9th of August, Biarritz to Pamplona.

I have several characters that I hold dear and would best be described by the term hero, some linger from boyhood and others are more recent, amongst them Ayrton Senna, James Hunt, General Sir Peter de la billiere, Nikola Tesla, Bruce Springsteen and Ernest Hemingway (now there's a dinner party) but it is that latter that has bought me here, it is well known that Hemingway spent a lot of time in Pamplona and in particular the Cafe Iruna. A large portion of his novel "Fiesta" is set in said cafe and my aim was to enjoy some refreshment there.

Pamplona is in two distinct parts, the "old" city found behind the bastion of a large walled perimeter and the large sprawling urban swathe found beyond it. Naturally it is inside the walls that almost everything of interest is to be found, the large cathedral, the narrow cobbled streets that are famously run by the bulls and the grand square that is almost completely sided by cafes and restaurants including the famous Iruna.

I had coffee upon arrival, explored a while and returned for tapas and a cervesa, I even managed a "Selfie" with the statue of Ernest that adorns the bar. The cafe itself is almost indescribably beautiful, sculpted ceilings, intricate adornments and a general art-deco stance, what better a place to sit and watch the world go by, so that's what I did, mission complete. It may sound sad to some to drive best part of a thousand miles to sit in a cafe but for the non-believers, come here an experience it for yourself, it defines cafe culture.

There was of course more to see, I stumbled across a local wine and ham festival in the evening where you paid for a glass and a plate and wandered from stall to stall, all within the confines of the city walls which were decorated with hundreds of candles. It seems that these Basque people do a lot of celebrating their heritage and continuing traditions and when the do so they do it with a smile, friendliness, pride and of course food and drink. I can relate to that.

Unfortunately a family matter has meant that Pamplona is as far south as I shall be heading, I have booked a ferry home on the morning of the 22nd, this means I have 12 days in which to take my time to cross the Pyrenees, head North West to the Burgundy and Champagne regions before rounding Paris to the D-day landing beaches in Normandy and home. At least that's the plan.