“Right folks,” Caro addressed us, “back here at seven sharp.”
“Seven,” Mand whined, “but its nearly five now.”
“All the more reason to hop it now, unless you guys don’t want to eat tonight?”
“We’ll be here,” I replied with a resigned sigh before climbing down from the BC bus.

I suppose we’re lucky that Caro has brought us at all, the us being essentially a hen party minus Sal but plus Josh. Well I’m pretty sure Josh and Tal will do a disappearing act as soon as Caro leaves and Sal was engrossed in playing GTA with the lads so stayed behind anyway. I guess exploring the delights of San Sebastian rank lower than causing pixelated mayhem in Lezo.

We watched our ‘taxi’ depart before taking in our location.

“What now?” Gret asked.
“Well thanks to someone,” Lor stared at de Vreen, “all the shops’ll be shutting.”
“Don’t they stay open longer coz of their siesta?” Tal proposed.
“No idea,” I admitted, “look we can go along the shops, if its all shut we can get a coffee and have a paddle.”
“Sounds like a plan like,” Josh agreed.

Of course the reason for our lateness in making the short journey into the city is less than simple, on the other hand to blame Mand entirely for it is a bit mean. You remember Kat was doing our post ride massage in alphabetical order and that I was first in the queue? Well Mand is last to go, something she decided to argue this afternoon.

The ensuing fuss just delayed everything and she was still last to pass under Kat’s restorative digits. End result, we lost an hour and lets just say Mand has made no friends and sorely tested a few tempers.

Well Tali’s theory sort of held up, but it was a mixed bag, some stores were open and others preparing to close quite soon. We looked in a couple of shops but like H&M is, well H&M and most of the stores belonged to chains we have at home with much the same stuff inside. Okay, I guess there’s a bias towards beach wear here but its not like we’re gonna be laying out on the beach all week is it?

“Well I want an ice cream,” Claire told us as we emerged from another generic store.
“There was a gelaterie just back up there,” I observed.
“Ah could make short work of a sundae like,” Josh mentioned.
“What about dinner?” Tal posed.
“What about it hen?”
“Give up Tal,” Lor suggested, “he’s just a dustbin.”

There was no arguing that, once you’ve seen Waugh eat you’ll say I’m dainty. Well we started walking back along the pedestrian zone towards the flavoured frozen milk outlet. After a few metres I realised we were short a body.

“What you doing Mand?” I enquired as I waited for her to catch up.
“Just checking my money.”
“You got enough? I can lend you some?” I offered. Daft moo or not she’s still my friend and sort of adopted sister.
She closed her purse, “er yeah, plenty, you think I should buy for everyone?”
“Because of your hissy earlier?”
“No because I’m feeling flush, of course because of earlier dumbo,” she shot back.
“Okay, okay, it probably would smooth things a bit.”
“Come on you two!” Claire encouraged from ahead of us.

We were soon installed around a couple of tables with our various frozen delights, it was a positive pleasure to just chill in the evening sun, no timetable, no agenda. Oh the lovebirds were cosying up but this was the relaxation we all needed after all the travel and a long, hot ride today. True to form I ended up with some exotic concoction with strawberries, choccy sauce and a liberal sprinkling of Pistachios – just what Gaby ordered.

“Six thirty guys,” Gret observed.
“We haven’t even been to the beach,” Claire mentioned,
“And?” Lor queried.
“Just saying.”
“We can have a quick look on the way to the bus,” I suggested.
“Sounds good,” Tal agreed.
“I need a wee,” Mand told us, “be right back.”
“What about paying?” Lor enquired as she dug out her wallet.
I’d been watching Mand and as I thought the toilet visit was just a ploy, she was exchanging euros at the till inside.
“Think its sorted.”
“Eh, well I’ve not paid,” Lor replied.
“Me either,” Claire added.
“Look, don’t make a fuss right, Mand’s paying for everyone, you know to make up for earlier.”
“What for like?” Josh queried.
Tal lightly slapped her beau, “because it makes her feel better silly.”
“Whatever,” Gret shrugged putting her own money back in a pocket.

“We ready then?” Mand asked returning a couple of minutes later.

It was tempting to say ‘just waiting for you’ but that would’ve been a bit tactless even for me.

“Lets see this sand then,” Lor enthused.

We made our way back through the apartment blocks to where Caro dropped us before crossing a small patch of typical seaside park to the waterfront beyond.

“That it?” Gret asked.
“Not exactly impressive like,” Josh intoned.
“Oh come on guys, blue sky, yellow sand, what more do you want?”

To be honest I wasn’t exactly impressed myself, the beach, the thin strip of sand stretched off into the distance without so much as a deck chair in sight and nary a beach goer either. Out in the bay a few small boats bobbed about but there wasn’t a lot of character to it.

“Photos?” Mand suggested.
“Just to prove we were here,” Claire agreed.

And so we mugged our way through a few shots.

“We should make it look like we were on the beach,” Lor suggested.
“And how do we do that like hen?” Josh asked.
“Girls?” I queried.
“On three,” Tali grinned back, “three!”

In moments all six of us laydeez had our tops off revealing an assortment of swimming cozzies.

“Come on Josh,” I encouraged, “shirt off, lets see those muscles.”
“Youse guys had this planned?” Josh mentioned pulling his own T over his head.
“Not exactly,” Gret told him, “we had been planning on spending some time on the beach.”
“What’re you up to Gab?” Lor asked.
“Losing my shorts, it won’t look that authentic otherwise,” I advised finishing my strip to my white bikini.
“Whatever,” Mand sighed slipping her skirt off her hips.
“Ah’ve nay got ma swimmies on like,” Josh complained.
“You running commando?” Claire posed with a smirk.
“For me to know hen.”
“Come on,” Lor encouraged, “or Caroline’ll be here.”

“Been on the beach?” our taxi driver enquired as we loaded up a few minutes later, we’d been at the rendezvous on time, it was Caro who was late.

In actual fact it was unintentional that we were still largely exposed in assorted bikinis and swimsuits, being a bit short on time we’d just grabbed our stuff and run across to the pick up point.

“Er yeah, just topping up the tans,” I replied.
“Hope you put on plenty of sunscreen, don’t want burnt bodies eh?”
“Er no,” Lor giggled.
“Best get a bit more on before we get back, you know what lads are like.”

Sometimes my Godmother can be such a spoilsport.

“What about Josh?” I asked.
“Maybe his own shirt would be better.”
“What?” Josh asked in a panic checking what he was wearing, “shite, ah thought it was a bit tight like, gis a hand Tal.”

The rest of us just started a gigglefest as he peeled off his girlfriend’s shirt, the one with ‘Papa’s Princess’ across the chest in pink glitter – I guess it is the same colour as his.

We were out on the verandah for dinner, another sort of buffet affair, I think technically in Spain they call it Tapas, instead of big communal dishes of food its all on individual plates.

“Sort of like in Japan eh Gabs?” Mand proposed.
“They eat paella in Japan?” Sal asked.
“Possibly,” I agreed, “you mean the Sushi Mand?”
“Yeah, all those little dishes going round.”
“Sounds a bit fussy to me,” Daz told us.
“Think its so you only have what you want, you can try all different stuff,” I advised.
“Well ah want to try some more of that black rice stuff like,” Josh told us.
“Arròs Negre,” Mikel advised.
“So what’s in it?” Gret asked our temporary Spanish team mate.
“Isa the squids, the tiny langoustine, vegetables.”
“So how come its black, doesn’t look like its burnt,” Mand opined.
“Is the tinta.”
“Tinta?” I queried.
“You know, in the biro, from the squids?”
“Ink,” Jamie offered.
“Yes, ink,” Mikel agreed.
“Eurgh!” Sal mentioned with a bit of a face on her.
“Well it tastes alreet like, bit salty mind,” Josh stated.

All this foreign food is all very well, I just hope we don’t have to survive on this foreign food all week, I could really fancy some schnitzel about now! As usual there’s a sort of demarcation between riders and our ‘crew’, they may dictate what’s on the menu but its up to us to actually eat enough and not over indulge. It also makes it easier for them to keep control of the wine, a splash or two of red would go well with meatball things.

Its also traditional for Dad to give a bit of a pep talk after we’ve eaten and this evening was to be no different.

“Okay everyone, calm down a bit, this won’t take long,” he waited for us to shush before going on, “hopefully you’re all relaxed and rested now. We’ll be moving on to Pamplona tomorrow, bit of a change of plan, instead of a long ride up into the mountains we’ll do a couple of laps between here and Irun, its about thirty kilometres around, so something like an hour a lap, three laps, will just set us up for lunch. “

He paused before going on, “after lunch we’ll truck over to Pamplona, its about two hours or so I’m told, Kat will do legs there. There is a reception in the evening, and yes Gaby you do need to wear your team dresses, questions? Sal?”
“Will we be able to shower here before we travel?”
“Yes you will, but I’d like your bags down before lunch so we can get off sharp after eating, Gethyn?”
“Is there food at this reception thing?”
Caro interjected here, “there will no doubt be snacks and soft drinks, we’ll eat earlier, we’ll sort times out when we get to Pamplona. We’ll do laundry whilst you are out in the morning so if you need stuff doing bring it at breakfast please.”
“Thanks Caroline,” Dad picked back up, “so breakfast and ride same as today, no wild parties tonight eh?”

Chance would be a fine thing.

“We’ll be good Dad,” I proposed.
“That's what I’m afraid of,” he muttered.

Maddy Bell © 30.03.2018