Fun in the sun

We've had a relaxing day on the beach at Santander today after days of long walks.

It is one of life's big mysteries why British tourists are nowhere to be found at Santander, despite the fact that ferries from Portsmouth and Plymouth come here several times a week.

For this city is a real gem. It has a touch of class and grandeur that sets it apart from some other Spanish cities we've visited. It also has miles of golden beaches, is rich in historic buildings and is great for shopping.

Everyone who has been to Barcelona raves about La Rambla - a tree-lined pedestrian walkway in the city centre. Well, Santander has a similar impressive feature along Calle San Fernando, but unlike Barcelona's version, it is not lined with human statues and packed solid with thousands of tourists. Instead, it offers a pleasant walk through the city alongside the locals.

It also surprises me how big this place seems because it is spread out along the coast. In actual fact, it is far smaller in terms of area covered and population size than cities like Seville, Valencia and Malaga, for example.

Anyway, as you can see from the photo, it's a good job British tourists avoid Santander and continue their journeys south after leaving the ferry. There must have been tens of thousands of (mainly Spanish) people on the various beaches today. However, it was a lovely, relaxed atmosphere and it was nice to take part in a watery version of the Spanish 'paseo' - walking shin-deep in water up and down the beach.