Firstly, we knew nothing about the earthquake in south-east Spain until word came via email from Cork this morning, Thursday. We are well and now in France.

Leaving Pamplona after breakfast we went off to travel on little roads through the hills towards Jaca. Beautiful countryside, green and in the beginning flat. Further on the villages are perched on rolling hills, not as high but like they were in the Pyrenees.

(Newer part of Pamplona)

(Farmland outside Pamplona)

 

We began at 17 degrees and by the time we came to Jaca, it had gone up to 26. I was back to sweltering and wished for some cool air. I didn’t have long to wait.

(Castle in the middle of nowhere)

(We’re climbing again)

(Road out of Jaca)

We decided to leave Spain by the pass that the French pilgrims would have taken to start their Camino to Santiago. There’s a huge tunnel now going through the mountain for the cars and trucks and bikes, but we didn’t go through the mountain we went over the mountain.

(Can you see the low clouds?)

As we started to climb into the Pyrenees Denis was watching the temperature, it was 23 degrees. But as we got closer to the low cloud it came down to 12. He promised if it came near 2 we’d take the tunnel. It didn’t, but it was hard to tell as he couldn’t see the dials with the fog!

(Little tunnel before the big one)

(Here we are on the French border – beautiful views, seemingly…)

Then we came down the other side and it was cold and raining, but we could see.

(We’re back in France)

It’s amazing to consider all the different types of weather, countryside, altitude and temperature that we have travelled in , over the past five hours. Change is a constant in the natural world, why do we find it so difficult?

Tonight we’re staying at a Chambre d’Hote. It’s very pretty and peaceful…. I’m looking forward to sleep….. and of course dinner, table d’Hote.

Night, night, bonne nuit, Mairead.