mermaid in Santander

Santander, (Cantabria) Spain

The ocean breeze, the smell, the sound of the waves, the different blues of the sky and water along with the saltiness of the sea altogether contribute to blocking out everything happening around me.

One of the three ships used by Christopher Columbus was the well-known Santa Maria, which was said to have a mermaid as its figurehead.  This vessel sank near Haiti in 1492.  In honor of this voyage, a replica of the ship was built in Mexico and sailed back to Spain 500 years later.  This beautiful statue was the original placed on the front of the boat and given to the city of Santander.