The Great Wee Disaster!

20th July

There is a reason the area is so green, it rains..a ...lot!  Mainly at night...but today was drizzle. we didn't sleep well with rain and what appeared to be  a constant argument between two dogs, several goats and a cow mooing across the mountain. We've made friends with the campsite man ..Egoitz..(yes really..).  We were going to arrange taking a boat out with his friend. This guy sometimes takes his yacht out into the Bay of Biscay looking for dolphins. I could crew and the kids would have loved to see the dolphins but when I realised it was from 7am to 7pm and knowing Alex's apptitude for heaving the moment the car journey gets too long I decided against it! We headed into the mountains instead to Arrikrutz.  The kids have never done mountain roads and were amazed.  Alex kept saying ..is this road one way now...no Alex ..it's one way...Mummy is it one way now..no still two way Alex...but what happens when the other car comes... good questions..

Arrikrutz was amazing - apart from two very antisocial French (?) we were the only ones there. High up in the mountains - it is 14 miles of caves carved out by a river.  We saw vultures and eagles high up above the cave entrance. The caves were unbelievable - stalagtites and mights everywhere - very cold, damp and spooky.  We then headed to Arantzazu a famous church on a hill, not so much with the kids. had trouble getting them out of the car!  Last stop Onati a little mountain town where we got the days food. Food is tricky, not only are there hundreds of ants (am now down with the kids..ants suck!) but also no freezers for ice blocks so it's very much a day at a time. Onati proved tricky to get out of - ended up on some narrow alpine road in pouring rain with massive trucks pounding up behind me.

Anyway...that night it rained - really rained. We didn't put the front extension on the tent because it was so hot the first day..ha ..ha. When the rain hit I left out of bed and started pulling the chairs and food under the tent and collapsed the canopy, must have looked at right sight half dressed. I then leapt back in the tent in the pitch dark and caught my foot on the pee bucket (the bucket with a lid the kids have been using at night....?!?).  I couldn't see a dam thing so yelled at poor amie to wake up and get the torch while I held the bucket.  Pee had tricked down the tent and pooled around the cable box and ...er ..yup .. the camera (which still works but has the feint odour of pee when used...ahhhhh).  Cleaned everything up - got to bed and listened to the storm rage..

21st July

Hot sunny day..chilled by pool, went to beach at Deba and also bought another..ball (alex keeps kicking the bloody things down the mountain).  Went for hill walk in evening - amazing views. hiked down to the view point. The kids got there first and when I turned the corner I couldn't see them....then I saw two ropes attached to the mountain side and a red head disappearing down the cliff.....managed to retrieve two indignant children..what do you mean we can't do these ropes down the sea - it's easy - yes but it's now 9.30pm and getting dark..we'll come back another time...er...not!

22nd July

Today we decided to brave San Sebastien.   We set off - in the rain...I figured there would be signs to the centre ..'centro'.  Apparently not...about ten signs all the San Sebastien ..?! Suburbs? So headed for the port - we found ourselves somewhere - still not sure where it was, but it was a pretty alpine coastal village (such a thing?) across two sides of an estuary with wooden houses covered in geraniums and a river taxi connecting the two banks.  We spent the day at a village bar eating sea food and crabbing between showers...we did later find SS but did a drive through and headed home!

Spent really nice evening swimming and alex played football with locals. I went for a coastal run - very steep!

23rd July

More big rain last night - too cold to swim today.  Going to head into Depa later - just hope no rain tonight as need to pack up tomorrow. We are off up into the Pyreenees to Sort. A good thing - kids getting grumpy now with rain ...

will post photos from there