Cycle Tour 2022 – Day 14: A day off with good friends

Today was a rest day, and we took advantage of it to see some old friends who moved to northwestern Spain last year. They kindly agreed to drive the two-and-a-half hours from their home to Saint-Jean-de-Luz to meet us for the day. 

We hadn't seen Patti and Ueli since before Covid started, so when they pulled up outside our Airbnb at 9:30 am, big hugs were in order. After chatting for a spell, we went out for a walk along the Grand Plage of Saint-Jean-de-Luz, across the bridge over the Nivelle River and into the neighbouring town of Ciboure, then up the other side of the bay, where we thought to get to the Fort de Socoa. But the day quickly turned very hot, and we were starting to get hungry, so we entered a bakery, bought sandwiches and drinks, found a bench to picnic on, and then decided that dipping our toes in the water (or, in Sonia's case, her whole body) was a more appealing prospect than trudging on to some old fort. 

We wended our way back to the Airbnb, slowly melting in the heat, stopped at what was apparently the only open grocery story in town this Sunday afternoon, bought a few provisions for dinner, and headed back to the relatively coolness of the apartment, where we had drinks and continued catching up. 

Thunderstorms swept through at around 4, which cooled things down deliciously, and then we made a light dinner before our friends headed back to their home in Spain. It's always a delight to see them, and we hope it won't be so long before the next time.