6 April After the ferry: Somo to Badames

April 6, 2023

Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/vCJKcEOJNyb

We were delayed getting off the ferry meaning that I was behind schedule. This shouldn't be an issue normally but I had another small ferry to catch and then cycle 30km to my booked accommodation.

Rather than hang about I headed straight to the little ferry for the crossing to Somo. The idea was that it would save me a 10km city ride to get out of Santander. Santander looked lovely in the brilliant spring sunshine miand, on reflection, perhaps I should have booked a night in Santander in order to explore a new city.

Nevertheless I was committed to a bed in Badames. I jumped onto the little ferry and waited for departure. The sunshine was very deceiving. It looked and felt warm until we set sail. Then it was freezing and I was chased from the upper sun deck to the inner cabin to avoid the wind.

The ferry journey was relatively short at about 40 mins. I was deposited at the jetty next to Somo a small town on the opposite side of the bay from Santander. On the way across I spotted a rather grand looking house on the point to the north of Santander. I tried to capture it in a photo and subsequently looked it up on Google Maps. It is the Palacio de la Magdalena, https://www.palaciomagdalena.com/. It looks stunning and is worth a visit in the future.

I arrived in Somo on the dot of 1500 which is when all the supermarkets close for siesta. Perfect timing considering all I had eaten was a pain au chocolate and a banana. I didn't want to delay progress by sitting at a restaurant which were all busy with everyone enjoying the sunshine and the Holy Week festival. So I soldiered in with a tiny bit of sweaty applewood smoked cheddar and half a bag of jelly babies. This may not have been the best decision however the jelly babies kept me going. The route was very rural with beautiful rolling pastures backed either by the Atlantic or the stunning Cantabria mountains. Thankfully I was in the foothills and whilst I had a couple of decent climbs neither were alpine status. The worst bit of the ride was actually a downhill section which was as steep as any road I have cycled. The surface was concrete with slots across the road at about 6 inch centres. I suspect if I had been on my lightweight road bike I would have gone over the handlebars whereas the weight of the panniers added much needed ballast to keep me upright. I suspect I may have warped a brake disc on that descent.

During the ride I saw about 10 large birds. They were soaring in the heat of the sun and the uplift from the land. Just stunning and so graceful. Too high for photographing unfortunately. They were not as big as our Golden Eagle but we're bigger than our Buzzard. One was low for a while and it didn't have the V shape associated with a Kite so I am not sure what they were.

It was a taxing ride probably as a result of my lack of cycle fitness but wasn't soul destroying. I'm confident that my fitness will return.

I found my accommodation which is a room in an apartment owned by Sergio. I haven't seen much of him mainly as a result of me rushing out to get food and him being out when I returned. Maybe will catch up over breakfast.

I wandered around Badames. That took all of 15 minutes. A bank, a bar, a restaurant, two supermarkets and a couple of places I didn't recognise due to my very poor Spanish.

The restaurant confirmed that it didn't open for an hour so I retreated to the bar for a beer and a bag of crisps. The bar person (why do I feel guilty for typing barmain then correcting it?) gave me my beer and crisps then turned to serve someone else. No asking for money. You wouldn't get that anywhere in the UK. She trusted me to pay before leaving.

I then headed to the restaurant which now had bar customers. I asked if I could have a table for one using the international signal of fingers at the mouth for eating. I may as well have asked for the moon. There was shaking of heads, huffing and puffing, checking of the diary and then more shaking of heads. That would be a no then? So with lack of food , 30 hilly km and a beer I was feeling somewhat giddy with hunger. The beer had gone straight to my head not helping my thought process. I then spotted a plat of ciabatta type rolls filled with cheese and other "stuff". Some more sign language confirmed my desire for one to be heated and served with another beer. I wasn't entirely sure what I was getting. The rolls were sitting under cover in the bar and not refrigerated. Infrared for the worst but hunger was driving me on. A few minutes later it appeared and it was delicious. Why did I doubt Spanish cuisine? Two slabs of bacon, a peeled red pepper (pimento?) and some dodgy looking cheese. It was good enough for a second although this time I had some sense to have a coffee. Two beers and I'm almost pissed, not a good sign.

Afterwards I tried the supermarkets, which seemed to be on siesta when I arrived, but they were closed for the Holy weekend it seems. It looks like breakfast will be flavoured porridge made with water and a cereal bar!

As I walked by to my accommodation I was passed by an elderly, rounded man on a little motorbike. His legs were not on the foot pegs but were hovering just above the ground level like a pair of outriggers giving him balance and confidence. He was barely beating walking speed and was holding up the traffic. The subsequent wobble confirmed he was drunk and had probably been sitting out with many others having wine in the sun. The traffic waited patiently for him to turn off the road (or fall off his bike).

Today's ride: 48 km (30 miles)
Total: 48 km (30 miles)

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