Cantabria, Spain

Santander was full of places to eat. Even vegetarians could dine in public. It reminded me a little of Brighton; the royal-patronised seafront shielding lanes of bars and cafes. In front of the town hall was a shock though; a large statue of Franco astride a horse [admittedly Brighton doesn’t have one of these]. Red paint splattered the horse’s flank, so perhaps not everyone was happy with it. I only stayed a single night because Santander didn’t have the atmosphere I was looking for. Instead I headed west through rural Cantabria, and back in time, to medieval Spain.

The bus dipped among hills of snooker-baize green to Santillana del Mar. Jean-Paul Sartre thought Santillana the loveliest village in Spain. He wasn’t alone; coachloads swarmed through the cobbled streets and perhaps Sartre’s hell is other people quote was also formulated here. I walked to the caves at Altamira; an expertly presented recreation of the original, yet minus the thrill of walking through ancient history.

I stayed in Santillana’s honey-stone Parador [my tenth!]. Across the plaza an English wedding was in full flow and later that night the Parador’s lounge was full of sloshed relatives. I headed to a local bar to watch the Madrid derby; drinking Asturian sidra with the aid of a small pump-barrel to oxidize the bubbles. It looked daft and tasted great.

West of Santillana lies Comillas, a seaside town full of outrageous architecture. The Casa Capricho had an extensive menu, quickly whittled down to a single vegetarian option. The waiter seated me out the back and round a corner just in case my vegetable dish frightened other diners. In any case, I didn’t really come for the food. The Casa Capricho is an early Antoni Gaudi building; swarmed in tiles and turrets, and topped by a minaret.

I walked off lunch along the beach, rolling up my trousers and dipping my toes into the ocean. Cantabria is heavily promoted as Green Spain but today the autumn skies were blue and the sun hung in a haze over the coast. I fell in love with Spain all over again.