Today we’re going to Spain!
Mike finally got to go to his fancy beach this morning. We cycled in and down a steep hill (the right one this time), locked up our bikes, and it was just a short walk to the all-over tan section. It was a gorgeous morning, and I actually considered a swim. But I didn’t.
Then we trudged back up the steep hill and packed up the van to head on. We’ve decided to go inland because the coast is very busy. I took Mike up the windiest road I could find to get us up into the Pyrenees. And when we crossed into Spain, I couldn’t believe what I saw!
Diesel was 40 cents per litre cheaper! (That’s 80c NZD.) So I’m very glad we didn’t fuel up before leaving France.
The road continued winding up into the Pyrenees, and it was a gorgeous drive with heaps of hairpin turns. Except something kept rattling around in the back. We pulled over to secure a rogue gas cylinder, but when we tried to drive again there was a steady stream of traffic and motorbikes. So much for choosing the quiet roads!
The first town we got to was Bera, and it was amazing how quickly the architecture changed from France. The houses were much more mountain-style and reminded me of walking through little villages on the Camino. But we’re very glad we’re not walking today because it’s so hot — mid-30s!
Then Google wanted to take us on a main-ish road. We decided to outsmart him by navigating our own route. But this did not go to plan. It was a beautiful drive along narrow roads and I was busy congratulating myself when the road just… stopped. There was no way through the mountains! So we had to backtrack all the way to the main road.
But we weren’t on it for long before turning off again to hunt for camping. There’s a real lack of campgrounds in Spain and they all seem very expensive. But we found one in the town of Sunbilla with a beautiful view over the Pyrenees, and it was only 24 euros for the night.
No pool though.
But not only are there toilet seats AND toilet paper, there is also HAND SOAP! Can you believe it? And that’s not all. There were even paper towels to dry your hands. This is unheard of in France!
And there were a few cycle tourists here too. Looking at them all set up with their tents and cooking their meals on the ground seemed so adventurous. It feels like a lifetime ago that this was us. But I’m very glad we’re not cycling in this heat.
It’s crazy hot, and humid too. We sat outside until 10:30pm waiting for it to cool down enough to go to bed. But the bugs were biting, so we scurried inside anyway. At least we have two roof vents, one of them being a fan to suck the hot air out.