Day 2
Setting off from a sunny Cambo les Bains, we headed towards the huge black cloud bank that was blotting out most of the Pyrenees.
We passed Europe's first (and i presume only) rabbit conservation forest and this stands treatment that the Basques will shoot anything and everything given the chance.
Looking forwards, after 50 miles it was time to stop and don the waterproofs, which were largely unneeded until the last 50 miles.
With a low cloud base, this was not the day to be doing the cols Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and the Bielsa tunnel. All of which were done in such thick fog that we navigated by sat nav. Not to find the next junction, just to find out where the road was.
Never mind gorillas in the mist, today it was sheep, goats, cows, horses and donkeys in the mist. Only pigs were missing, but they will no doubt suffer for our pains tonight.
One of the advantages of moisture laden cloud are that the wetness is two dimensional, it's just there and you ride into it. It turned much more the dimensional and downright aggressive for the last quarter of the day as it lashed down. Our weather proofing however mostly held it at bay although heated grips were in use.
After drying off we wandered the market in the citadel of Ainsa, drank and arre tapas while waiting for the Spanish to deem it late enough to start serving proper food.
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