Welcome to the Rudloe and environs website.
Here you will find news, articles and photos of an area that straddles the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in north-west Wiltshire.
Contributions in the form of articles or photos are welcome. Even those with completely contrary views to mine!
Thanks to the website builder 1&1 and Rob Brown for the original idea.
Rudloescene now, in January 2014, has a sister, academic rather than anarchic, website about Box history here: http://www.boxpeopleandplaces.co.uk/
It contains thoroughly professional, well-researched articles about Box and its people.
Contact rudloescene through the 'Contact' page.
Santillana del Mar is like Castle Combe, Lacock, Biddestone ... rolled into one with bells on
The journey from Leon to Santillana was the longest on the trip. It involved 'crossing' the Picos de Europa, part of the Cantabrian mountain range and there were many spectacular sights, most of which just remain in the memory. Luckily we chose the minor road (possibly the N630), not the autovia (A66), which wound through mountain villages and ran by the railway for most of its length. We did stop at a mountainside cafe and the pictures below are from that stop.
Now to Santillana del Mar ... According to many sources, Santillana del Mar is The Town of Three Lies, since it is neither a Saint (Santo), nor flat (llana), nor is it by the sea (Mar) as implied by its name.
Tourist shops amongst medieval buildings in Santilla but the interiors of all the shops are also medieval
The medieval streets are impossible for wheelchairs or buggies
This lean-to covers a trough. The Colegiata, a Romanesque church and former Benedictine monastery, is beyond.
The Palacio de los Velarde in the Plaza de las Arenas
Plaza de las Arenas
Santillana is also on a pilgrims' route
The Colegiata
Intricate brickwork on this building
A small art museum; the main museum is the Museum of Torture which has no particular significance to Santillana (we didn't visit)
The street, Calle Canton, on which our hotel was situated
The Plaza Mayor with restaurant El Castillo at left
The Plaza Mayor and restaurant El Castillo
The Plaza Mayor with the Ayuntamiento (town council) building (town hall) at left
Santillana interiors ...
The lobby of our hotel, Casa de Marques
The first-floor landing at Casa de Marques
The lobby at Casa de Marques
The lobby at Casa de Marques
Front door detail at Casa de Marques
Front door detail at Casa de Marques
Front door detail at Casa de Marques
In the garden of Casa de Marques
Lobby of Hotel Altamira in Calle Canton
Local produce, including "the honey corner" at the back
Tienda de ropa in a medieval setting
The staircase of the clothes shop
The vegetarian main course of a 5-course set meal at El Castillo. As well as the five courses, bread, wine and coffee were included for 55 euros
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