Dressing the set

The oleanders were taken to the tip this afternoon. Not quite dead but pretty stick-like. Perovskia on the other hand is bursting with pretty green leaves. So after a reunion lunch at Roaix (greeted with much pleasure by the owner) in glorious warm sunshine, we headed for Bricomarché to buy plants. It is 22 degrees at teatime, the lady opposite is mowing her 'lawn' and the martins are overhead. Very pleasant.

Here we are again

Left Castelnaudary at 8 in search of breakfast. No go. The Minervois is full of gloomy villages apparently with no bar. Well there was Homps but we'd gone past it by the time we were hungry. Eventually we chanced upon a little épicerie cum restaurant in Pouzols run by a charming young woman who served us good coffee. Decided to cut our losses and get the motorway from Béziers so we were home by 12.30. And now we are doing our tour of inspection round the friends.The geological jigsaw is already on the kitchen wall!

Cross country

by heck it were a long day! We started out looking for yet another lighthouse, previously unknown. It is in Socoa the little harbour a mile away. But tricky to locate despite it being on rue du Phare. Eventually we got there then retraced our steps to the centre for breakfast. Pastries are pretty scrummy here..Portuguese custard tarts and Gâteau Basque, but we just had delicious croissants and thinnish coffee. And then onward to Biarritz and the major lighthouse.

Again, no easy achievement as the roads were all dug up and deviations in place. I took the initiative and struck out through elegant blocks of apartments in the direction of where I thought it would be. Adrian tutting alongside the while. As luck would have it I got it right and we emerged from Le beau monde right in front of the tower! Lovely spot Biarritz, but busy.

Then my treat - a visit to Bayonne, home of ham and chocolate. On the way we detoured via the mouth of the Adour where we discovered a huge ice rink. How weird! Bayonne is lovely. On two rivers, not too big. Cafés all over and smart shops. Plus a Vauban citadel.







We then motored east and left the Atlantic behind. Instead we had the Pyrennees in the distance running the whole way across to our right. A folded snow covered barrier like a 16th century ruff. The countryside is flattish and undulating. Very green, farming land. And one town that grows Kiwi fruit with protected status. The roundabout sports a pair of concrete fruit with a slice cut out so you can see what it is! Sandwiches overlooking the river at Navarrenx (salmon fishing capital). Some hours later we made it to Ibis Budget Castelnaudary. Adrian has just had cassoulet. I went for the parmentier de canard.

Basqueing

What a full day. Started out by travelling across the river on the Transporter Bridge at Portugalete. Great stuff. I went on it many years ago and am delighted that it's still so popular. People use it to commute and there were long queues either side..

We then had breakfast in a riverside bar overlooking the fine facades opposite. These riverside towns are so smart with beautiful Basque houses in strong dark paintwork and glassed in verandahs.

Our journey today was mostly along the coast but we got some kilometres out of the way by taking the fast road to Gernika. Didn't stop because it demands more time than we had. The countrydide is verdant and wooded hills with twisty roads and we thought we'd never get to the sea! But we did and what a pretty stretch of coast. Well more than pretty, spectacular. This is Leikeitio, a charming village with harbour and vast sandy bay with an island accessible by causeway.

Berlingo was still covered in salt despite the onboard sluicing and Adrian's efforts with a wet towel so we gave him a wash and blow dry at a roadside garage. Then eventually lunch on the beach at Zarautz- intrepids were surfing... and on through San Sebastian. Not really worth it as we weren't going to stop and it was so busy. Meant we failed to go to the one place I'd really wanted to visit at Passsajes San Juan. That is soooo pretty. A riaside village of perfect Basque houses and historic buildings. Lafayette sailed from here on his second voyage to the US. Instead we headed over the mountain to Hondarribia. Wild country with masses of vultures/eagles circling and views back towards San Seb and forwards to Biarritz.

Final stop before the border was the lighthouse at Higuer outside Hondarribia. To the north lies the long sandy coastline of France. This is your actual border. One side of the river is Spain, the other France.

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And then back into France. No border just a blue sign with eurostars and the info Frantxia 1 kilometre. The only clue was the fact that roadsigns suddenly spoke French instead of Spanish and Basque. We are staying in Ciboure, birthplace of Ravel and our hotel window is directly behind the lighthouse! What were the chances? St Jean de Luz is across the harbour - they are really the same place. Fabulous. Adrian can watch the lights flash all night...

Bilbao

Got in on the dot of 2.15 and made it to Ibis without incident..me at the wheel! Then, with some trepidation we motored into the centre via the urban motorway. Actually quite easy. But nowhere to park on the street, every space was taken. Eventually I resorted to the underground carpark near Guggenheim and we resigned ourselves to paying!
The museum itself glinted like some Disney fortress in the weak sunlight and the massive puppy was planted with pansies. What a curiously ugly edifice it is. Best bit is the Louise Bourgeois spider by the river. Love it!

We walked along the river for a while admiring the buildings and bridges. Gosh how it's changed in 30 years. So smart and clean and full of interest. Then up into the town where we chanced upon the Bar Iruña, the most wonderful Art Nouveau café/bar with pintxos. As we hadn't had lunch we sat at the counter and snacked on delicious ham rolls, pots of octopus and chicken and pineapple mousse.










More wandering down across to the old town and river. There were various demonstrations dotted about. A hunger strike over 15% cuts in some social security benefits, a curious mass of people with dogs complaining about a new law concerning potentially dangerous breeds of dog. I think it's about who can own them but not sure. Never really thought of the Spaniards as doggy folk! I noticed that the Bank of Santander are still paying 3% on their 123 Account here! Hmm, should I transfer my account to Spain?

The bar I'd hoped we could eat in wasn't open so we headed back across the river to the Iruña where we had yet more pintxos - tortillas - and Adrian had a lamb brochette. Plus Rioja. Then home to our lovely comfy Ibis and a nice hot shower.

Fitzroy

No joy. We sailed to the west of Ouessant. But we did see the red lights of Stiff and Jument and the glorious reassuring sweep of Creach's greeny light as it illuminated the horizon for miles each way. A choppy night.

Anyway I am on Spanish time now. It's 10.30 and we are somewhere in the Bay of Biscay below Bordeaux. Scudding clouds and patches of blue with the sun struggling through. It looks windy from what I can see out on the cardeck. A chap with a yellow hosepipe is swilling down the cars, presumably to get the salt off. How kind.

Now approaching Bilbao. Mountains appearing on the horizon. Very windy but  not  rough and bright sun.

A life on the ocean wave

Not even a robin awoke as we slid away at 3.45. The World Service was discussing South Sudan. We drove into a Manderley-like sunrise and arrived in the lovely city of Portsmouth just before 7. All aboard the Baie de Seine and off down the eastern Solent past Ryde and Bembridge into the Channel. Loads of Big Ships trundling up the lanes.

The sun is out and we've spent time on deck watching the ships and waves. The onboard Marauders' Map shows us passing the Channel islands and turning southwards round Brittany. We have great hopes of sailing between Ouessant and the mainland and thus seeing all our favourite lighthouses. We shall see....






Lunch was caramelised sauté pork with basmati rice and rats. Indifferent coffee. The ship is sparsely equipped but what there is is well appointed, including a fabulous reading lounge on top with panoramic windows and comfy seats and sofas. Civilised. And our cabin has proper beds!

¡ olé !

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Next Saturday, 25 March, we will slip away under cover of darkness to Portsmouth for the 08.45 ferry to Bilbao. Thence westwards through the Western Approaches and south across the Bay of Biscay. Of course, Sod's Law... the clocks go forward that night so we will lose TWO hours.
We'll only spend a day or two in Basqueland, driving from Bilbao via Guernica and St Sebastian (Gernika and Donostia) to Ciboure and Bayonne. Golly - it's thirty years since I was there, working for OUP.