Zarautz from our camp site.

The weather forecast for the next week was heatwave, 38 to 42C with night time getting down to a sticky 28C. The fan that had given us some decent sleep has broken. Wild fires are springing up all over the place. Time to get out of central Spain.

The solution was 3 hours away on the north coast in Basque Country. The temps were maxing at 24C and staying that way for a while so it made a lot of sense to reverse our trip and cool off while Spain burned. So we are in Zarautz, close to the French border, and in the heart of Basque Country where we intend to spend at least a week if not longer getting into the Basque lifestyle and their food.

On the way we stopped at Jaca, a really pretty and modern town. They provide a significant free carpark for motorhomes for visitors which has a cute and innovative playground attached.

A monastery on the walk into town.

Some great architecture around the town square.

Stopped at a real estate window, as you do, and found this great renovators delight for only AUD 55,000.

Jaca’s main claim to fame it its Citadel, a pentagonal fortress built at the end of the 16thC and finished in the middle of the 17thC. It still has much of the original structure intact, aided by some significant restoration work.

Front (and only) gate with drawbridge and House of Austria coat of arms.

The moat is home these days to a herd of deer.

Guard house at the drawbridge.

Drawbridge mechanism using counterweights and chains.

Love the pneumatic tyres on the buggy.

Part of the office and accommodation blocks.

17thC chain.

St Peters Church in the Citadel built in 1675.

The museum deals mainly with the military that worked here, particularly their handling of the winter conditions. At over 600 m high they get a lot of snow.

Another display of miniature armies from the Middle Ages to current. Apparently over 32,000 miniature soldiers make up the various dioramas.

Parade ground.

Leaving the Citadel we walked back to town, having a quick look at the local church. Ancient as you would expect around here.

Closely followed by a shoe and handbag shop.

The drive to the coast was through amazing Pyrenees mountains and open plains, all in 40C heat. Came across the town of Berdun which rises out of the plains with nothing but farm land around it.

At times it looked like we were driving through a moonscape but with yellow harvested fields dotted throughout.

The Virgin of Arantzazu is closely associated with a shepherd who reportedly saw the virgin on a thorn bush. This was in the 15C so the story has probably been embellished but she appears in rural settings all over this area.

About 30 km from the coast the road began a steep decent from the 600 metre high hills. We had been driving in 40C since Jaca but within 10 km of leaving the hills the temperature had dropped to 26C. We are looking forward to a cool night under the doona. Tomorrow we start finding out what Basque Country is all about.

David & Collette