Been There, Done That: June 2021

More sites from the north of Spain

Today I thought I would share some details from a few other cities that are also located in the north of Spain. While overlooked by the typical tourist, they each have buildings that are worth visiting if one enjoys good architecture. Especially nice is that for a traveler like myself who relies on public transportation, these are all easily accessible by bus or train.

A Coruña

I have been to A Coruña several times now and always enjoy my visits to this UNESCO world heritage site. One of the defining features of many of the homes are the enclosed glazed balconies, a way to handle the sometimes difficult weather. But the notable new piece of architecture is the Domus, an interactive science museum. The nearby northern end of the city is a large park area surrounded on three sides by water and features the Tower of Hercules, the only operating Roman era lighthouse.

Domus

Arata Isozaki, 1995

R. Ángel Rebollo, 91, 15002 A Coruña, Spain

https://www.coruna.gal/mc2/es/domus

Tower of Hercules

unknown, 1st or 2nd Century

Av. Navarra, s/n, 15002 A Coruña, Spain

http://www.torredeherculesacoruna.com/

Comillas

A bit off the beaten path for more people, Comillas is a lovely sea-side town that is best known for one of the few Gaudi sites outside of Catalunya. El Capricho is sometimes known as the "Sunflower House" due to the sunflower design ceramic tiles on the exterior of the home. Somewhat smaller than most of Gaudi's buildings, it has now been totally restored.

The Sobrellano Palace and Chapel which serves as the family pantheon was built for the Marquess of Comillas who made his fortune in trading with Cuba. Both are done in Neo-Gothic style and sit on a hilltop overlooking the city sit next door to El Capricho.

I reached Comillas easily by bus from Santander and the ride out was pretty. I made the trip in earlt October and was surprised at the number of pilgrims I encountered on the Camino Norte.

El Capricho de Gaudi

Antonio Gaudi 1883-1885

Barrio Sobrellano, s/n, 39520 Comillas, Cantabria, Spain

http://www.elcaprichodegaudi.com/

Sobrellano Palace and Chapel

Unknown, C. 1882

Barrio Sobrellano, s/n, 39520 Comillas, Cantabria, Spain

https://centros.culturadecantabria.com/sobrellano-palace/

Santander

Santander was added to my itinerary as a place to switch from the train to the bus for my journey to Comillas, but I had a couple of evenings to enjoy the city. Built on a bay, Santander is a good sized city with lots to offer. The waterfront has been largely transformed from working docks to parks and public amenities. The Cathedral was built over the 13th Century Christ Church (photo below) and dates to the 14th and 15th centuries, though significant modifications have been made.

My favorite place was the Centro Botin, a combined Museum and Cultural center that sits on the waterfront and the design make great use of the setting. with the end of the buildings projecting out over the water. On exhibit while I was there was an excellent retrospective on Alexander Calder. The nearby Palacete del Embarcadero is a former passenger terminal now converted into a jewel box like museum.