25 September rain lots of it

Nice way to start climbing over the Pyrenees. Rain and much poorer quality roads. On the N235 a national road that is two lanes of very eroded asphalt. 

First stop a bar to order a coffee and see how my few words of Spanish will fare. Got the coffee, cafe solo, without milk.  The bar has CNN in Spanish.  We saw little of CNN in the parts of France we visited.

QB made the mistake of asking me to carry her long rain pants. Twenty minutes later it started to rain hard. At least I got to wear them. She has a very good poncho and it is not so hot today so she should fare ok. I am writing this while she is still walking. 

At hotel explained I wanted to speak Spanish and not French – this is very much a border town. After negotiating room, passport paperwork, seems like Spain still hand copies all the info from your passport or identity card to a ficha (fiche in French ) dinner hour, weather, and travel plans I said that this was my first hours of Spanish. She replied that I have a lot of time until Santiago to learn.   They offered us dinner at 7 pm. Very friendly hotel. No internet will try 3G.

The town has several shops all basically the same. The French come here for shopping. Canned  goods, four liter wine and whisky, household goods, furniture, cooking items, etc.  Discussed the shopping frenzy with an English couple that live in France :  everything is much cheaper here. They were treating Valcarlos like one big Costco.  

Everything is new again. Food and customs and bars and hours and of course language. Lots to see and figure out.  Great fun!