#sharedparentalleaveadventures

Samuel still running a temperature this morning and we both felt very relaxed at the new camp ground so we had a chilled out day.

We ventured out to the village only to buy supermarket provisions as we were low on everything. Samuel wanted lots of cuddles which was not such hard work when you’re not in a rush to do anything.

Lee decided that he was going to cook one of his favourite simple recipe dishes of chilli lemon prawns with pasta so I took a well deserved rest. It was the first day of the trip I felt happy to do nothing but enjoy being together. Samuels appetite seemed to come back in the afternoon and he then enjoyed a nice long nap being cuddled in the shade.

At 6pm we got out to walk the 4.5km around the lake which was lovely and quiet and gave Gryff a bit of time to be free.

We had a simple supper of pate and cheese with bread and salad.

Another moving on day. Samuel slept fairly well and seemed ok this morning. We started with a lovely breakfast of scrambled eggs with toast. It was a most efficient packing up but we still didn’t manage to get out the camp before 11. An unofficial race was on between us and British couple in a camper van. I was disappointed when they drove off from their pitch only a few minutes before us but then we discovered them sorting out their water tanks at reception and thus we beat them to the gates. Hurray. A couple of minutes down the road I remembered that I had forgotten to get my passport returned by the campsite after paying the bill - I won’t be leaving it as assurance again! A quick turn around and we were on our way.

We stopped in Angers for lunch and the England match starting at 2. I left Lee and Gryff there to watch the tv and went walking around the town with Samuel.

There was a service of ordination starting in the Cathedral so I didn’t get to look around inside. Samuel quickly fell asleep and gradually slipped lower in the carrier.

I admired the formal gardens around the castle but discovered that walking around it entailed a longer route than anticipated so I ended up climbing a long flight of stairs back up in front of the cathedral again. An hour was plenty long enough to look around carrying such a heavy lump.

Met Lee back at the car perfectly on time. England had won and he enjoyed a strong, if rather expensive, beer and so was in good spirits.

We arrived at the next camp rather tired and, with it being a Sunday we had no chance to get fresh provisions so we just had to eat at one of the cafes beside the lac. We enjoyed some lovely Gallettes.

The morning was again quite chilly but we were soon warmed up and enjoyed a beans and egg breakfast with tomatoes and toast. Samuel had a little nap giving us a while to relax before getting ready for our next adventure.

The previous day Lee had spotted pedal carts for the family so we decided to give it a go. Just around the corner from our campsite so we wandered over and got into position with Samuel in a modified bike seat between us and Gryff running alongside. We started out with Lee driving and me holding Gryff on the extending line but it wasn’t working too well so we swapped seats and Lee put Gryff back on the short lead and me in charge of the steering. We hadn’t gone 50 feet before Lee starts thrusting the map in front of me asking where we are going? I took hold of the map to navigate forgetting that I am sat in front of the wheel and, with the wobbly steering, the cart immediately veered towards a parked car. Lee quickly grabbed the wheel again, narrowly avoiding a path of certain destruction and screeched ‘what are you doing?’

‘Sorry, sorry’ I replied, ‘I haven’t yet adjusted to driving here and you distracted me.’

Fortunately Lee gave me another chance and I retorted that I never ask him to nav as well when he is driving. Neither relaxing in our new roles, and Gryff getting on better at fixed position, we swapped back to our natural positions after another few turns.

Coming back along the home straight we passed through the Main Street and gained some interested looks from the locals sat at the bars. There seemed to be a UK bike ride event going on so we received a great cheer from the gathering at one of their check points. I think people were quite impressed by our well behaved Gryff trotting alongside our family.

We wandered back to get some lunch at one of the places we had passed but it was a lot farther on foot and there was very little shade. We both enjoyed a gallette complet with ham, egg and cheese, followed by a crepe Sucre and left feeling like we could have eaten it all again.

We had another relaxing afternoon rest cuddled up on the blanket back at camp then packed up for a picnic dinner at the beach.

The beach was blowing a bit of a sandstorm and Samuel was thirsty, grouchy and not enjoying it at all. It was too sandy to get out most of our food so after a small bite and cup of tea we had had enough. I took Gryff down to the sea and let him off for a run about and he loved it, then we retreated to the comforts of our tent.

Lee got distracted as we arrived back and saw that the World Cup match was on in the bar so I took Samuel to have a refreshing bath before bed. The French campsites seem to be quite well equipped when it comes to baby bath facilities.

Relieved this morning that the ants were not launching a fresh attack on the tent. We got everything packed tidily as quickly as we could and, with the car freshly shod, we hit the road for the mountains. We again quickly felt like we could be in Canada driving past glistening lakes.

It was again a beautiful drive. After lunch we arrived at Artouste, just too late to ride the mountain train but we had time to go up the Gondola for a coffee. So we did that.

One of the wonderful things about having a dog like Gryff is that we know we can confidently take him anywhere and he will be fine. He never shows fear or nervousness at new experiences. And so it was with the Telecabine, he follows without more than a moments hesitation. There was a cool breeze down at the car park so we had grabbed some jackets and layers of clothing for Samuel before our ascent but the cafe was well sheltered and in the sun so we were now all boiling despite being at 1900m. There was a patch of snow left which Gryff loved rolling in.

We carried on our journey descending to Pau. Having booked an apartment, it was lovely to spend some time inside again with all the luxuries of bathrooms and kitchen within a few feet. Just before 8pm we realised that we had no bread and needed a snack so I dashed out with Gryff to try to make it to a bakery before closing. At 20:15 I thought I was all out of luck when I found a small convenience shop with a couple of baguettes just inside the door. At that point it didn’t matter how fresh they were, I was just pleased that we had something to go with some cheese and tomatoes. Gryff gave me some positivity as he kept sniffing it hopefully on the way back.

Packing up camp again is now getting a bit tiresome. We know exactly what we are doing, but Samuel gets bored or needy or frustrated or falls over and demands attendance.

Driving down to Pamplona the scene change is dramatic. Leaving behind the luscious steep green valleys onto the rolling yellow green hills and plains.

We haven’t had breakfast and we need fresh provisions so we are buoyed by the welcome sight of a supermarket and better still a BK!

Morale boosted, Lee is made even happier when he finds a vino he savoured yesterday lunch in the aisles. Shopping in foreign supermarkets is so daunting and baffling at times it seems to take an age.

The rest of our drive is a real pleasure. No more tolls and turn after turn presents new unfolding views. We feel like we could be driving through a spaghetti western scene.

It is also nice to be sitting down for a while as I am tired from all the walking of the previous days. I keep asking Lee if he can notice me losing any weight yet and he replies that he is trying to do his bit by keeping me as active as possible by requesting brews and letting me trot back and forth doing the dishes, taking the dog out and fetching water etc.

Our next campsite is lovely. Terraces of red hues planted with native trees, shady and grassy with good facilities. They have open air showers, Lee reports. Wonderful, I really want a shower before dinner so I head off to check them out.

The thing one needs to remember in these European campsites is that the colour of the taps is meaningless. A blue tap spouts scalding water and a you can keep pressing a red one a hundred times and it won’t get any warmer than when you started. So it was with the outdoor shower. I was given hope by the appearance of a red press button, and after all the faff of carefully undressing and hanging my clothes on the hook in the doorway I was just going to endure it.

We then bathed Samuel and went out to the restaurant opposite for dinner. The waitress had just brought a delicious cool jug of Sangria and was taking our order when Splash! While our heads were turned Samuel had reached the handle and pulled the whole jug over, pouring the red drink all down my skirt. He is such a little trouble maker now! We were both quite merry by the end of meal and still had to finish setting up the tent furnishings in the near dark. I think it will be a relaxed start in the morning.

Today we again raced the tide to get to the coast while the sea was out. Down the bottom of a twisty road we found ourselves at a property full of chained dogs barking and jumping, sounding their intruder alarm at us. Lee likened it to the film ‘wrong turn’ so we did a seven point turn and parked the car back up on the public road. Then, as any sensible people would, we proceeded back down on foot, through the gauntlet of frustrated hounds to the path clearly marked ‘SEA, MER, MEER’ etc. I began to worry that it might be as hopeless as yesterday’s attempt but we soon spotted the coastal path with other walkers and easily reached a sturdy viewing platform.

Arriving at the beach we let Gryff have a run around and he stole a stick from a tall German and tried to entice him to play ‘chase me, chase me.’

The geography of the Basque Country reminds us of so many different places we have visited. Sometimes Madeira, Canada, Switzerland or Cornwall. But we both remarked that the rocks forming this beach really reminded us both of that at Llantwit Major where we visited with a young Gryff on New Year’s Day 2017.

Getting back up from the beach we were again so glad not to have limp mode coming on as we might have been stuck there in a most unwelcoming spot.

On to San Sebastián for lunch today we arrived rather hungry and so morale was low while we searched for somewhere promising to eat. Samuel did lots of cooing at the waiters and neighbouring diners. People are always stopping to interact with him and lit up by his endearing smile. I have been feeding Samuel some artichoke purée from the French baby food aisle so today I thought I would have artichokes for starter and it was delicious.

We enjoyed walking along the sea front admiring the fine sea front buildings and vast expanse of beautiful sand that we unfortunately couldn’t take Gryff onto.

Lastly we took a ride up on the funicular to look down on the city but a light rain was starting to wash the colours out of the view and we were all tired so we headed back home.

Samuels bed time seems to get later and later. I suppose that he will not change his body clock while we are away so he now won’t go to sleep before 9, sometimes not until 10 which leaves us with very little evening time since entertaining him becomes a bit difficult from 7.

A lovely morning for a change! So nice to open the tent porch up and enjoy the view with some sun.

After a cooked breakfast and a check of the tide times we decided to quickly get on down to the beach as low tide was 1133 and the geological features all disappear at high tide.

Unfortunately all paths down to the rocky shore seemed to have eroded and while it would have been fine for the two of us to scramble down it was an unnecessary risk with little Samuel so we enjoyed the view but never made it to the water.

A steep climb back up to the campsite we felt very deserving of a cold one in the shade on the main patio.

We headed down to Lekeitio for a late lunch outing and had some rations of omelette and octopus on the harbour front before wandering the deserted streets. It was again beautifully sunny but with a fresh breeze off the sea.

Lee loved the windy coastal road drive there and back, the car suddenly having its power back and no issues - seems that his efforts paid off no end.

Back at camp we really wanted to enjoy a relaxing evening bathe in the inviting infinity pool. But between both our boys it was far from relaxing-if Samuel wasn’t wailing because one of us splashed down the slide then Gryff was whining from behind the railings that he wanted a go. Samuel hadn’t even touched the water, us deciding it was much too cold, but he looked thoroughly upset.

We woke feeling like both of us had hardly slept at all last night. But it was 8 so equivalent to a lie in! We packed up and made it out for breakfast by 10, and all before the rain started.

It was a wet drive to Spain but we stopped at St Jean de Luz for some lunch. Lee had Samuel tucked up inside his rain jacket just with his little head out, so cute. It looked like a lovely little place but the wind was gusty and rain started coming more heavily so we quickly picked somewhere to eat and enjoyed a relaxed last meal in France.

After restocking at a supermarket we got back on the road, just another hour drive to Itxaspe. The weather seemed to have improved considerably. We expected to take down and put up our tent in the rain today but escaped at both ends! Having grown accustomed to the empty spacious pitches of the French sites we were less confident about fitting our big tent on the cramped terrace but it did just fit.