Return from Santander – Thursday

Reached Santander with time for a stroll around the fishing harbour and to shop for some essential Spanish food supplies before boarding Brittany Ferries flagship Pont-Aven for the return journey to Plymouth.  Making room in the boot for our selection of Spanish sausages, Cantabrian anchovies, tinned shellfish, 5 litres of olive oil and a rather nice goats cheese we reflected this was definitely one very good reason to bring the car.

Watched the Spanish coastline disappear from the shelter of the aft deck, warmth and gentle motion very conducive to dropping off for a nap.
Later I picked up an audio tour from the main information desk and spent an enjoyable hour learning about the artworks aboard the Pont-Aven, herself named after the school of art centered on the town of Pont-Aven in Brittany.  The tour covers not only the art; paintings, sketches, photographs, ceramics, installations .., but also the fabric and spaces of the ship. Much of the inspiration is drawn from modern Brittany.   Particularly fun are the the scenes of bars and dancing in the Mezzanine Bar. They are the work of Olivier Lapicque, created with layers of tin covered lead to look like intimate theatre sets.

And the special moment of the trip? Looking up from the post I was sending to see two whales come to the surface blowing water spouts.