We packed our tent and went searching for coffee in Ainhoa. We still hadnt quite figured out when anything is open in France. Eventually we found a nice older lady sweeping the steps of the bar who made us cafe au lait and across the street we had our first gateau basque (black cherry cake) - a treat we savor. We climbed out of town passed an old church and shrine with clear views back on La Rhune and the mountains we came from. This was followed by a very steep descent (seriously- a sheer cliff) along a shale and scree covered slope which was scary until we saw an older french couple casualy climbing up for an afternoon picinic. We ran out of water after a blistering hot day and stopped by the river at the bottom to refill and soak the dogs. The end of day walks into town are long and painful since they are almost always steep and on a road. Eventually we made it to Biddaray through a long beuatiful river valley that reminded us so much of the Lost Coast and had a beer at a tiny restaurant while we planned where to camp. We started walking to the campsite out of town but after almost an hour gave up and stopped at a house with a handwritten sign advertising refuge de randonneur. We rang the bell and a very nice woman led us to a tiny cottage on her property that she maintained for hikers. We ate our dinner by the creek and felt so lucky to have such a nice place to ourselves after such a long and challenging day.
No comments:
Post a Comment