To the Pyrenees

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Left Islares and zoomed along the autopista stopping only for the giant Carrefour supermarket just before Bilbao for essentials. Another scorching day as we climbed steeply to Pamplona where we got totally lost, Just couldn't find our way out in the direction required. Tempers frayed in the heat but eventually Jen spotted a sign for the airport which got us back on track. (Our map didn't have the new road which totally threw us). The landscape changes after Pamplona, the mountains are more rounded and lush and the valleys are cultivated. he road to our destination of Ochagavia was twisting but good. Ochagavia is situated in the Basque valley of Salazaar. Almost as soon as we arrived rockets exploded loudly over the neighbouring village. The have something to due with the eve of St.Iagos day which is Spain's national saint. Jen relaxed by the tent whilst I ventured into town. The village centre is beautifully located alongside a mountain river crossed by ancient stone bridges. Cobbled streets lead off steeply into the steep wooded hills surrounding it. In town the locals were in the streets. There was an informal band paying samba type music outside a bar at the river's edge. Many of the young people were in white outfits with red sashes and intermittently they launched loud rockets from a special board strapped to their hand. Back at the capsite the flies are incredibly numerous and annoying. It's almost impossible to eat our drink anything before the flies getting to it first.

Tuesday 25th
Festivities in full swing for St.Iago's day. A marching band parading through the narrow cobbled streets making an incredible racket. Other's going door to door in their white outfits/red sashes collecting money on silver platters and letting of rockets. We relaxed with a coffee sat on a stone bench outside a nice cafe. Later in the day when the sun's heat had lessened we followed a waymarked path up steeply through the forest. The trail led to a spectacular view over the Sierra de Abodi where clouds rolled amazingly off the sierra into the valley below like a slow motion wave. On the way back we came on a lovely chapel from which there were magnificent views over the high Pyrenean peaks forming the Spain/France border. Back at the campervan the flypaper has already attracted 30 flies.

Wednesday 26th
Began the day with an aborted walk which we tried to remember from a notice board. However immediately took a wrong turing and ended up at a dead end and a waterfall than had dried up. Then climbed steeply only to find that we were doing the walk in reverse which made the markers hard to see. Therefore abandoned it till later in the day,
When we did the walk later found the paths appaently deliberately blocked by cut down trees. We had to trek up steep inclines through fallen branches and undergrowth sustaining cuts and grazes. Eventually found our way back to the unblocked path. Met a lost Dutch walker doing one of the long distance paths. Helped him as much as we could. There were georgeous views over Ochagavia as we completed the walk.

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