Spain’s North Coast

 

Gijón

When we reentered Spain, we found ourselves in a new time zone where it was still twilight at 10 pm. Spaniards are known for their late dining habits, and we’ve been struggling to adjust. Restaurants in these cities are more than happy to serve you a variety of alcoholic drinks pretty much anytime, but the kitchen doesn’t open until 8 pm. Well played, Spain.

Our photos here

Gijón (Pronounced “hee-HON,” like the old comedy show or a donkey bray)

With its miles of promenades stretching both west and east of the city and a vast bay surrounded by beaches, locals and tourists alike are out enjoying this lovely city. The coast near our campground was a rocky cliff right on the promenade, offering us a view of the water and beautiful sunsets. We saw people climbing on the rocks, snorkeling, and a few paddle boarders. Bathing suit tops seem to be optional, so if you don’t want to see nudity, don’t zoom in on the beach/cliff photos.

We toured the museum of the excavated Roman baths and had a nice relaxing lunch in a restaurant overlooking the water. The region is famous for its cider, and I got a bottle labeled “natural,” which was definitely on the dry side with a hint of vinegar.

The old town has lots of beautiful old buildings and the ruins of what were once Roman defense walls, with a few dragons thrown in for fun. With lots of green spaces, wonderful public art, and great weather, this looks like a fun city to live in.

San Vicente de la Barquera

Tower top with seagull

The water, beaches, boats, town, and mountains combine into a postcard-worthy setting. Unfortunately, the town is so tourist-oriented that the few truly historical sights we saw didn’t redeem it for us. We had a nice walk into town from the packed campsite and then killed some time in a bar until the fort reopened at 5:30. From the top of the fort tower, we watched seagulls use the air currents to rise quickly up the steep ascent from the water level along the town and fort walls to gain altitude for their next dive. This place is a better fit for those wanting to learn to surf or enjoy the beaches in the protected bay than for us.

Santander

Santander has seen its share of booms and busts, as we learned from the audio on our Hop-on-hop-off bus. It was ravaged by a massive fire in 1941. Lonely Planet states, “Tragic at the time, the disaster gave urban planners the rare opportunity of redesigning for a new era, ultimately raising the city to a level that provokes envy among the rest of the nation. Stroll more than 7km of oceanfront promenades, walk through the wealthy upper reach, or thread through bars of young entrepreneurs.”

Google Maps simply didn’t give us information on bus routes from our campsite, but the Hop on/off took us for spins around what it thought were the highlights with longish stops which made for slow progress. It was a different kind of exploring for us, but it worked okay. 

One of the most intriguing things about this city was the very graphic depiction of the city saints whose heads are shown alternately in a basket (carved in stone on the entrance) and encased in silver. 

In addition, there were carved stone heads looking down over the pews from the post capitals that are positively creepy. 

Why is this guy smirking and holding a knife?

Would having these guys staring down at you help you tap into your spirituality? Must have given the kids nightmares.

Here’s the Google translation of the information provided:

“The Arrival of the Martyrs’ Heads

Shortly after the Arab invasion in 711, people from the Riojan city of Calahorra came to Cantabria and brought, to the place that would later be called Santander, their most prized relics: the heads of Saints Emeterius and Celedonius, martyred there around the year 300. The movement responded to the widespread phenomenon of the population of the Meseta watered by the Duero and the lands of the Ebro being forced to retreat to the northern mountains, fleeing Muslim domination.

In 1533, as a reaction by the Catholic world to Protestantism, the martyrdom tomb in the church of Santander suffered a pious desecration, during which the remains of the saints were found under the altar located in the Gospel nave. The silver reliquaries in which the heads are preserved date from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Other relics preserved at the site correspond to the arm of Saint Germán, from the late 16th century, and a fragment of the Lignum Crucis.

Arrival of the Heads of the Holy Martyrs in Santander. Façade of the Upper Church. According to Casado Soto.”

You may have come to this blog looking for travel inspiration and instead I give you topless women and headless men.