We woke to dark, cloudy skies and the threat of rain, our days of sunshine temporarily over. Walked to Carcassonne's medieval town and walked over the drawer bridge past numerous tourist shops. We lined up with all the other visitors waiting for the castle to open at 10 and paid to do the audio tour. An interesting tour telling us about its 2,500 year history, from the Romans, to surviving a siege in 1208 and its role protecting the border between France and Aragon in the 14th and 15th centuries. It then declined in importance when the border was moved and the walls were used as stone quarries. The restoration program started in 1844! Throughout the tour, the sky was getting darker but we escaped the rain.
Then headed towards Lourdes. By the time we got near Toulouse it started to rain. We reached Lourdes and decided to visit the famous Grotto where Saint Bernadette saw her 18 apparitions. Due to the rain we were able to get a park near the Sanctuary but there were still tour buses of pilgrims everywhere (Julie - our photos are awash with water). Visited the Grotto and briefly toured the Basilica admiring its dome. By this time we were wet and cold so didn't purchase any religious relics from the shops that line the roads to the Sanctuary. The drive to Pau took about 30 minutes in constant rain. Again the Garmin is brilliant at navigating through one-way streets but it was tricked by a bollard which can be raised and lowered by entering a code to the street our Hotel was in (see photo). We walked to the Hotel which was in the centre of the Town and received instructions and finally were able to get dry.
Day 15 - Pau and San Sebastian
Throughout the night it rained constantly but we woke to weak sunshine and a very clean city. Pau is beautiful and we loved walking around its streets which had no tourists! It is famous for being the birthplace of King Henri IV and the Chateau where he was born was restored in the 19th century and is its centre piece. Pau must have the smallest funicular railway line which takes you up a hill from the railway station to the town- about a minutes ride. We had a ride and also walked along the Boulevard des Pyrenees. This is a picturesque walk and we could see the snow-capped Pyrenees in the distance. Pau is also famous for being part of the Tour De France - recommend driving on from Lourdes and staying in this beautiful town.
We then continued to San Sebastian and were surprised how big this town is. Multi-storied hotels line a beautiful coast and beach. We walked along the beach and watched a few surfers. The temperature was about 14C but no wind. Enjoyed a Spanish meal in the town and then the Garmin eventually got us back to the Hotel. We have found driving around San Sebastian tricky. Double round-abouts and roads that tri-furcate. We would get within 3 minutes of getting back and then a wrong turn would take us around another loop of the town. It was like being in 'Groundhog Day'. All the round-abouts look the same and nobody indicates when using them. Tomorrow we plan to walk around Bayonne and Biarritz in the morning and are catching the TGV at 1.00 pm to Paris. Adios from Spain
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