Treats, treats and more treats! We’re on the move early because it’s a big, big, big day…with treats.

A little jiggy, jaggy jog from Santander is Torrelavega. We’re here to see the big virgin church, or Iglesia de la Virgen Grande (seriously, that’s what it’s called). It’s kinda ugly outside – all brutal and mean looking. But the amazing thing about this church is the ceiling. It’s all brick, no steel, no concrete just a method of using bricks called graphic statics. 

After the big virgin, we’ll drive around Torrelavega a little and then pretend that we can eat some of the pastries they make there. I guess it’s a bit of a thing with the Torrelavegans (I don’t think they call themselves that). They like to name pastries after their town: like the Polkas de Torrelavega and the Holjadres de Torrelavega. There’s also some other pastries, Pantortillas de Reinosa and Carbayones and the last one is also called Holjadres de Torrelavega. I don’t care what they call them, I’ll pretend I want to eat them all…but I’m not pretending. 

Our next stop is not a Lego cathedral. It’s not Lego and it’s not even a cathedral, even though it looks like one. This is a private villa that was designed by Antoni Gaudí, the man that designed the famous ‎Sagrada Família‎ in Barcelona. 

We’re driving along the coast now from from Comillas on our way to our next destination. We drive through San Vicente de la Barquera but don’t really stop. We’re just here to stare it this for a good fifteen minutes before we move on.

Yep, that’s just pure travel fantasy porn. It’s overdoing it a bit but I don’t think you mind. Anyway, those mountains in the background, we’re headed there next – the Pico de Europa. Beware, your heart will skip, your head will swoon and your palms will sweat. 

Out F-U-C-K-I-N-G standing, babe. We can’t get enough. You want to keep going up but Andre seems tired. Well, we’re in luck! There’s a cable car to the top at a little place called Fuente De. Yayyyy!

By now, mountains are casting long shadows over the valleys. It’s time to get back to the coast. Happily, it’s not very far – just a little over an hour to our campground by the sea at Camping Las Arenas. Our hosts Pablo and Javier will be waiting for us at the front gate. 

We’re perched on the very edge of Cantabria. Tomorrow we will spill over into Asturias. Oh, oh, oh, Asturias! There needs to be a song.