This is the very first after study travel, with nothing else in mind but he will to travel, we can’t wait to leave!

We wake up at sunrise, directed at the Orio al Serio airport (Bergamo). Unfortunately Ryanair has decided to leave our totally convenient airport in Caselle – it was clearly too expensive – and has obliged us to reach Malpensa or Orio to travel in Europe. But surely we do not stop at the first inconvenient.

We take our chance: a cheap flight, a friend in Santander who runs a Surf house and the last month of this seasonly flight Bergamo-Santander before Ryanair to stop the route for the winter. Two days off at work joined at a random weekend and here we are for these 4 vacation days.

Roberto come pick us up at the airport and an hour later we are in San Vicente de la Barquera, at the Sanvi Surf House, where another Roberto – so one cannot get confused! – wait for us with a tasty italian coffee and some pasta.

San Vicente de la Barquera

San Vicente de la Barquera, one of the wonders of Cantabria

Couple hours after landing we are ready for our first surf lesson: we put on the wetsuit, a short briefing of the basic notions and here we go, we get in the water!

The water is way warmer than we thought and the day is not at all an autumn one. The lesson is being held from some local instructors very nice and funny from the Buena Onda surf school, with whom surf house Sanvi works together to offer always amazing surf experiences along with the ones held by Roberto himself.

The night, famished after the two long hours spent paddling and surfing, – we are standing already, very good! – we go out eating in town, in one of the many nice places Robertos adviced us. 38€ and we are full of fish, meat, wine, dessert and coffee, and everything totally tasty and good!

Sup

SUP – stand up paddling – at the Palombera dam

A good night sleep  give us the necessary strenght for the long day and be ready for today’s activities.

After a good and full breakfast we get in the van and go, together with Roberto to try a new sport – for us at least – the stand up paddling, or better known as SUP, in the stunning frame of the Palombera dam, less than half an hour from San Vicente.

We discover a great sport, funny and interesting, perfect to discover lakes and rivers, getting into the most hidden clefts and we surely will do it again in the valleys near home.

Sanvi Surf house

Relax with a nice book at the Surf House Sanvi after a long day of sport

After the last dip in the river, we dry ourselves up and go back home, towards our relaxing night ad the Surf House. A fishbased dinner is waiting for us and lots of relax: reading a book on the terrace and an after dinner movie to recharge before tomorrow long day.

We wake up under a cloudy sky and are a little bit worried, but we trust the clouds are low and our day in the mountains will be a great success!

Ruta del Cares

The wonderful Ruta del Cares, stunning landscapes carved in an ancient canyon

A little more than an hour drive bring us into this amazing canyon and we park shortly after the little town of Poncebos.

The path runs all along the canyon, on an old but perfectly keep mule-track. The heightdrop is little, not more than 500 meters in total and the 11 kilometers trail goes by fast.

In some part you pass into tunnels and holed in the mountain, really evocative places.

Ruta del Cares

The Ruta del Cares on the edge of Rio Cares

At the end of the trail we get in the little town of Caìn where, for a very cheap price, they give us a trasty and very, very hearty lunch, coffee, dessert and liquor included.

Caìn is a peculiar place, full with cats which probably take their chances of a good meal with the many tourists.

The way back is slower, we are heavy from the big lunch, maybe too big, but we enjoy the view nontheless. Some hours later we are at the car, right on time to avoid the rain which begin to fall while we drive home.

San Vicente de la Barquera

The very relaxing view from Surf House Sanvi terrace, perfect to forget the city stress

We spend the last night again at the Surf House. We prepare another cheap still tasty dinner, then a chat with the new hosts coming from the Netherlands this morning – by car, with their own surf board on the roof! – and begin to prepare our backpacks.

Tomorrow is the last day, a morning of surfing and then another couple hours of relax and discover this wonderf part of Cantabria is waiting for us, but now is better to sleep to have the energies to fully enjoy the last day here.

San Vicente de la Barquera

Last surf lesson, us and the instructor alone: surfing in october has its advantages

A nice sun wake us up, it is almost a summer day with very little to do with the grey October day back in Turin we are used to and will come back in a few hours.

We enjoy to the last second the nice surf lesson with our personal instructor – October weekend can offer some nice surprises – more than two hours of theory and lots of waves, the perfect way to end this long weekend. And since we are close to the airport we can enjoy till the last moment of this holyday.

After a last good meal and a shower to clean the sea salt, we go together with Roberto & Roberto to enjoy their well deserved hours of surf.

San Vicente de la Barquera

Roberto during his half-hour yoga before going surf the waves, everybody know surf and yoga stick well together!

It’s time to go, this vacation is ended already and we have a short way back home ahead.

But this is not a final farewell, this amazing place is full of places to discover and sports to try again and again, we will come back, that’s sure.

See you soon Surf House Sanvi, goodbye Roberto & Roberto!

AP

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