Polita!

I can’t say we chatted exactly but I have learnt my first Basque word.

I had a longer slow walk today on a circuit of ancient oaks. I met this guy coming through the undergrowth proudly holding this mushroom. I admired it, told him in Spanish I was English and I was sorry I didn’t understand much. He proceeded to chatter. I’ll get myself in trouble one day for just nodding but what else can you do?!

I said in Spanish it was very pretty and he proudly told me that ‘polita’ was the word in Basque. After we went our separate ways, I noted it down and checked. Seems I understood that bit at least!

My walk was more than three hours of mooching and in that time, I admired huge wide old oaks, spotted a small rodent, had a Southern Hawker dragonfly try to lay eggs on my boot and my trouser leg, managed to get a firecrest on camera and saw so many flycatchers it was ridiculous!

Unbelievably, I also managed to avoid the almost constant plunk of acorns from the trees. That wouldn’t have done my head much good at all! By 2.30pm, I noticed I was humming a happy tune. The migraine seems to be lifting!

I sat on a bench outside the campsite and watched big vultures high in the sky - possibly a black vulture in the mix.

Back to the van for food and chill.

…and then a quick nip outside the van when I heard the crested tits. Gotcha! Well, only just. And then a short-toed snake eagle flew by. What a place!