23rd July
A chilled day, everyone in good spirits, with the end of term, the big pack and a crazy journey it has taken a while for us all to settle down. We went into Deba to surf and crab. I dried all the clothes tha got soaked in the night in the rain - the kids played water balloons with some English kids they met and got them all wet again. I dried them...Alex then got himself and Amie soaked ...at which point they found themselves off to reception to buy tokens and drying the whole damn lot...
Alex has made friends with a little boy called SebaTien (a very strong T..!). Alex keeps saying I like him but I don't have a clue what he's saying mum...
Cooked Pollo con patatas for tea... chicken and chips...!
24th July
no rain ...yey..packed up and were ready by midday - nothing is quick camping and I have learned you can't rush kids to pack quicker or you get sulky faces and no cooperation! I then got a coffee and worked out where we were going. The satnav wants exact streets which are hard to get names of here because we are staying in small places. So I am back to old fashioned maps and google maps if I'm not sure. I shout 'TV off - phone in' and the kids disconnect their car TVs and wire up the phone... the TVs were a good investment for this trip..
We drove up to Biarritz (it's on the west coast of France ..who knew..I always thought it was on the med...). The kids were very excited to be in France for a few hours - we took photos at a the motorway truck stop in Lourdes ! We then trucked east parrallel to the mountains. We then hung south into Spain and up..and up...and up.. Three route planners said this was the quickest and best route...er...in a four wheel drive maybe...we snaked our way up through the moutains. Really stunning, beautiful mountain villages and gushing rivers. We went up to Port de la Bonaigua which is I think the highest moutain town. The road then really climbed and was lined by snow pools all the way, it would be unpasable in winter. We hit the highest ski station in the mountains - basically the highest lift in the Pyrenees. Amie took some amazing photos. There were rivers shooting out of the rock faces and hundreds on cows all with bells - the sound was deafening! It an automatic - I had to play the gas and the break for force gear changes. It was lucky we were being followed because it forced me to keep momentum....
We then travelled down to Sort - the kids were brilliant. It took seven hours with only two quick stops. When we eventually found Sort - I couldn't find the hotel so stopped to ask...it was in the next village...ahhhhh. So we parked up and tried to find somewhere for food. All very local - squid in black ink sounds great but not to two tired hungry kids... found bizarre 'rock cafe' spag bol all round.
Found hotel..phew..it's gorgeous. Hotel L'Acova. Run by a husband and wife. They bought a rundown massive house and are slowly renovating it. All log fires, beams and massive rooms looking out onto a courtyard and the mountains.
25th July
Up early - off to meet Anna who has helped me with the river sports. Turns out we are not white water rafting today but canyoning..oh well! Kids had great fun kitting up, helmets,body suits, full wet suits, harnesses and hard boats... Anna said we would be doing it with a dutch family. I went over to say hi - we are with you today,,I'm Amanda and this Amie and Alex. Nothing but a 'hello' from the dad...but they are quite reserved. Egotiz said they much prefer the Dutch as they are quiet unlike the crazy Spanish. He's probably right the spanish camping next to us were all..hola, have some olives...hola..have some wine!
We needed a packed lunch so rushed off to get supplies and met the guide Miquel and the dutch on a local road and we were off. An hours drive into the mountains. We stopped for petrol, we were very low after our long drive. Just as we were leaving, I saw a big hairy trucker come running up and smacked the car on the roof..what the......turns out our rear tyres were almost on the metal..! Ah,,yes,we could see they were low..said Dutch dad,,,really...?!
Alex and Amie were on it - asking what pressure, euro in the slot..dust caps off..air in. I was having the debate with myself...stop turn back and get tyres checked or pump and continue..I figured as both were low it must have been the journey so we cracked on.
We drove high into the mountains (again..). We parked in farm and then had to carry all the equipment. We made wetsuit pack packs for the kids. The adults had to carry back packs. We then had an abseiling lesson and were off. It amazing. The kids LOVED it. Amie was a natural. We followed the course of a mountain stream and there were a number of ways of getting down each bit,,sliding on your bottom - literally shooting down the rocks and into pools below, shufffling, moving like a crab gripping the rocks with hands and feet, jumping (max 30 feet) or abseiling (max 40 feet - I think). An adult had to go first...on the first jump the Dutch mum and dad hung back and there was a silence - so I voluntiered (spelling?!). I have to admit that first jump was a bit scary ...you leap off rocks into a narrow space and smack into freezing water below coming up gasping. I was also jumping with a big pack.
Dutch mum was actually American and nice, we had lots of laughs at the kids all jostling to go first. especially Alex and her son Alec. She said the dad was a bit miffed because there were two groups of five from their campsite and the other group went alone but they were with us...so eight in total..c'est la vie! We saw all sorts of wildlife including water snakes which thrilled Alex. The kids did the first abseil like monkeys straight down - wop. Me not so much....you had to jump a over a rock lip and abseil through a waterfall - which means freezing water is crashing onto your helmet. I committed the fatal error of ending up with my feet higher than my bum so ended up upside down at great height in a waterfall dangling ...er...not cool.. but I couldn't stop laughing and all the kids were absolutely rolling around 30 feet below wetting themselves. I managed to gradually release the rope in my right hand and manovre myself upright. I did manage the next one - at speed !
We had such a great time - I did recover some dignity as not adults wanted to to the last big jump and one had to go first - I went for it. The other group had caught up with us and I must have redeemed myself because both dads were clapping and shouting 'respect' ! At the end we had to climb back up the mountain, quite tricky as very hot and lots of bugs. We all got bitten. It was also a pain as I was allergic to the wetsuit and had blisters round my ankles and wrists and a rash pretty much neck to feet.....
On the way back - I felt a tyre go ....shyte....we stopped and it was on the rim. The dutch dad stopped and came over...before I had a chance to think he said ..'there is village back there..just be careful your wheel doesn't fall off...' and then he drove away....er ..what?!?
If he stayed I would have suggested he help me put the spare on so we could get back. I couldn't do it by myself. There was no hard shoulder...it was 30 degrees and I know having uploaded all the camping gear from the boot - got the tyre out - kept the kids off the road and jacked the car up it was very likely I wouldn't be able to get the wheel nuts off - been there done that.
So we drove slowly to the next town (much to the annoyance of every spaniard on the road - lots of fingers ...which amused alex) and found the most amazing garage with the kindest nicest man ever. language was difficult so luckily I had Anna's number and she translated. He put on the spare and ordered a new tyre..So kind.. didn't charge us at all - the tyre was shredded but on the sides - two deep slits - it looked a bit like a knife?- we must have hit a small rock?. we got back at 9pm and the hotel was not doing food...ahhh. drove into town got drugs (for me) and food and bizarely bumped into the dutch family.....
They said they had heard about our adventure ...yes,,I said not easy being on your own in a strange place with blown tyre in the middle of no -where.....the dad did look a little shame faced...oh well onwards and up wards.
kayaking tomorrow.... will hopefully post photos tonight - internet is really difficult all dial up..!
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