Great Escape Day 4

This was our longest day on the road as we drove from Santiago to Santander (the city not the bank, although that was there as well). The drive was gorgeous as we drove between a fairly robust mountain chain and the northern Spanish coast. We had one of our comfort breaks at a rest stop next to a ranch that had several huge bulls wandering around. If I had to guess they were bred for the ring. We stopped for lunch in the port of Gijon. Our restaurant was right on the beach and my Favorite Panamanian and I were drafted to serve as the unofficial spokesmen for our fellow travelers as we were the only Spanish speakers. This became a challenge throughout our trip because most of the menus we looked at had slang or local names for the menu items. I thought it was my issue, but my wife assured me she didn’t understand a lot of the names as well. Every waiter we talked with though was gracious (we weren’t in France yet) and appreciated our use of Spanish instead of being the stereotypical gringos. We walked along the beach after lunch which was a nice break from the bus.

Post Lunch in Gijon

Scenes from Our Drive

Those Bulls

Beach of Gijon

Mountains on One Side

Ocean on the Other

We arrived in Santander late in the afternoon and after conducting mass in the local cathedral, reported into our hotel. The hotel was cool as it was short walk to the central beach area. Santander is a resort town with a dedicated ferry to England. My Favorite Panamanian decided to stay in the hotel when I set out to explore the town shortly before dark. She’s cautious because I have an acknowledged history of getting carried away when I explore. There was a lively beach area. One of the members of our group decided to jump into the ocean, fully dressed, which I guess made sense (to her at least). I enjoyed the walk as there was an active surfer group riding the waves and lots of tourists enjoying the weather.

Beach at Santander

The Casino

There was a large casino across the street from the beach which was also the focal point for many. Santander is the capital of Cantabria, one of the autonomous regions of Spain. When I returned to the hotel room after my walk and showed my wife the pictures of what she missed, she insisted on an early morning walk to the beach before we left the next day. It’s obvious that Santander is a lively resort town but, except for this trip, I never realized it existed, except for the omnipresent bank of the same name. It was a nice stop after a long day staring out the bus window at the passing, albeit fabulous, scenery.

The Next Morning

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS:                                

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete – my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course