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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”

Austria

Schönbrunn Palace

Today we decided to go and visit the UNESCO world site the Schonbrunn Palace.  The Baroque palace is a massive building with 1,441 rooms and has a long rich history spanning over 300 years. 

view of a section of the Schonbrunn Palace
Ray, Janice, Scott and Shelley at the front of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna

We began by walking along the front of the palace until we reached the side entrance to view some of the interior rooms of the palace.  We explored three of the main rooms which had some impressive features. 

The Great Hall in the Schonbrunn Palace

The ceilings were works of art and made the rooms seem almost alive. 

Massive wooden and gilded Chandelier in the Great hall of the Palace

We walked along the corridors admiring the baroque designs of the palace 

Art within the palace

After walking through a small portion of the palace we headed outside to the gardens. We began in the garden pavillion then  headed towards the main garden area.

Privy Garden area of the palace
The garden Pavilion at the Schonbrunn Palace

The gardens were immense and had stunning features. we walked through the main garden area and headed towards the Gloriette on the hill top.

View of the gardens from the rear of the Palace with the <Gloriette on the hill in the background.

Along the way towards the Gloriette we stopped at the Neptune Fountain called the Great Parterre area of the gardens.

The Neptune Fountain

At the rear of the fountain was an area where you could see through the fountain and see the Palace in the distance. 

Scott, Janice Shelley and Ray at the Neptune Fountain with a view of the palace in the background

We continued our walk up the hill and we came to a small pound in front of the Gloriette.

Pond in front of the Gloriette

We continued up the hill until we reached the Gloriette.

The Gloriette which is the garden axis points towards a 60-metre-high (200 ft) hill.

From here there were beautiful views of the Palace and Vienna in the background. It was truly worth the long walk up the hill.

View of the Schonbrunn Palace and Vienna from the Gloriette

The Gloriette structure is one of the iconic parts of the garden. Erected on the top of the  60-metre-high (200 ft) hill, it is a focal point of the garden.

Ornate decoration of the Gloriette
Ceiling area of the Glorietee

Built in 1775 with stone recycled from another site, the military-themed columns and arches are made to represent to glorify Habsburg power. 

We stayed at the Gloriette for a while enjoying a well deserved rest and admiring the views before heading back.  We walked down through a hedged area of the gardens. There were sculptures and statues along the way. 

We worked our way to the exit and then headed back. It was a long day but quite enjoyable.

“den Tag zu genießen”