Spanish Holiday Part 1 - Cantabria

Came back from hols last week, driving and walking around Northern Spain. Here's what I've been up to...

Santander
Arrived at Santander, stepped out of the little Ryanair 747 to warmth and susnshine, great!! Hubby was very stressed, we went to get the car from Hertz and they kept trying to get him to upgrade - but he insisted on the little Kia which he'd booked originally. Just as well, as it turned out later. After only a short time to get the hang of the Kia and driving on the other side of the road, we had to try and find the hotel, only a short distance from the airport but easier said than done, as it was in a side street. We found it by fluke, after getting lost, but it was a relief! After Bill had had time to chill, we headed into Santander and walked along the cliffs to the beach, which was beautiful despite development, and almost empty. Nice little park nearby as well with traditional boats diplayed, also a small zoo with seals and penguins.
In the evening we found a friendly bodega for a meal - the only tapas we had whilst in Spain! The waitress brought over free liqueurs and a map of Santander, even though she spoke no English and we spoke no Spanish - what a lovely lady.

Potes
It was a stunningly beautiful drive from Santander to Potes, up into the mountains along a breathtakingly sheer gorge. We arrived at Tama and headed up a little concrete track, much to Bill's skepticism, and arrived at Casa Gustavo, a very special guesthouse. The building is owned by an English couple, Mike and Lisa, who restored it from a wreck - it's medieval or maybe even earlier, with lots of wooden beams, wood floors and doors, and stunning views up the valley to the Picos di Eupropa mountains. The food was excellent, served at 9pm Spanish-style. It was all locally sourced and imaginitively prepared - we were on full board and ate arond the table, chatting to Mike and Lisa and the other guests. Jugs of local wine were on the table, and liqueurs to finish, ensuring we never got to bed early!
We found some really good walks, thanks to a guide book that we borrowed from another guest. The first was a cable-ride up to Fuente De, then a walk back down - as it was all downhill it really took it's toll on our legs. Fantastic views though, spotted some mountain choughs and a Chamois deer, as well as the infamous 'Blue Daffodil' ;-) The second was a walk around the Berdoya Valley - Bill was annoyed that we were accompanied most of the way by a dog from a village, but I thought it was rather sweet! I bet he does it with lots of hikers!
The only disappointing thing was the trip down to the local bar in Tama to watch the UEFA cup - Middlesborough lost 4-0 to Seville. Pants!