodation. There’s masses of easy and free parking everywhere – although today we did see a sign which indicated that summer tourists were going to be hit with a €3.50 charge to park at a beach near our site.
Seaside B&B at Playa de Tagle
Now it’s Friday. Friday is the day that the road to Potes in the Picos opens after a week-long closure. There are huge improvements going on during the week. At least two bridges are being replaced and the rocky outcrops on the roadside are being removed. This is really the only way into the hills for big vehicles from this end. And it’s only open from Friday midday to Monday lunchtime. So we head in by the long and tortuous route over the mountains in the morning and plan to leave by the “fast” road which follows the river down the gorge.
At one junction, we made the mistake of not taking up the kind offer from a coach driver to let us out of a side road in front of him. Sadly, at that point we didn’t know which way we should be going. Very disorientating these twisty roads. And very frustrating following a coach for miles round zillions of blind bends! We eventually got past him in time for Lunch in Potes. Then we wandered round the town with a coachload of pensioners from mid-Northumberland!
Potes
Onwards and upwards into the clouds. To the cable car at Fuente de. Every now and again the top of the telegraphique came into view so I decide to go up to the snow.
Fuente De – Bottom and top of cable car
It’s €17 return. I was a bit miffed to be offered pensioner rates without asking for them. Still, saved best part of €3 there! The cloud came and went – but mainly came! I had half an hour walking in patchy snow and met a lad struggling up-hill with a pair of skis and what looked like a para-glider in a huge rucksack. He spent ages getting his skis on at the start of the snow. I hadn’t the heart to tell him that it petered out about 20 feet ahead – just round a bend in the track. I’d just walked past there so I knew. Having had enough of intermittent drizzle I then took the return trip to meet up with Glenda (and about 40 pensioners from Northumberland).
The trip home on the “fast” road was anything but fast. Less winding than our trip in, but still almost a continuous series of bends and very narrow in places. And we were accompanied by all the supply vehicles which were making their once-weekly deliveries!
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