Day 27 – Enterprise car hire guys in Marbella got an introduction to bikepacking & as appreciation I was handed the keys of an Opel MPV rather than a van – perfect. The drive up to Santander was long & uneventful except for an encounter with a spooky 3-story hotel that appeared out of the mist after dark, high up in the mountains. It was 9pm, the roads & weather were poor & 2 hrs still to go – I needed a bed.
I walked into the noisy bar, still dressed like a bikepacker – everyone turned, gave me the once over & carried on. The place was clearly reserved for truck drivers & I’d been sussed out. On demand, I paid €35, the barman slid the room key down the long bar & turned away – I grabbed it, went to my room & that was that. Next day, by 7am, I was woken by a procession of artics heading out – outside was still miserable & dark, the cloud was about roof height. I got myself together, grabbed breakfast & left.
Day 28 – Having the car was an opportunity to do a little exploring but the weather worsened so continued straight to Santander, parked at the Enterprise return bay early but kept the keys – just in case I changed my mind. It was too wet for the city to look interesting so spent my time in cafés, keeping out of the rain & in searching out accommodation – Hotel Arha – lovely, convenient hotel & only 6 mins from tomorrow’s ferry. I handed back the car keys, read my book & called it a day.
John's Epic Cycle Adventures 