Last night was dew-ilicious so we took longer to get on the road today. The fly was spread over a hedge and given time to dry out while we caught up on the journal, emails and checking out maps for today.
Hit the road around 12 and began our trip around the Basque coastline. First through Plentzia, around past Gorliz and through Armintza. The coast is beautiful! Day was sunny and warm too - clear enough to see far into the distance.
Our goal was San Juan de Gaztelugatxe hermitage just North of Bakio...the lady at Gernika-Lumo info site had told Roni about it and we were keen to experience it for ourselves. Eventually found the correct parking area outside Eneperi restaurant in the middle of nowhere and set out.
The walk down the hill was great then we trekked up the narrow causeway steps to the chapel/hermitage itself. AMAZING views both ways down the coast, cool skinks, big drop on all sides and fantastic ocean view. We clambered out on to the rocks by the surf to have our packed lunch then headed back up the hill. Hot and sweaty work as the ascent went steeply up very quickly.
Both of us THOROUGHLY glad to have made the detour - magnificent.
Back on the road with a quick swim at Mundaka to admire their surf and cool off. Happened to be a 'boobs out' area for young and old alike but Roni wasn't up for following suit! We were cooled off nicely and back on the road to San Sebastian. The road took us back through Gernika-Lumo before heading off into the hills..what seemed like a one way road in width was actually a semi-main highway in these parts!
This wee road took us through any number of small Basque towns - including Ziortzar-Bolibar...so named for Simon Boliviar and with statues and the like of him scattered all over! Mutriku was the first with a massive storm-break-wall in the ocean and one of many to come...all featuring beaches packed with holidaying Spanish too!
Eventually we passed San Sebastian...an accident had occured on the A1 and there were about 10 police personnel around to keep the peace/traffic flowing smoothly. We were impressed with their armoury! One with a shotgun and then another with a BIG semi-automatic. No one would be asking any questions about that accident!!
Made it to Hondarribia where the town was in full FIESTA mode! Once again with armed police keeping things smooth... Roads closed everywhere with people (and houses) decked out in white & red!! Made our way to the coast, found another light house and a camping ground. It wasn't the one we were after (too pricey) then we got distracted by eight French war planes doing aerobatics with coloured smoke over the town! VERY cool.
Eventually they finished and we set out in search of our actual campsite - with success! The proprieter also filled us in on the fiesta details. It runs until Sunday and is in celebration of a battle the town fought against the French in around 1623 - and WON of course!
Set up camp, had dinner, went to the campsite restaurant for a cerveza and played cards to feel like 'normal people' for a bit before retiring to a table in the common area to look at today's pics and write this journal.
Hot showers, hot cuppa and bed is the plan from here on out. With Bray liberally applying Tiger Balm to his entire body as is the norm - addicted after SE Asia he is! Slowly learning not to put it on his eyes though!
