Day 17 - Gavarnie to Orio (322kms)

We woke to a glorious day - not a cloud in the sky, and despite being last to bed each night, I also seem to be first to rise.  Must be the mountain air.  While everyone else was getting up, I decided to walk back into town under the guise of buying some baguettes for lunch and more of the wine we enjoyed so much last night.  Kristie has struggled to find wine that she loves since we left home.  I really wanted to be out in the mountains and so I wandered a bit, took more photos of the awe-inspiring mountains, and of course went to the shop.

Our goal for the day was to be Spain-bound, but before we headed off from Gavarnie, we decided to see where all the traffic that was passing our camper van park out of town and up mountains, was going.  So instead of descending we decided to ascend up to what we thought was a ski village, but noticed cycling signs indication that there was another mountain climb to 2208m.  So following a bus load of school children, we ascended to a ski village and then kept going up to the Col des Tentes.

At the top we were surprised to see just how many cars and people were at the top. On a weekday and not in holiday season - does anyone work in the Pyrenees?  We found ourselves a parking spot and all I wanted to to was run around the grass mountain tops, surround by even bigger mountains in all directions.  First Sierra and I walked up to a peak to the west of the car park, and if I was alone and I would have just kept walking, but after some photos of the surround peaks and a lake we descended to the camper van with Kristie and Madi waiting.  I then managed to convince everyone of the beauty from above the carpark and we all walked up a peak to the east of the car park.  The days just keep getting better.

Back in the van, it was time to head down into the valley before crossing my last Pyrenees Le Tour mountain top on the way to Spain.  Baguettes in the van on the way and we headed for the Col du Aubisque.  In much the same way as we stumbled across the Col d’Aspin the day before yesterday, our route to the Aubisque also took us over an unexpected Col du Solour at 1464m.  Wow - what a surprise.  With cloudless sky weather, it was a perfect day to be in the mountains.

Ascending the Col du Soulor, we saw messages from Le Tour fans painted over the road and many a cyclist battling the climb on a very warm day. When we reached the top, the views were spectacular and in the distance we could see the Col du Aubisque at the end of roads cut into the side of the mountain range.  As with the other summits, I had a quick run around the surround grassy hills and took photos before jumping back in the van to tackle the Aubisque.

At the Col du Soulor,, the only warning of the road ahead was that cows might be on the road, but as we headed off, we could see just how dramatic the road was.  It was in good condition - as you would expect for Le Tour, but it was very narrow in places requiring us to come to a stop and let other vehicles pass.  There were rocky overhangs to be avoided, and the road also passes through a number of tunnels cut into the mountain - I assume because of its steepness and rather than taking a wedge section out of the angled mountain.  In many places the mountain just disappears off the side of the road into - what looks like, the Abyss.  It was that spectacular that I had Kristie video most of the drive, and if I work how to get a video into the blog, I will post it to watch.  Its entertaining viewing.

Now that was without a doubt on of the best drives I’ve have ever undertaken.  Picturesque, exciting and an awesome destination.  When we got to the top, we read a sign facing the direction that we had just from, and in short it said that caravans and camper vans were discouraged from using this road.  We didn’t see that from the other end, and even if we did we would probably have proceeded.

At the top, we again ran around in the surrounding hills, and kids played on the three giant sized bikes that they had at the summitt.  One for each of the three main Le Tour jerseys.  Green - Sprinter, Red Polkadot - King of the Mountains, and Yellow - the General Classification leader.  I bored the girls with a little education on Le Tour.  We also met three englishmen who were traversing the Pyrenees on the bike over a three week period.  Today it was the Aubisque and tomorrow the Tourmalet.  WOW - what a life.  After lingering as long as we feasibly could and snapping heaps of photos, the kids added an Australian Flag sticker to the the hundred already on the Col du Aubisque sign and it was time to make for Spain.  Goodbye Pyrenees - for now :).

The descent took us through a few ski villages and through a town called Eaux-Bonnes.  The town was built into a weakness in the side of the mountain, and the street to enter the town cut through rock.  The village is almost entirely built around this large rectangular park, where we saw locals playing Boche, while the kids had some respite from the van and played in the park.  I was so taken by some of the buildings, and took another bunch of photos.  It was a pretty amazing place to call home if you lived here.  

Back on the road with San Sebastian our goal, it was time to find the freeways west.  Without any pomp or ceremony, after a couple of hours driving we were in Spain.  No passport control and stamps in passports for the girls.  Not having done a lot of research about where to stay for San Sebastian, the only thing Kristie could find online while driving with good reviews was a caravan park in a suburb of San Sebastian called Oria.  Because it so late in the day, these coordinates were entered into Google Maps and off we went.

On arrival we were pleasantly surprised.  The caravan park was virtually right at the beach, it had free WIFI and as I have found out - awesome showers.  So we very delicately manoeuvred the camper van down the skinniest of streets in the caravan park, under overhanging tress and into the last site on the street so that we could be close to the playground for the girls.  Backing in was only half the challenge - I hope we can get out in one piece.