The rain in Spain

Doesn't fall often, even in winter - but when it does it falls wherever it likes - like going up the mountains on the longest hill we have ever driven up, in the pouring rain.

News No 3

We travelled on to Biarritz, on the way staying at an Aire by the river Lot at another recovering medieval village, Casseneuil.

Here we came across a tree laden with fruit which we were unable to identify. We have since found the fruit on sale in the shops, have tried it and judged it delicious. But we don't see it at home – do you know what it is?

Then on to Biarritz where we had Coffee and Rum Baba in the Miramont, overlooking Le Grande Plage

It's never off-season for the surfers – not that there was much surf.

The BIG surf came along in the evening, by which time we were in Spain – only 20 miles away, on the coast near St Sebastian. We took a stroll along the promenade on a balmy, but (warm) windy evening, to see very high waves crashing to shore. The next day we learned that parts of France had suffered flooding in the storm; we must have been right on the edge if it.

Then on to Burgos, a beautiful city with a 'World Heritage' Gothic cathedral. One of the first built in Spain, they relied on builders from France and Germany – particularly from Cologne. We climbed to the top of the castle for this view

Inside, in addition to all the rich adornments' wasa clock known as 'The Flycatcher' on account of the fact that he opens his mouth when the clock strikes; we didn't wait for the ha;f-hour to take our picture!

Burgos is also the birthplace (and place of burial) of El Cid.

If you would like more of the history of El Cid I'm afraid you won't be hearing it from me – you could always watch the film ….. or not!?

 In the evening we went on to the city of Valladolid, where we arrived just in time to miss the switching on of the Christmas lights.

We have looked round the city today, and in one of the university cloisters found a list of the 'great and good' of the establishment. Amongst the Pablos, Pedros and Joses we noticed a Barry McDonald. This made us wonder if the names are those of academics or sponsors!??

 If you like marzipan, this must be the place to go

o

Don't eat it all at once!

 At last we are glad that we brought our winter woolies – we were beginning to wonder if we should have brought our shorts – but now finally and as we expected, the temperatures are down to about 8 to 12 deg – happily it's mostly sunny by day and that covers the night temperatures too – so far at least.