We descended to the Gîte d'étape at Mento Baya where we discovered that there would have been no space to camp had we continued the previous day. Climbing up to les Trois Fontaines I had my 1st and in the end only panic that Karen was going to require an easier itinerary than I had planned - halfway up she stopped dead and refused to continue until rested. I had visions of only ever walking uphill in 20 minute sections for 2 weeks that happily did not com to pass. The 2nd day was probably about the hardest of the route - tired from the day before but not yet acclimatised to the effort and shoulder aches of our rucksacs. Just after les Trois Fontaines we saw the first of many haystacks, but made from bracken - surprising as I was pretty sure that Bracken is poisonous, I guess that the toxins degrade before it is eaten. From the point where we crossed the tracks of the fernacular railway to the summit it was all downhill (or flat) to Aïnhoa.
In Sare the only source of food was a stall selling bread and many different types of honey. The girl who was looking after the stall was very apologetic that her English was insufficient to tell us the names of all the flowers that the bees used for each pot of honey. If only my French was good enough to be insufficient for a similar translation the other way! The downside of the remainder of the day's walk was a) that it was incredibly hot lower down and b) the honey that I had spilt over myself was acting in a most unruly manner in the heat.
Still, reaching Aïnhoa meant we could have our first taste of the local delicacy Gâteau Basque, which turned-out to be remarkably similar to egg custard tart, but there you go.