Dawn

Dawn

Monday, March 23, 2009

I’m in Santander today, en route to the UK. And writing this over a dish of squid in onions. And salt . . .

Santander’s historic centre was destroyed in a fire years ago but it still retains its splendid fin-de-siecle mansions along the coast road out of the city. Quite glorious in today’s sun. Of which, ironically, there will be more in Pontevedra today than anywhere else in Spain. A strange spring.

Talking of coastal places . . . I stayed in the lovely little port of Luarca last night and this morning stopped for a coffee in the equally picturesque little port of Cordillero. Both worth a visit but you might like to know that, whereas hoteliers reduce their prices in the low season, bar/café owners and restaurateurs clearly don’t. At least not where the tourists usually eat and drink. To be expected, I guess.

Which reminds me - the products available in the shop at the ferry port are about 25% more expensive than in the supermarket across the road. Also to be expected, I guess. But I know where I'm buying my mother's gin.

I was surprised to read last night that a quarter of British primary schools now have no male teachers. I had thought that decades of us males being portrayed as latent rapists or paedophiles had totally eliminated us from all places where kids might roam.

But to end on a positive note – It’s a big day for me today. My blog finally made it into Google Alert for Galicia. This week, at least.

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