I have just returned from a most enjoyable trip to Santander. I am planning to share with you a full report of my stay there as soon as I have the time to write it...watch this space!

Can't wait for the trip report and the absolute jealousy it will undoubtedly engender!

Mayfair hasn't been the same without you. BTW, where's Santander?

Really looking forward to it as I'm headed to Santander in July!

And MK2, in case you don't know, your assessment of the city of Antwerp, (for which I heartily concur) contained in your Antwerp trip report of some time ago, is now enshrined in the new Fodor's 2006 Gold edition on Belgium- so check it out!

P.S. And everyone who hasn't checked to find their posts enshrined in the 2006 Fodor's Gold Editions of Italy, Venice and the Venetian Arc, Florence, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, France and Belgium Guidebooks, (to name a few that I looked through) should do so straightaway. It's kind of a kick to see our posts there-thanks, Fodors Editors!

MK2 enshrined in print? Oh, there is definitely going to be a slow burn going on down South!

Carrybean writes: "Mayfair hasn't been the same without you. BTW, where's Santander?"

Santander is on the north coast (Mar Cantabrico) west of Bilbao & Laredo. A beautiful summer resort, especially el Sardinero, where you'll find one of the best beaches in Europe.

Ferry service: Plymouth (UK)-Santander operates about 4-days weekly in the summer season. Nearby attractions to Santander: Santillana del mar, Bilbao, the Picos de Europa and Potes, Capital of a region called Liebana. And if you are into religious stuff there's the Monasterio of Santo Toribio just outside Potes, the Archbishop's Palace and Universidad Pontifical on the hill overlooking nearby Comillas where you can also visit Gaudi's 'Caprichos,' a building that houses an Oriental restaurant.

I feel that I would be remiss if I didn't also mention Limpias, a village south of Laredo where the Crucifix in the Church is said to 'bleed;' then there's Garabandal, near Cabezon de la sal, where Marian Apparitions were supposed to have happened in 1960. The Church hasn't sanctioned that site but Pilgrims go there anyhow.

Santander is also the site of Spain's first Public Golf Course and UIMP (Universidad Internacional de Menendez Pelayo).

Santander has a Santiago Fiesta around 15-22 July: daily bullfights and many other fiesta-related activities. If you haven't figured it out, Santander is one of my favorite places on God's Green earth.

Spygirl,

How do you link to the Fodors 2006 Gold Editions? Is it in the internet?

Welcome home! I look forward to your report.

Cruiseluv-

No, unfortunately, you can't look online- you have to go to the bookstore and just look through them, one by one (I believe I saw you there somewhere).

Patrick appears 3 times in 3 different guides, by my calculation. MaureenB's post on Amsterdam sets the Ch. 1 scene for that city. But it is DCD who really gets the nod -he/she is given the chapter 1 honor for the Venice guidebook, as well as having the same post on Venice quoted in the beginning of the Veneto section of the Italy guidebook! kudos to him/her!

I was surprised (and pleased) to see that I made it into the Venice guide as well, again, as with the London guidebook, on day trips out of Venice -my post on Bassano del Grappa (what is it with me and posts on day trips?)

Thanks Spygirl,

Maybe I'll take a trip to Borders tomorrow!

Thanks, Nedsireland for the info. I'd never heard of it & it sounds fascinating.

Whoever said that Fodor's "doesn't get anything out of this board"???????

OK, OK ... so you will be so lucky to be able to check the new Fodors guide and find out what MK2 thought about Antwerpen ... but I don´t think I´ll be so lucky to find them in Spain ... must rush to the FNAC this afternoon ...

Anyway, MK2, I am awaiting for your report and to find out how did you survive last week´s awful heat (not so normal at this time of the year up North ...)

Rgds, Cova

Oh, oh... only early June and they started with the heat wave in Northern Spain? last year I was there in early July and even places like Oviedo and Santiago were HOT! I don't even want to think how they'll be this year in August! ¡Que será, será!

Yes, MK, please come back and let us know about your trip!