Day in Santander

This morning I dropped the tank off at Santander airport then cycled the five miles to the city centre along a handy cycle path. My ferry is now booked for Wednesday so I have two nights here to explore. I found a bakery for a relaxed breakfast then cycled around the heart of the city. Santander seems small, with its port close to the centre. As I cycled around the cathedral, the main plaza and the waterfront with its small park and modern Botín arts centre it struck me that Santander had a lot of modern and not so much of the old. It turns out that a fire in 1941, the worst in the city's history, gutted a large part of Santander's historic old town, leading to the area undergoing complete redevelopment. I followed a walking route that explored the story and the impact of that fire with clever viewing portals to show 'then' and 'now'. It had not been my first choice of tourist activity but my visit to the tourist information office had advised me that all museums in the city are closed on Mondays. Nevertheless, it turned out to be interesting and informative both on the fire and the history of the city itself. 

Botín Arts Centre

Cathedral 

Then and Now - the 1941 Fire

By mid afternoon and a couple of bars later I was in my hotel. Since finishing my trip I seem to have found myself sleeping in the quieter moments, clearly catching up after five weeks of cycling through Spain. Now was no exception; with museums shut all day and shops and restaurants now shut until the evening I made the most of that quiet time and enjoyed a siesta until early evening and dinner.