The Slow Boat to Santander

Friday 15th June 2018

Well, here we go again! Another jaunt abandoning our long suffering better halves, however quite whether they’d want to be cycle camping in the Picos Mountains is doubtful 🤔🤪

Alex drove us down to Portsmouth yesterday afternoon and, remarkably, having  dodged the bulk of the UK’s Friday traffic madness, we (that’s Alex, Kevin & I - Neil was making his own way in his own style - as usual) arrived at the Holiday Inn Express in Portsmouth at around 7.30pm. Nice rooms. Shame about the pizza & ‘Are you sitting down for the price of this’ beer, but necessary nevertheless. 

Neil rolled in sometime around 10pm, then promptly disappeared again to park his car elsewhere before returning in a taxi. He too needed a beer!

Saturday 16th June

After a slightly restless night (pre tour nerves?), we were up, breakfasted and away at 7.10am for the short ride through town to the ferry port. 

Four Go Down to the Sea. 

We boarded the Santander ferry without drama & headed straight to our snug little four berth cabin to change. It was going to be a long crossing, as just about the only entertainment for the next 30 odd hours would be eating, drinking, sleeping & farting.........I’ll name that tune in three, etc. 

Sunday 17th June

I think we all slept well, fuelled no doubt, by several glasses of red 🍷; and woke to a pleasant morning & a relaxing breakfast in the Bay of Biscay. The rest of the morning will be spent lounging about until the serious stuff starts when we dock at around 2.15pm. We then head west along the Costa Verde to our first campsite near Comillas. Should be about 35 miles, so should get there around 6pm if all goes smoothly. 🤞🏻

ps. Here’s a typical tourer. God they’re heavy!