GR10 Day 1 - Hendaye Plage to before Sare

A warm night was had. I wasn't quite moved to look at a thermometer at 4am when I awoke but I don't reckon it got below the low twenties. No bed clothes were required. Thankfully the day started with the same weather as yesterday, heavily overcast and it wasn't until elevenses that the sun first broke through.

Bright and early we strode out of the campsite and down the hill towards the beach. About half way I recalled the plan hatched last night. We'd already walked out to the coast from Hendaye and had walked the Hendaye Plage seafront 3 times last night, hence we'd decided to take a shortcut back to Hendaye this morning. So, back up the hill we went, back through the campsite and out the other side.

Ten minutes later Mick couldn't help but notice that he had wet cheeks ... and not on his face. With great speed he flung off his pack and dug out the offending water bottle, finding the problem was simply an not-tight lid. It took another while for his pack to fully drain and his clothes to dry.

Half an hour into the route we found we could have wild camped. Indeed, a couple was camped there. The much better location would have been 2 hours in, beyond Biriatou, but to have got there yesterday would have required different transport timings.

Instead we second breakfasted in that spot and contemplated the map deciding which of 2 options to take. We opted for the GR10 only then to find it has been rerouted such that it now follows the alternative line we had considered.

Lots and lots of runners were bonjoured to through that section then it was down to Col D'Ibardin where we ventured into Spain in this heaving shopping area (a heaving shopping area on a mountain road - a bit odd really). Mick's coffee was followed up with a second one, as we saw no reason to rush onwards. People were watched, the world seen to pass by, before finally we went on.

A small diversion was made shortly afterwards to recce whether a more direct route would go. Not much time or distance had been expended before we gave it up as a bad job and looped round to join the GR further along. It turned out, when viewed from the other end later that there had been a feasible route, if only we could have seen it.

Lunch at Insola caused our first priper encounter with another GR'er. It was a limited conversation, given the rustiness of my French and the near non-existence of Mick's, but we did establish that he's going further than us today.

Soon afterwards we veered off route again, this time onto paths in which I had confidence. We had no reason to go to Olhette, so opted instead to head up towards La Rhune, a hugely commercial hilltop. Had there been a path up to its summit from our direction we would have gone and mingled with the hoards (most of whom would have arrived by train) but as the summit path took such a long route we skirted the top (and saw some interesting rock carvings en-route) to drop back to the GR10.

We didn't go much further. A lovely grassy area convinced us not to risk a lack of good pitches at our intended location, about another mile on.

So, a good first day has been had (except for the sodding horse flies). Pleasant surroundings, lots of bird life (notably vultures and kites), lots of animal life and lots of peple enjoying their weekend.