Santander to Salamanca

Once off the ferry, we set the GPS to Salamanca, hoping to get as far as was possible in the remaining afternoon of the day. This time in Spain is only to be a short interval, the main aim being to get to the Med coast and Algeceris by Monday.

We drove past the Picos de Europa, high mountains with a healthy capping of snow still present. The wind certainly still has its icy touch to be felt. Onward through valleys green with crops of all kinds. Even without climbing snowy peaks, we still reached over 1000 metres in altitude crossing small mountain ranges, one after another. Again we saw the hilltops around us bristling with wind turbines, resembling from a distance white toothpicks stuck upright in the landscape. And whether we were on motorway or backroad, there seemed to be hardly any traffic - is the economic downturn stopping people from travelling or using their cars? At one stage, we were the only vehicle of any type in both directions on a stretch of motorway!

Salamanca is a stunner of a place - we visited it last year and loved the ancient, mellow, golden sandstone buildings and streets. It has to be one of the most beautiful places we have ever been. But no time to 'do' it a second time and simply a night in a campground we stayed in before.

Did I mention it was cold and raining? Sunny Spain? Not a chance…