12

The sun set last night (in Mondragon) in a clear, open sky. But this morning I was woken early bby rain falling softly on my face. I packed sharpish, guzzled my gruel, and got going by 8. This beautiful place is like Wales in more ways than one.

I chose the fairly big road to the coqst, because it appeared to follow the river Dona (which I'm following downstream since yesterdays mountains, rather than going against. It's very smelly though.)

Turns out the road actually scrambles up and down the mountrainside above the river, but I've had a nice morning anyway- feeling right at home in the drizzly mountains.

The cyclists are so unfriendly here!
The most interaction I've had is a 'look' in reply to my enthusiastic greeting, that seems to say, 'can't you see I'm serious?'

At one point I was overtaken by a French tag-team of -, in matching red and black lycra on their skinny bikes.

I tucked into their slipstream for a while, chuckling to myself and feeling like a carthorse at a dressage show.
They didn't notice me there for ages, and when they did I threw them such a massive grin from inside my huge raincoat they had to laugh at me.

At one point along the river there was an unmovong shoal of quite big fish - mullet maybe?... about &( minutes long, rammed in bank to bank, just sitting still facing upstream. Then a mixed flock of black swans, herons, black and white storks and cormorants. It made the smell worth it.

Gradually I reached dry roads and patchy sunshine, pulled down my hood and smelt a fresh, salty smell. Aberdyfi syndrome! The mountains parted either side of me like the curtains of some massive, fantastical theatre show, and there was the sea.

So I've stopped to celebrate by breaking both my coffee and my sugar fast, before pressing on with the next 50km to San Sebastian (or Donostia depending what language you want to use...) It seems my target of reaching France today may have been a little ambitious, but might be possible- I'll see what the road's like.

And tomorrow's as good as today anyway :) X