On the road trip across France, Spain and Portugal.. From Europe to the Atlantic Ocean

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Mercoledì 6 maggio<br /><br />San Jan de Gaztelugate--<strong>Castro Urdialesstrong>--<strong>Nojastrong>--<strong>Capo Ajostrong>--<strong>Santanderstrong>--Santillana del Mar-Comillas 210 km<br />This morning after paying € 34 for dinner and 56 € per room and breakfast we went out and we found to be several hundred meters above sea level and have a beautiful view before us, with the sun illuminating the valley and the hills around<br />We headed Bakio and you are on the road to San Jan de Gaztelugate to our regret we found signs indicating that the road was stopped.<br />Asked for information as we went we were told that it was possible to see from the hermitage.<br /> After continued for about 1 km we found a point where the side of the road you can see a small island connected to the mainland by a narrow corridor and 231 steps built on a rocky ledge at the end of which stands the small church below the cliffs and the sparkling ocean that breaks on the two arches, the sun's rays passing through a light mist give this place something unreal and magical.<br />With this vision in the eye wonderful we left the Basque country to head towards <strong>Castro Urdialesstrong> in Cantabria, once we went to the harbor where the vessels were unloading the fish, we filmed in the town hall square with the tower of the clock and we pried from shops under the arcades.<br />In front of the city, with a pointed-roofed houses that look almost like small castles<br />Continuing we arrived at the end of the promontory where stands a lighthouse built on a medieval castle that seems to belong to the order of Knights Templar, connected by a suspension bridge that arched over the ocean, passing beneath the waves crash against the rocks and produced a noise deafening.<br />Behind the lighthouse is the church of Santa Maria a building with Gothic arches and magnificent sculptures in wood.<br /> The square opposite the church is the statue of Vespasian, the visit ended with a walk along the pier and we enjoyed the time to return the sight of this monument, and is a sight truly exceptional.<br />We continue to <strong>Nojastrong>, a city on a hill overlooking the sea, the way we have traveled is a succession of houses, buildings, clubs, pubs, amusement arcades and restaurants, fortunately, all closed.<br /> I would never wont be in high season, with a steady stream of tourists that invade it, another thing is the beach and the sea dotted with hundreds of rocks that emerge from the 'water.<br />Some close to the shore, have strange shapes, one even looked like a rhino ready to attack the enemy castle to another, still another a hand with spread fingers stretched skyward.<br />We walked along the beach under a sun too hot and inhaled the scent of salt rising from the sea<br />Later there is only 13 km Cape Ajo arrived we head towards the lighthouse and see several trucks from which sprout cables running everywhere and a helicopter hovering above the promontory, is a British film crew making a documentary, however, we have admired walked and took pictures the panorama<br />We went up in <strong>Santanderstrong>, we follow the coast along the bay of approx 141st <strong>Santanderstrong>, we pass the bridge over the Ria de Solia and cross Astillero commercial port and industrial area here there are companies dedicated to 'construction and repair boats.<br /> We continued on the Paseo de Pereda, Calle de Castella, a part of the sea with the landing on the other a row of beautiful white buildings, continuing along the Avenida de la Reina Victoria buildings give way to beautiful villas and vegetation lush. We arrive at Avenida de la Magdalena, where there is a parking lot overlooking Playa la concha and Playa del camel named for a rock resembling the features of this animal, we are at the beginning of May on the beach but there are already several guys who take the sun<br />The tip of the peninsula of Magdalena is a public park, the 'Admission is free, are 25.000mt where you can jog, walk or relax under majestic trees freely and enjoy the' ocean.<br /> All 'inside of' park we can see the stables, the small lighthouse on the tip to the Cerda 'dell'parco end, opposite the lighthouse you can see the' island we come to the palacio de Mouro continuing Magdalena former summer residence of Alfonso XIII built in 1909 in the English style.<br /> Later on a terrace built into the cliffs, the replicas of the three galleons on which Francisco de Orellana explored and named the Amazon River.<br /> Coming to its estuary in August 1542, gave this name to the river along its path as it was attacked by indigenous warriors like the Amazons of Greek mythology.<br /> Is positioned at the side of the galleons balsa raft with which Vital Alsar fascinated by 'idea of ??a journey across the Pacific in 1970 performed the' company with three companions, covered 7000 miles in 156 days that separate the 'Equator from' Australia where he arrived after the storms and difficulties of every kind without the raft suffer damage worth mentioning<br />The park is also a mini zoo, the water comes straight from the sea and you can see seals, penguins and sea lions, for children or for those who do not want to toil there is a tourist train that Magdaleno 25 minutes produces a complete path to 'interior of the peninsula and provides explanations.<br />At the end of the visit before we leave where we head for the parking space finished by this point you can see another one the most popular beach Sardinero.<br /> It seems that Queen Isabella was staying when the Magdalena waves bathed in these waters, behind the beach villa-style buildings and the famous casino and belle époque<br /> Upon leaving the city to continue in the Cantabrian carretera, after about 30 km we arrive in Santillana del Mar parked in the parking lot of a town that turns entirely on foot Santillana is a well preserved medieval jewel, with its cobbled streets, stone buildings and craft shops, deeper into the town we see many houses with facades decorated with emblems of nobility in excellent condition.<br />The road is flanked by St. Joan Infante houses with wooden balconies full of flowers, this end is the Plaza Mayor one of the most characteristic of the town with houses Aguila Y La Parra and the Parador Gil Blas, later the town hall with a large wrought iron balconies and the tower of Don Boria.<br />Proceeding meet other noble houses, in this way is called the Del Rio and makes for a picturesque watering hole, closing the prospect of the collegiate church of Santa Juliana thirteenth century one of the most representative monuments of the Roman region.<br />The church has its origins in a monastery, which according to tradition preserved relics of St. Juliana of Nicodemus (Turkey) decapitated by Maximian as a Christian and brought on the Cantabrian coast by Benedictine monks<br />The visit of colegiata charges are € 3 per person, all 'carved inside the sarcophagus of Santa Juliana and murals, on the' altar retable of the fifteenth century Spanish-style tables with Flemish painting of the martyrdom of the holy Apostles, to the right you enter Hispanic in the cloister with fantastic Roman capitals, sarcophagi along the walls to heraldic motifs of significant characters of the clergy and nobility