Friday 10th May - Me and you and a stop named Boo.

As we are going to bed last night R discovers that one of her recently acquired earrings has gone missing. This is not quite a record but close to it.

Renedo appears to be a dormitory suburb of Santander, situated amongst rolling green hills. As a proper suburb it is equipped with a rail link into the big city and we are going to indulge ourselves today. As we are on holiday we opt for the 10.04 which allows for a leisurely breakfast.

Our trip almost has a disastrous start as we follow the signs and cross the tracks by underpass. D is a bit suspicious because the vast majority of people are congregated on the other platform.  A local sets us right. Only an idiot would have failed to spot that platform 2 is for trains from Santander. Luckily the 10.04 is a few minutes late and we are able to recover the situation.

The train is quite busy but not packed and we get two seats together. The carriage is quite spacious with air conditioning of sorts. Renfe must be learning from Indian Railways as there is a plate declaring a capacity of 66 seated and 182 standing. 

Our journey into Santander is mainly uneventful although we do stop at a station called Boo. En route we realise that we have forgotten to pack a bottle of water and R needs to take her meds. There is a cafe opposite the station in Santander who supply coffees and a glass of water. We resolve to watch for a minimart or similar where we can buy a bottle of water.

Our guidebook is not charitable about Santander, suggesting that the highlight of the city's history was when it burnt down in 1941. The Mercado gets a thumbs up and does not disappoint. They have some spectacularly ugly fish on the slabs.

From the market we head to the Museo de Belle Artes, which gets a thumbs down from the book. We are prepared to approach things with an open mind but the place is closed for repairs.

We decide that it is lunchtime and look for a bar or cafe with seats in the shade. We sit down at a place where the waiter pointedly ignores us, visiting the adjacent table, who arrived after us, four times before we give up. The next place we try is much better, with a cheerful waiter who apologizes for only having a Spanish menu.

The molletes are delicious, like very lightly toasted ciabatta, cheese and ham for D and tuna with anchovies for R. Washed down with a beer these provide a very satisfying lunch.

R's knee has had a good workout and we decide to head back to base. Walking towards the station we see another closed tourist attraction. It is unclear which era this air raid shelter belongs to.

A feature of local culture appears to be the graffiti-ing of trains. Our return journey passes without incident. The displays on the train suggest an outdoor temperature of 27°C. It feels like it as we walk back up the shadeless hill to our apartment.

Supper tonight is pan baked chicken, chorizo and peppers with potato and vegetable salads. R finds a pair of earrings that she didn't realise she had packed.

Today's Quiz Question

Which artist performed the 1971 hit single "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo?