We got off the ferry in Santander and walked toward our hostel. We were tired and hungry and too early to check in so we stopped for a coffee and tortilla on the way. The city was full of people there for the Easter holiday. Our hostel, Alojamientos Cantiber was great. It was very clean and had a great kitchen and common area. We shared a room with 4 other people – including Wishy, a young guy from China and Alfonso from Rome. They were hardly around so we had the room to ourselves except at night. We were able to take it easy for the day. Our room also had a nice balcony that overlooked a street with shops and cafes. I would recommend it as an inexpensive place to stay if in Santander.
We were sitting on our balcony the night we arrived when I heard the sound of drums and trumpets. I looked down the street and saw the police had it blocked off. I realized that since it was Good Friday, it must be the Semana Santa parade. We headed down the street and were able to see most of the parade. The streets were lined with people but we found some steps to climb up and had a great view.
While in Santander we also went to the Catedral de Neustra Senora de la Asunción de Santander. The lower part of the church was built in the 12th century and several years ago, archaeologists found remains of the Roman Empire under part of the church. It is a beautiful and simple gothic style church. The complex includes a cloister where you can hear the organ music and the sounds of the mass going on inside the church.
Santander seems very prosperous with many stores, restaurants and museums. It is built on a hill and even has outside escalators instead of stairs to get to the hillier parts of the city. We didn’t explore the city as much as we might have as we needed a break from walking 😊, but enjoyed our time people watching.