Surfing in Somo - part 2

As we were so close to a big city, one evening we decided to venture in to Santander. We could see the city across the bay from Somo beach. From that perspective it looks like a hazy, grey mass of high-rise blocks so we expected to find a very industrial city. The best form of public transport from Somo to Santander is by ferry. The trip was fairly cheap and provided lovely views of the green hills of the surrounding countryside. On arrival in Santander we were pleasantly surprised. The seafront was a buzzing promenade, lined with al fresco diners. The actual commercial centre seemed to consist of just a few little squares and a few long streets, but it was pretty and the atmosphere was pleasant and friendly. We met up with some other people from our surf house for the evening's food and entertainment - a tapas crawl! Northern Spain has its own version of tapas, called pintxos, which usually involves the food being served on top of a small piece of bread or toast. In the first place we went to, you got a free mini-meal with every drink, including the option of a mini chicken curry or moussaka! The phrase tapas BAR was very appropriate for most places that we visited. There was little seating and most people ate stood up at the bar, so that ordering more was dangerously easy!

Filled with all sorts of deliciousness (and a cheeky FroYo) we set out to get a taste of Santander's nightlife. Whilst the bars and squares were busy, we were informed that there was no point entering a nightclub before 2am, so we accepted defeat and returned to Somo.

The beach at Somo seemed to stretched forever. In fact, it was only on the ferry over to Santander that I finally believed it did not reach all the way across the bay! Sea-sports are clearly big business in the area, as there were several other surf schools, paddle-boarders and windsurfers around. Apart from our last day, the sea wasn't over-crowded but when it was I got serious sea-rage! It is so fustrating to have to keep jumping off of your board to avoid hitting another surfer. Especially as it always seems to happen just as you catch a really good wave. The perk of our final day of surfing, was the epic feeling of sitting on a plane and talking about how you were surfing that very same morning. Casual.