Ola Espana

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A day of driving, and despite making some really good progress for most of our journey, as has been the case on all the drives, there was about a 30km section towards the end that took forever (well, over an hour, which is forever when you’ve been doing 30km in 15 mins and your butt is sore from 6 hours in the car).

Spain gave us superbly warm (about 34C, warm) “ola” to us at about 4.30pm local time. It had been a long day so we went straight to the hotel to get a bit settled and give the boys a nap. We’re staying at the Ibis in Irun which is a small town just inside the Spanish border. It’s a bit of a nothing town, but we’re staying here, and in the Ibis, because it is near impossible to find anything of a reasonable price anywhere else, especially in neighbouring San Sebastian.

After a kip we headed into the town centre for a wander. It’s a nice enough place, but you get the feeling that there is not a lot to do, and that the place only exists because it is the first town inside the border. One of the striking things we noticed while walking through town was the masses and masses of babies, push chairs and toddlers around - a noticeably disproportionate number! Maybe this is related the point above?

We grabbed some supplies and discussed the merits of the days journey, including the totally indiscrete way that men in France relieve themselves on the side of the road…no walking to the nearest tree or bush or behind a building, just standing right by their car in full view as you drive by within a couple of feet…if you had your window open you’d probably cop more than an eyeful.

We nearly forgot the great way we left St Antonin in the morning. There is an old train route which they have literally derailed and turned in to a scenic drive out of the town. It’s only a 15 min detour (minus any stopping for mandatory photos) and puts you back on the main route so it is well worth the effort. The route takes you up into the hills (some of the ones we saw yesterday) and through a hole in the mountain and under massive rock overhangs. It was a scenic spectacle and one that put us in good stead for the long day ahead.

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