Stops along the Way: Northern Spain

Logroño's Stone Bridge is one of the city's symbols, appearing in its coat of
arms as early as 1285.

Our recent trip to the Iberian Peninsula starts with a visit to Spain's northern coast. This is the part that runs from the border with France westward. Our stops coincide with stops along the Camino de Santiago, and although we are not pilgrims, we take note of sites along this famous religions/spiritual route known in English as the Way of Saint James.

Logroño
(616 km from Santiago de Compostela)

This statue in Logroño pays tribute to those hiking the
Camino de Santiago.

I begin our story in Logroño, which is actually the last stop of our month-long trip, and then pick up the trail at the beginning, in Santander.

Concatedral de Santa Maria de la Redonda stands in the heart of Logroño's Old Town.

The capital city of La Rioja, Logroño is known for its wine, heritage, bridges, towers, churches, and — our excuse for an overnight stop here — its amazing tapas. As I said, the city is a stop along the Camino de Santiago. Hopefully those traversing the Way are not yet weary when they arrive in Logroño: They still have around 600 kilometers to go before they reach their destination.

Signs of Logroño's cultural dynamism can be seen in its concert halls, galleries,
and street art.

Those seeking to hear the beating heart of the Spanish wine country must stop into one of Logroño's eight calados (underground cellars). These caves, built in ashlar stone, maintain the ideal temperature for wine production. Ascend to street level and you're in the Old Town, where we admire several churches. Before we settle in for a glass or two of Rioja, we stroll along the Río Ebro and check out Stone Bridge and Iron Bridge from Parque del Cubo. At last, it is nearly 19:30 and we eagerly head to Laurel Street for pinchos, the Rioja's version of "tapas."

Santander
(471 km from Santiago de Compostela)

Bronze statues commemorating the city fire of 1941 stand in the center of Santander.

Now I return to the start of our trip where we've just enough energy after our long drive, to hop a train into Santander from the suburb in which we're staying. I am somewhat baffled by the city; perhaps I haven't yet found my tourist sea legs, nor my (usual) innately good sense of direction. But with the help of some kind locals, we set out for an evening in the Cantabria region's capital city.

The plaza of Santander's Casa Consistoral is lively on this Monday evening. 

Capricho de Gaudí

Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926) was only 30 years old when he finished El Capricho,
the residence of lawyer Máximo Díaz de Quijano (1838-1885).

The next morning, I am refreshed and ready to embark on a day trip. Our first stop is Capricho de Gaudí, located in the village of Comillas. El Capricho, or Villa Quijano, was designed by Antoni Gaudí in 1883-85. The small colorful palace is considered to be Gaudí's first important work, and its construction marks the start of the Modernist movement.

Ceramic sunflowers adorn the exterior of Capricho de Gaudí in Comillas,
Cantabria, Spain.

Framed with oriental accents, the Smoking Room in
El Capricho is positioned to catch the last of the evening light. 

The scissor-beam design of the attics of El Capricho allows for a bright,
expansive space. 

We are just about the only visitors here this morning, which allows us to take our time exploring the house and garden — one of the architect's few landscaping projects that has been preserved. The home is a rich mixture of textures and materials that pay tribute to nature.

El Capricho is seen from the grotto at the back of the garden.

The garden at El Capricho was design by Gaudí and is one of his few
landscapes projects that have been preserved.

Santillana del Mar and Altamira
(446 km from Santiago de Compostela)

I've been looking forward to visiting Santillana del Mar, a village described in the guidebooks as one of the prettiest in this part of Spain. The staff at the tourist office is about the friendliest we've met, and in addition to a map, they give me a new wall calendar, which is now hanging in my kitchen.

Claustro y Colegiata de Santa Juliana, a collegiate church in Santillana
del Mar, was erected over an ancient monastery from the 9th century.

This weathered sculpture sits at the entrance to Colegiata de
Santa Juliana in Santillana del Mar.

We spend an hour or so browsing in the shops along the narrow cobblestone streets before settling in for a pleasant lunch of Spanish tortillas and local cider. The medieval village is remarkably well preserved, and we count ourselves lucky to visit without the thousands of tourists that come here in the high season.  

Renowned for its magnificent colorful cave paintings and rock engravings,
Altamira is the most famous of 17 such caves discovered in the mountains
along Spain's northern coast.

Just two kilometers from town is Altamira, one of my can't-miss destinations. Since the cave of Altamira was (re)discovered in 1868, scholars, artists and visitors have come here to study and admire its trove of prehistoric paintings. Like Lascaux in France, (see my story here) the cave has been recreated to shield the original from being "loved to death."

A simulated archaeological dig is exhibited along the path to the Altamira's neocave.

We are given a reservation time to enter the "neocave," (which we will not need as there are only four of us) and we are free to visit the small museum while we wait. Upon entering the neocave, we watch a short film then walk along a pathway into a large room whose ceiling contains Altamira's incredible art. Yeah, yeah, I know it's just a re-creation, but nonetheless, the bisons, goats and horses are pretty awesome.

Clever exhibits at the Altamira museum help visitors understand the importance
of the prehistoric site.

Afterwards, we take a walk to the entrance to the actual Cave of Altamira, which is open to only five lucky random visitors each week. We've enjoyed our visit here, made all the more enjoyable that admission was only 3 euros.

Luarca
(214 km from Santiago de Compostela)

The old harbormaster's office sits by the sea in Luarca. 

The second leg of our journey takes us through the Asturias region of Spain, cradled between the mountains and the ocean. We stop for lunch in the village of Luarca where we catch the morning market and stroll along the harbor before having a startlingly authentic lunch of calamari in a pungent black sauce.

Ribadeo
(177 km to Santiago de Compostela)

Our lodgings for the night in Ribadeo come with this view over Rias Altas.

We reach our destination of Ribadeo on the Asturias-Galicia border early enough to spend the afternoon and evening exploring the charming fishing town. We feel relaxed and at home as we walk through the streets, discovering the squares and statues that dot this stop along the route to Santiago de Compostela, tomorrow's destination.

This tall couple stand along Rúa de San Roque in Ribadeo.

Colorful houses lead to the harbor in Ribadeo.

A sign in Ribadeo reminds us we are along the Camino de
Santiago.

Ken stands next to a wall with its own unique charm in Ribadeo.

Santiago de Compostela

A discordant workers' protest clears the usual crowds from Praza do Obradoiro
in Santiago de Compostela. 

Santiago de Compostela is a large city, but I've done my homework and we locate a parking garage and easily make our way to the historical quarter. Even before our obligatory stop at the tourism office, we find ourselves in a nearly empty Praza do Obradoiro, one of the plazas surrounding the famous cathedral. We figure out right away why there is hardly anyone here. An ear-splitting drone of drums and horns blares from beneath one of the arcades, making it nearly impossible to stop and admire the cathedral from this angle. We later find out that the noise is part of a workers' protest and that the demonstration goes on all day each Tuesday. Point taken.

The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela is said to be the burial
place of Saint James the Great, an apostle of Jesus Christ.

The cathedral of Santiago de Compostela contains hundreds
of exterior details such as this.

A knotted rope secures the botafumerio, the large incense burner
that swings in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

The cathedral is undergoing massive reconstruction, but we admire the interior and reflect on those who have made the challenging pilgrimage here. Several sculptures and a pilgrims museum honor those who have walked (or biked) the Camino de Santiago.

Santiago de Compostela's cathedral can be seen ahead
as we walk along the city's narrow streets.

The fair weather and pretty streets provide us with a delightful afternoon before we continue southward to Portugal.