Santander to Gijon – Thursday 4th June 2009

Due mainly to the fact that the marina was so far out of town, we decided to just spend two nights in Santander, during which time we gave Zaffina a good clean and then explored Santander itself. Lunch was an interesting experience, as our lack of Spanish meant we could understand next to nothing on the menu and had to guess at what to order…fortunately with a great deal of success, although I doubt if we’ll ever know what Frank’s main course actually was!

The sun, which had shone almost continuously yesterday, was conspicuously absent this morning when we emerged from our cabin but the wind was still low so we swiftly fuelled up and set off.

Going down river was pleasant and warm, but once we got out into the open, the sea was very confused (I know the feeling) and not as calm as we’d hoped. Things improved the further west we went, although the cloud cover never cleared and it was more than a bit chilly. The scenery was spectacular and had the weather been nicer, we would have dropped anchor for lunch in one of the many little coves we passed. Slightly inland, the mountains were shrouded in cloud and a hazy mist onshore marred the visibility.

Strangely enough, although today’s journey was only half the length of Tuesdays, it really dragged and we were relieved when we finally got to Gijon. The sun put in a brief appearance but at the same time, it started to rain as we headed towards the harbour. It’s grey and wet this evening and, with a poor forecast, it looks as though we may be here for a couple of days, so we plan to hire a car and explore the surrounding countryside.