Pamplona
Kms 71
Vertical metres 1066
Medical:  nil
Mechanical:  Lawrie one dropped chain
Misadventures :nil
Wine 5 and no cup award ,too focused on planning the Spanish adventures.

Rained here tonight .

Well we did it! Crossed the Pyrenees and into Spain! The 13 % incline was the killer , fortunately that didn't last too long. Stopped for ham and cheese at the border ( which is before you finish climbing to the top)and met a delightful Frenchman, Michel Salaberri who played rugby for Biarritz in his younger days and had swapped his rugby jersey with Colin Pinetree Meads in about 1966. He shouted us our Sangria , was happy to pose for a photo although he pointed out the pose was"illegal" as there were too many in the front row.
The downhill from the top of the Pyrenees was welcome but in parts  we were battling the warm wind.
Stopped at Eugi for lunch , celebrated Captain Mules promotion to Colonel and then carried on into the city.The route was along a busy road but thankfully there was a reasonable shoulder and just as we hit the more built up part we found the cycle path right into the centre of town. They have spent some money on the cycle path but otherwise as soon as you cross the border it is really noticeable that the Spanish roads aren't up to French standard.
We have 2 Spanish speakers ,Lawrie and Simon ,who organised the hotel ( or hostal) right in the centre of the old part of town while we posed for photos with the running of the bulls statue. The inside of the hotel was a delight ...don't judge a hotel by the outside. A sleep for some, Simon continued the Spanish research and now all in a bar next door to the hotel celebrating the crossing of the border ( and the hills ) and planning our Spanish adventures.

 Click here to see us! 

Posted by greatgraperide at 9:20 AM BST

Updated: Friday, 6 September 2013 9:27 AM BST

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St Etienne
Kms 45
Vertical metres 570
Mechanicals :Lawrie slipped chain, John (virtual - to cancel hotel booking)
Medicals nil
Misadventures nil
Cup : Sal for agreeing to go from 5 star to cell
Wine

It is hot ! Real dry Spanish heat but Simon says we 'ain't seen nothing yet'.. Windy and drying. Staying at a gite...boys on bunks in  one room...John and Sal on bunks in the other. Showing real restraint as the other possible choice was a 4 1/2 star hotel with pool and top restaurant. A bit of a shock to the system for some after last night's luxury and the 5 star breakfast this morning...home made yoghurt, homemade yoghurt cake , fig jam ..to name just a few of the breakfast goodies. Others ( guess who )more comfortable.
Semi-alpine countryside... Some good hills in the morning but as soon as you got to the top huge downhills ...ended up only 150m higher than when we started.
Good coffee stops....some delicious Basque almond and cherry tarts from the boulangerie and a salad lunch in St Etienne.
Geoff gazed wistfully at the little local train as it zipped by .
The gite is a bit like camping with shared facilities but has a washing machine so can catch up on the domestics. In this heat the first load will be dry by the time the second is finished.
We have cycled down to a bar for dinner..7pm and still hot as.
Psyching ourselves up for the ascent over the Pyrenees tomorrow. Gazing at BIG hills as we dine.

Click here to see us!  

Posted by greatgraperide at 10:30 AM BST

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