Spain

Comillas

We went to visit the city of Comillas it is located in the northern reaches of Cantabria.

Ray and Shelley in front of the Old Pontificia university building of Comillas

The Comillas Pontifical University was housed here before it moved to Madrid. The old pontificia university building

The old university buildings are some of the finest examples of architecture in Comillas.  We took a look at the interior of the old University building.

The interior was as stunning as the exterior.

At the front entrance area of the university there are several barnacle covered cannons that were recovered from the sea and put on display.

Around the second half of the 19th century, the Spanish royal family started spending their summers in Comillas.  As a result, Comillas has some interesting architectural buildings such as palaces and monuments designed by renowned artists such as Gaudí.

Guadi designed vila El Capricho in Camillas

El Capricho is a villa in Comillas, designed by Antoni Gaudí. It was built in 1883–1885 for the summer use of a wealthy noble.

The tower of El Capricho is covered with beautiful ceramic tiles that alternate between bright yellow sunflowers, and green subtle leaves.

Park area in Comillas

We walked along the gardens and paths in Comillas enjoying the day.  There were some art pieces and even some art for selfies so of course we couldn’t resist.

We came across some interesting architecture and beautiful views of the Cantabrian Sea. There are some interesting facts of this historic city.  Comillas was the capital of Spain for one day, on 6 August 1881, following an agreement between king Alfonso XII and the Minister’s Council to gather at a formal meeting in town. It also became the first place in Spain to use Edison’s electric light bulbs, in 1880.

We came to a statue that is titled “Homenaje a la Vendedora de Pescado”  It is a statue to honour the vendors of sardines and fish that were part of everyday life near the Sea.

Homenaje a la Vendedora de Pescado statue in Comillas
Sardines in the bronze basket of the statue-
View of the Cantabrian Sea from the city of Comillas.

Comillas is a beautiful spot and we really enjoyed our day exploring this historic city.

“Cada día puede ser una aventura si la buscas.”

Spain

views from the cliffs in Cantabria

We drove into the natural park of Oyambre in Cantabria and came across a small hill top restaurant.

Hilltop restaurant in the distance

We decided to stop and grab something to eat.

We walked to the restaurant but it was full, however at the rear of the restaurant was a small area with a few food trucks and some picnic tables.

Picnic area in Cantabria

The views were great as we overlooked the cliffs and onto the beaches and Cantabrian Sea.

Shelley and Alicia enjoying the view

We bought our food and had a relaxing hour or so enjoying our food and the vistas.

Ray and Shelley in Cantabria hillside

There was a nice breeze and the sound of the sea waves made the time even more enjoyable. A small gem hidden on the countryside hilltop in Cantabria.

“la alegría del descubrimiento trae aventuras grandes y pequeñas”

Spain

A day in San Vicente de la Barquera

We spent a day exploring the area around San Vincente de la Barquera in Cantabria. The quaint town with just over 4000 inhabitants is located on the edge of the Cantabrian Sea. The day we were there they were having a medieval festival.

The streets leading up the hill towards the castle in the historic section of the town had rows of medieval themed shops and displays.

We walked up enjoying the different displays and the stalls selling all different types of goods.

All types of Cheese were on sale.

There were some medieval interactive displays along the way, of course Ray had to stopped to try one out.

We slowly walked up the street slowly looking at the different stalls and displays.

We eventually reached the castle, which is known as, The Castle of the King.

The Castle of the King

One of the arches in the castle.

We explored the castle area and walked out one of the arches into a nice quiet area with great views of the area and river.

Alison and Shelley on the trail near the Castle
Shelley taking in the scenery

The Castle was built in the 16th century and from there we could see the city and area below.

View from the wall of the Castle of the King

The views were spectacular and we enjoyed some time just relaxing and taking in the vistas. It was a good day exploring the town with so much history.

“Vive cada día con emoción”

Spain

Picos de Europa

We went to explore part of the Picos de Europa which is a mountain range extending for about 20 km (12 mi). It forms part of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain.

We drove to the small community of Camaleño. This is where the longest single span cable car aerial lift is located. The cable car known in Spanish as “teleférico de Fuente Dé” .

We lined up and waited for our turn to go up to the top located  1,850-metre (6,070 ft) high.  As we waited  in line we watched the cable car ascended to the top of the mountain. 

We took a selfie just before entering the cable car and heading up the steep incline to the top of the mountain.

The cable car has a capacity of 20 people and the entire trip only takes 3 minutes and 40 seconds.  The cable car moves at around 10-metre (33 ft) per second. 

View from the cable car launch area

We were amazed at just how fast we travelled up to the top. 

The views on the way up were breathtaking  with rugged mountains on all sides. 

teleférico de Fuente Dé cable car

We reached the top in 3 minutes and 40 seconds and were instantly greeted with amazing views of the picos de Europa mountains.

Shelley on top of one of the picos de Europa mountains.

The photos do not give justice to the beautiful, spectacular vistas.

Ray on the top of the Picos de Europe in Cantabria

We walked along the ridge area of the mountain exploring the views that seemed to change at every step. We stopped and took it all in admiring the beauty of nature.

Ray taking in the moment

It was so peaceful and quiet with only the sound of the wind. As we walked and came across different views it was just breathtaking. 

Ray and Shelley on the Picos de Europa

We were very lucky because the lack of clouds made visibility great. It was not too long though and we could see the clouds moving in. 

Clouds starting to gather on top of the mountain range.

At first the clouds covered some far peaks but quickly the clouds rolled in and visibility was almost nil. 

Shelley at the Picos de Europa
No visibility because of the clouds

It was a breathtaking and beautiful day in the mountains, it was a great way to spend the day.

“Cada día es un regalo, disfrútalos”

Spain

A visit to beautiful Santander in Cantabria Spain

We went to Cantabria to visit friends and explore the area over a few days. One of the spots we explored was the city of Santander. Our first stop was the Palacio de la Magdalena. It is located on the Magdalena Peninsula which is a 69-acre  peninsula located near the entrance to the Bay of Santander. 

The palacio was built in 1911 and used as a summer residence for the Spanish Royal family until 1931. It was then used for summer courses for the Menéndez Pelayo International University. 

Today the Palacio is the most visited place in the city of Santander and continues to be used as a conference and meeting hall.

Augustine, Alicia, Shelley and Ray on the stair of the Palacio de Magdalena

The views from the Palacio gardens were spectacular.  Looking over the bay and towards the Cantabrian Sea.

View of the Cantabrian Sea and a Lighthouse in the distance.
View of the bay entrance to Santander.

The City of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria. It is a port city and located in the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Cantabrian Sea.

We walked through the downtown area exploring the beautiful architecture and streets.

The head office of the Santander Bank which the city is named after.
The Gran Casino del Sardinero in Santander
Cathedral of Santander

After exploring the area we decided to stop and enjoy some tapas and a drink at the Mercado de la Esperanza.

Main entrance to the Mercado de la Esperanza in Santander

Inside the mercado were many unique and interesting food stalls.

We walked along the rows until we found a nice spot to stop and enjoy some tapas.

Afterwards we walked along the waterfront exploring that area of the city.  We came across some interesting monuments along the way.

The Raqueros statues along the pier in Santander.

These statues represent the era when children worked the pier to earn  money to survive. The statues pay respect to the children that worked for a living.

Monument Fire Statue in Jardines de Pereda Santander

The Monument Fire Statue in Jardines de Pereda marks the devastating fire that occurred in February 1941 in Santander. The fire destroyed a large part of the historic center of the city,. Fortunately only one person lost their life however thousands of families lost their homes and businesses.

View of a section of the waterfront area of Santander.

We continued our walked along the waterfront and decided to take a break at the local marina. We had a great view and enjoyed a relaxing time watching the ships and boats.

Alicia, Shelley, Ray and Augustine

It was a very enjoyable day in Santander and we really enjoyed exploring this historic city. 

“Disfruta cada día porque cada día es un regalo”

Life is too short to wait for adventure!