Santander 2 – Sunday morning

An overcast day with diffuse sunshine but pleasant temperatures. I'm taking a long walk along the city beach as well as the one facing the Bay of Biscay. Santander faces southeast even though it's on the north coast of Spain due to the curve of its harbour. The beach was orange brown. Volleyball players and joggers were making use of it. The tide was out and there was no surf.

An alsatian had his paws over the ledge of the top of a restaurant, barking wistfully at passing people and other dogs. Couples and old folks were just some of the people out enjoying a Sunday walk. There were also bunches of cyclists doing their rounds. With only the sounds of the waves and the occasional football whistle reaching me, it was a relaxing way to defocus.

I bought some pipas (sunflower seeds) out of curiosity and to blend in better. There was a rhyming triplet on the packet: Y dijó el toro al morir / Siento deja este mundo / Sin probar pipas Facundo (And said the bull when dying / Tis a pity to leave this world / Without trying Facundo's pipas).

I stopped to watch competing palas (scoop) teams on the beach. The ball was played using a scoop strapped to one arm. The scoop is used to catch the ball and return it in one fluid motion. The high speed of the ball was quite scary. The game seems to be a variant of Basque pelota.

There is a casino behind the beach at Sardinero. In the picture are Sunday cyclists at the Plaza de Italia.

This beachside Restaurante Rhin is also near the plaza.

The western headland, La Magdalena, is a recreational area. It has a small municipal zoo with lions, separated from people by moats.

Penguins, in their enclosure, not visible in the photo.

There were other residents such as sea lions, seals and polar bears.

These galleons were used by the 20th century Cantabrian mariner Vital Alsar Ramírez in his explorations.

A team of mountaineers was practising scaling a wall.

This is probably Isla de Mouro with its lighthouse at the entrance to the harbour.

(To be continued, starting with a seafood lunch.)