Santander: Sights, Food, and a whole lot of Rain

So in Spain they have this genius thing called a 'puente' (literally, 'bridge'). This means at the beginning of December, when there is a bank holiday on a Wednesday, and another one on the Friday, they take the Thursday off too - because ¿por qué no?

In other words it gives you a great chance to have a little mid-term holiday. So I packed my bag and headed to Santander (in the region of Cantabria, northern Spain), with some friends. 

I'd heard great things and was excited to explore another corner of the country.

So, Santander.. a beautiful city with a stunning coastline. Sandy beaches set against a backdrop of rolling green hills and snow-topped mountains. 
However, one thing they also have in abundance? Rain. 

I mean, hey, I'm British, I am no stranger to rain. But living in an almost completely rain-less city like Madrid, it came as a bit of a shock to the system. But it definitely reminded me of home, so there's that - nowhere does grey clouds quite like Britain, ey? 

Nevertheless we didn't let that dampen our spirits (although it did our feet :/).

So here's my whistle-stop tour of the best bits from our trip:

1. La Peninsula (and El Palacio) de la Magdalena

Found to the east of the city is this beautiful peninsula complete with a park, a palace, beaches, and resident penguins!

And we even managed to happen upon a bit of sun while we were there (the one and only time it shone during our trip), which really helped with the photo ops #beachboomerang.

That time the sun came out for 5 minutes

Just off to dip ma toes in

2. Sobao

Every region in Spain has a signature 'dulce', so of course we had to give it a try. 'Sobao' is basically a sponge cake, not the most exciting sweet treat ever, but I can confirm it was delish. 

I recommend a good dunk of the Sobao in your café con leche

3. Pinchos

Spain is obviously famous for its tapas, and in the North of Spain they like to take it one step further and put their 'tapa' on top of a piece of bread. Enter: pinchos. Every bar/restaurant proudly displays their variety of pinchos along the bar, where Santander's  very well-dressed residents stand and chat, pincho in one hand, glass of wine in the other - they're a classy people up North, I tell ya.

A couple of our favourite spots were La Tuta and La Cátedra. 

La Cátedra

La Tuta

Mixing it up with the bread on the side #wild

4. The Cathedral

Santander cathedral is a beautiful, gothic building, dating back as early as the 8th century. Granted I've seen a lot of cathedrals in my time (shout out to Oakham School choir tours), and this probably wouldn't make the Top 10, but it's worth a visit, especially on a rainy day.

*not my pic* (I was clearly too soggy at this point to remember to take photos)

5. Centro Botín

Centro Botín is an Arts Centre found in the Pereda Gardens. Honestly, I can't tell you much more than that, as much as I love a bit of #culture, we didn't actually venture inside the exhibitions :/ However it's a very impressive building and has a great view from the roof!

Pretty funky-looking building amiright?! (*also not my pic*)

A view over Santander from the rooftop

Braving the rain

6. Rabas

Rabas are a Cantabrian version of calamari, and boooooy they're good. Seafood just tastes so much better when you're right by the sea, ya know? We tried them in a couple of different places but our favourites were definitely at La Cátedra #thataliolitho. 

Potentially not the most photogenic of foods, but they're so yum. Trust.

7. Archaeology Museum

It turns out the oldest cave paintings in the world can be found in Cantabria! There's a fun fact for ya, chums. So on our last day we gave the museum a visit to find out a bit more about the history of them. (Are you sensing a pattern of indoor activities? #rainfordayzzz)

*not my pic*

8. El Capricho de Gaudí, Comillas
And lastly, not technically in Santander, (but just an hour bus ride away) is the small seaside town of Comillas. It is home to one of famous Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí's earliest works - El Capricho de Gaudí. Having studied Gaudí at school and seen his work in Barcelona I was really keen to see another of his amazing creations. And despite all the (you guessed it) rain, it was really impressive and very beautiful.

The cutest sunflower tiles which cover the outside of the building

Santander, it was a pleasure.

I hope to see you again soon (maybe at a less rainy time of year next time)!

Holly x