Belated Blog (my apologies)
I am really sorry that this blog update is almost two weeks late, but you know what they say, better late than never. I'll be hitting on some high points from the time since my last post and sharing some random photos from Santander (lots including food)...I have been off my photo taking game. Anyways, like always, I hope you enjoy!
On Saturday, November 16th, Elena and I took ourselves on a surfing day trip. We hopped on an early ferry across the Santander bay to a beach called Somo which supposedly has best waves in the area. Since Elena had taken a lesson recently and I thought she could help me remember how to surf, we just rented boards and wetsuits and were on our way!
It took a few tries and the momentum of a good wave behind me, but I picked surfing right back up after not having gone since a trip to Costa Rica nine years ago. I guess muscle memory really never fades with these sort of things. I had forgotten how exhilarating it is to catch a wave and feel the power of the ocean behind you. Truly a drug.
We stayed in the water for almost four hours and arrived back to the surf shop shivering and exhausted. The water temperature is quite chilly but we had a beautiful sunny day with little wind so we were able to keep warm enough to enjoy surfing for that long! I only had to take a break midway through to get feeling back into my toes...they were unprotected in the water and freezing!
Sadly, I have no pictures from our excursion since we left all of our belongings at the store where we rented gear and no one else came with us. Don't fret however because this is far from the last time we will be hitting the waves and maybe next time we'll bring an amateur photographer along with us!
The next day, after a lazy and lounging Sunday morning/afternoon, Sam invited me to have dinner with him and his roommates. There is an unspoken rule in Spain that you never turn down an offer to eat homemade tortilla española and I was excited to see how his version would turn out.
The two of us prepped and cooked (I mainly just stirred the onions and cracked the eggs) two massive tortillas for our group of five. I learned some new kitchen/cooking vocabulary in Spanish and got to watch the magical flip of the tortillas go off without a hitch! It was very impressive.
We ate our dinner on the couch (classic Spain) while watching a very weird history show and chatting. I have to say, it was the best tortilla I've ever tried and the perfect way to round out my weekend :)
On Monday, my friend Anna and I took the train from Santander to Torrelavega to do some thrifting! We both have Mondays off and decided to take a little trip to explore some new shops. I have been in a desperate search for a winter coat since booking my trip to Vienna and wanted to see if I would have some luck in Torrelavega.
Sadly, my winter coat search was unsuccessful but we had a wonderful time together and Anna left with some great finds! All in all, a great way to spend a Monday.
Last week, Elena and I (and some other friends) went dancing three times which is a lifetime record for me I think! A group of us went to a beginner Latin dance on Wednesday and then to a bachata lesson on Thursday. These two sessions were SO much fun and gave me the confidence to try the Saturday night dancing again. Thankfully, this time they started with the hour of bachata (instead of salsa) and I actually got the hang of it! It's really a miracle how much of a difference enough sleep makes when trying something new.
On Saturday before dance, Elena and I revisited the town of Santoña to do another day hike there. The weather was goregous and this time around neither of us had to battle crowds of French tourists. While we were hiking back up the 700 something stairs from the lighthouse, we ended up chatting with a Spanish couple who showed us an amazing new vista and told us about the history of the peninsula. Apparently, it is covered with military ruins from the time that Napoleon was in power! Who knew!
This lovely couple, Héctor and Lorena, then accompanied us all the way back to town since we were cutting through the middle of the circular route and weren't 100% sure which path we were supposed to take. The four of us talked the entire way in Spanish and they gave us sooooo many recommendations for other beautiful hikes to do in Cantabria.
I swear I always meet the coolest, nicest people with Elena and this couple was no exception. Héctor gave me his contact info in case the two of us ever need anything or want to go hiking together! Spanish people truly are so generous and welcoming.
This past Sunday was highlight from start to finish...and it was a very late night, especially for a Sunday! I went on a great run and was cheered on by someone who recognized my shirt from the Bilbao marathon...small world. Later on, Elena came over and we enjoyed some live music and ice cream while walking along the bay. We saw the beginning of an amazing sunset as well but we had to rush home to get started on cooking!
Anna and her roommate Gabi had decided to host a Friends-giving for some of us Americans as well as a German and a Scot (it was both of their first experiences with a Thanksgiving feast!). Elena and I made mulled wine and stuffing and after some antics getting into the elevator, we brought our goodies over to the hosting house.
Our hostesses really outdid themselves with the amazing spreads of appetizers and their beautifully decorated apartment. We had homemade sourdough bread and rolls, homemade cinnamon butter, homemade garlic butter, and so many other delicious finger foods.
For the mains we had all the classics (minus turkey) and everything was so delicious! My mulled wine was a hit even with our German friend Moritz who is used to the real deal glüwein at the Christmas markets. It was such a fun dinner with a great group that I was feeling very grateful for especially since I won't be home for Thanksgiving.
After we were all feeling very full, we each presented a Powerpoint on a niche topic or interest that we had. I did mine on my top 5 farming stories and we all had a ton of laughs throughout the presentations.
We didn't eat dessert until almost 1 in the morning and stayed up chatting much longer after that. It was a very late Sunday night but the majority of us don't work Mondays so only Elena and our friend Chris had to brave the children on very little sleep.
I, however, did have to wake up on the early side to catch a bus to Bilbao for another shopping daytrip where I was finally successful in finding a winter coat! My friend Kimberly and I explored the city and visited some very impressive thrift stores. We also ate at a wonderful prepared foods market that I definitely want to return to when I go back to Bilbao.
This update has been a bit all over the place but así es la vida (such is life) in Santander! Somehow this upcoming weekend is my last in the city (we're going to be out of town for the following two) before winter break and I cannot believe how fast the time has gone. It feels like I was just arriving in October and now it's time to start thinking about Christmas gifts and packing up my bags to go home!
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