Travels with Craig and Jeri: Spanish Holiday Day 18

Day 18: Hiking in the Pyrenees

We met our guide, Gontxu ("Gonchu", or Gonzo, which is what Dave called him with his permission) who drove us about 40 minutes outside of San Sebastian to the top of Mount Jalzkibel.

From here the views of San Sebastian in one direction,

and the Pyrenees in the other, were magnificent.

At our viewpoint we found some very friendly miniature horses that were very happy to pose with us for some pictures.

We drove to a makeshift parking area a couple of hundred feet below the summit to begin our trek.

Our goal was to reach the Valley of Colors, an area of rock formations formed by upheaval of the seabed 40 million years ago. The hike took us through groves of chestnut trees, and down through waist and sometimes shoulder high dense blackberry bushes that tore at our legs and arms.

We finally made it to the beautiful cliffs overlying the Atlantic below.

Getting to our lunch spot took a bit of bouldering but we all made it.

The views were stunning and the area is aptly named.

After returning ot the car, Gontxu decided we needed to see the walled town of Hondarribia, the border town between France and Spain. Hondarribia began as a Roman settlement, but in the early 13th century, it became a point of contention between Castille (now Spain) and Navarre (now France). Several sieges by French forces over the span of 300 years led to the creation of a fortified city.

After the 30 Years War, the French and Spanish reconciled their difference over the region, and under the Treaty of the Pyrenees, firmly established Hondarribia as a Spanish border town.