Monday, 5/20. From A Coruña we headed along the coast. The primary route of The Way is in fact far inland. Our Tour Book of Spain barely mentions the coastline, so I had to do some individual research. Wonderful roads with some impressive views. Spain has incredible bridges and tunnels. And they are all modern.

We drove into Gijon when, after many wrong turns, we realized we should have gone past it. Their one claim to fame, a failed university complex offering the largest oval church in the world and a high tower (complete with elevator) was mostly closed and largely unwelcome. It’s been confirmed several times that the north coast of Spain is unprepared for non-Spanish speaking tourists.

Santander, however, was a revelation. Pretty as a picture views, beautiful buildings, friendly people, cheap prices. Simple layout, making transportation easy. (Except our #$%&^ GPS tried to navigate us a mile away from the hotel, when I was parked right in front of it.) Lots of things to see. My first two story carousel, among other things. While it’s true southern Spain has the ancient architecture and Moorish history, the north side has its own charms that are well worth the time. It’s nice to walk around without the incessant souvenir shops.

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