Check in here for our progress, or lack thereof, as we attempt to cross the Pyranees then France on our tandem. The first post will hopefully appear on 24th July.
We slept on our bed with no covers in our static caravan. Not because it was hot. In fact, it was cold. But the ferocious staff only gave us one sheet and two pillow cases. It's an odd feeling, going to bed fully clothed in your 'day' clothes but without the security of a sheet. Just a sheet. That's all you need as a barrier between you and the outside world. In spite of such an extreme bed situation, we slept. Every now and again, we would wake up and find something else to put on but we slept. Because we had passed no shops for miles the previous day, we had no food or drinks so when the alarm went off at 7am, we had no choice but to have a drink of water (no alternative beverages being available), get into our wet, cold clothes (we had washed them the night before) load up the tandem and go. But not before the lady in white appeared and demanded €10 with menaces for kindly lending us the inadequate bedding. It wasn't the easiest first few miles. No breakfast, n...
I heard lots of watery sounds at about 6am and decided that either one of our hosts was having a vigorous shower or it was chucking it with rain. Alas, it was the latter. But no matter for a while because first we had breakfast to look forward to. There was a door which joined our accommodation to their half of the house which they kept locked but said they would unlock it for breakfast at 8, so that we could go through to the dining room. At about thirty seconds to 8, we heard the key turn in the lock. Breakfast was excellent and we sat in a magnificent room to eat it. The size of the wardrobes alone was something to marvel at. The French still take their wardrobes seriously (quite right too) and it didn't stretch the imagination much to consider finding a lion or a witch in this particular structure. Our hosts were lovely. By far the most welcoming so far and happy to communicate despite the fact that all conversation was in French. In the end, though, we had to set off in...
Incense. This, mingled with cigarette smoke was a constant presence whilst we stayed in the air bnb near Bayonne. It was an interesting experience all round. The whole of Bayonne was populated with people wearing white T shirts and red neckerchiefs. In the end, I asked our host why. It turned out that there was a festival for the whole weekend in Bayonne. I learnt that it was to involve much singing, dancing and drinking but my French comprehension didn't stretch to the reason for looking like a cross between sailors and cheerleaders. However, the other guests in this house were young. It doesn't matter how much we like to think that we're 'down with the kids', we just aren't. The revellers returned at regular intervals throughout the night, ranging from the considerate to the 'too anebriated to care'. There was never more than a two hour gap and we completed the sequence by getting up at 7am. incessant. The day was how I hoped it would be. One, giant b...
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