Its taken me a while but I have realised the bugs don't wake till the sun is well up, so I hit the road early before they hit me. I compare an average size bug hitting you between the eyes at speed to being shot by a pellet gun and it's not a matter of 'if' but 'when'. I have suffered several purple eyelids on my travels. I have worked out the yellow splats - bees and wasps, red splats - mosquitos, black splats - hungry mosquitoes and the purple eye lids - the bird size black flying beetle that dont splat but rebound. Unfortunately the birds that have played chicken with my helmet for the last 4800 miles finally got it. RIP blackbird. The 196 mile ride of mostly coastal roads from Bilbao, Spain to Biscarrsonne, France were again scenic although not so mountainous as one would imagine for the Pyrenees. Im glad I don't have to navigate any more mountains on this expedition. I don't feel so alone now now I'm in Spain and happy to see and listen to English people again but find it amusing to hear 'alreet luv' being spoke to a non English speaking Spanish waitress by a customer. Tomorrow, I head for Dinan France in preparation to catch my Caen - Portsmouth ferry.