The Road Trip

The van is not full. We have a small pack for the parents and kids and a kit for the extra bloke bigger than thiers for 6. I thought I have perfected the art of travelling light, but these guys have taken the cake. the car has the requisite box of toys and a good supplyof water. the "Bidi" s (dummy) for clancy are stuffed on the dashboards. All the imaginations are ready to go at 10.30 and we are off.
the plan is to drive down to pamplona and via toulouse then head for Bairitz and Bordeaux. So much for plans. So far we have headed south but the plans seem to have changed as we go. Were now heading for the fortified town of St Jean -Pied-de Port , an old town used as a launching pad for pilgrims to Spain-Oh, and spain looks nice. Oh, and so do those hills - lets go left. Warner has a preoccupation, honed from years of travelling, to find small but intimate overnight lodgings. L'Hotel des Sources de la Nive is no different. 4 km on from Esterencuby( about 8 km from St Jen) is a small 25 room hotel stradeling the local stream. If the flat basque hats on the 8 fellows and thier dogs are an indication, we are in the best launcing pad for walkers and shooters in the country. the reverberating gunshots start the eveings walk along the river. The kids are soon depressed by the vines and briers and want the car. the drive to the border makes the Amalfi Coast look sedate and the spectacular views in the pyrenees are breathtaking. were lucky apparently for the good weather. The white concrete road in the high valley indicated we,ve crossed to spain. Kyle is happy. the kids have spotted hundreds of goats with bells and willi has fallen into a frozen mountain stream checkng for snow. What a treat it all is.
The hotels fiest for dinner is hearty vege soup, trout,sausauge and melon cheese, coffee and local vin rouge-12 €. The rugby is depressing (bloody Wilkinson) and the local Basque hunters chug the pear liquer for comfort. The crossant ordeal for breakfast is the only bad thing here. Worth a stay.
Retracing the footsteps over the mountain passes we head for Spain- why not, the day is wonderful. Ochagavia, Garralda, Mezkiritz and Pamplona beckon. Do the mountain crossing if ever your here. Watch the motor bikes, the nutters doing cycling, and dear seem to be as numerous as the kangaroo on the roads. Not as many dead as we drive a lot slower here.
Pamplona is really a good spot for an accident so Phil has one-ask me later. Pamlona is also good for a Tapas lunch and yes, there is the spot where daddy got shot by the gaurdia. the waiter is used to english but finds the Australian children gutsing down lots of octupu s and peppers a real thrill. now lets find a map to see where we are and need to go. Love the planning! this is real by the seat of the pants travell and the kids dont care. Kyle reads the "chronicles" still. See ya in San Sebastian.