21/07/2022 - Relaxation and rest day!
It was a novelty to wake up and not have to pack everything to move on again! I don't mind at all the moving on, but equally I think it's going to be nice to pause every so often. I had a bit of a lie in until around 8am, and once up and ready I wondered up the road into Larrau to have a look around and check out the Pain Depot! Wonderful bread there, so I got a small baguette for later and a croissant plus pain au chocolat for breakfast back at camp! When asking for my pain au chocolat I thought I'd said something rude by the reaction of the bubbly lady serving! Turns out you don't call them pain au chocolat in the South, they are choclatines! The lady was a right character so we had a laugh, I'm loving using my rubbish French and no-one speaking English!
They did coffee back at camp so I had two! One to accompany my croissant and one to accompany my chocolatine! It was lovely to chill in the laid back atmosphere of the campsite, it was warm weather and lots of friendly people passing by, and I had the campsite dog for a bit of company!
I headed out for a random 6km walk in the afternoon to keep the legs moving, just up into the forest above Larrau. Then had another wonder round the village, watched a bit of Pelota being played (local Basque game, kind of like outdoor squash!) and then returned to the campsite and a chill out on my now very liked terrace. It was definitely tiredness that gave me bad first impressions! The hot sun had dried all my washing so I was happy to have an entirely fresh wardrobe for the upcoming wild camps.
Late afternoon called for another café au lait down at the bar/café area. I did a bit of forward planning with my guidebook and was about to leave when it seemed something was bring set up. This soon turned out to be a music event, so I hung around and was joined by a couple and their 7 month old who I'd chatted to briefly earlier. Again, lovely people, a German lady and a Luxembourgian man who live in Nantes holidaying for a week. The music got going with the campsite custodian getting his guitar out and singing an amazing little set of local music through to Johnny Cash numbers! Then the main guy took over with more live music whilst most of the campsite and some locals gathered at tables and on lawns. Really cool. There was quite a lot of alcohol being enjoyed as it should be, so I took myself off for a bit to have dinner up at my tent terrace. I could still listen to the music which was great, and I kept thinking throughout my dinner how much I'd enjoyed and was enjoying my campsite break.
I did head back down to catch the last hour of the show, and joined the young family on their blanket. It was nice to chat to the guy, who it turns out has started a company that have patented the first waterless toilet system! It literally turns your pee into vapour! Being installed in caravans and motorhomes initially but it would seem the potential is vast. I of course offered to be his UK contact, or distribution agent or some other role I'd have no idea about!! We settled on the fact I'd look at his English website, proof read it and suggest corrections and I'd get a free waterless toilet someday! It will work with number twos eventually as well, but I don't think they go to vapour!
All that was left was to retire to the tent, very relaxed and ready for sleep.
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