North into the icy wastes?

Yesterday we started our journey North and homewards after a few days
wandering along the northern Spanish coast. We had some wonderful overnight
stops on campsites overlooking the sea and went to sleep to the sound of
the waves. Our last stop in Spain was in St Sebastian, where we had a
lovely afternoon wandering around the bay and an evening in a nearby bar.
This however is also where we met the winter weather, waking up yesterday
morning to about an inch of snow. Before we left we went for a walk on the
beach where people where cross country skiing on the snow (picture), I was
quite jealous! The roads however looked fine so about lunch time we headed
on.
Yesterday afternoon we went to Arcachon which has the most amazing 80m high
sand dune running for kms along the coast, on top of it there are amazing
views and the sheer scale of it makes it feel almost like being in a
desert, an amazing place and although we weren't there for long, one I will
remember for a long time (picture).

We have spent several long and indecisive evenings on the internet the last
week or so looking at every weather chart and forecast we could find,
trying to decide whether we should postpone our return to the UK until the
weather gets better. In the end we decided to change our plans and rather
than head for Calais to come up the west coats of France and ferry from
Cherbourg, in an attempt to miss the worst of it in France, there is sadly
no way to avoid the UK roads! Yesterday morning I was beginning to doubt
our wisdom but tonight we have made it as far as La Rochelle, and so far
not a flake of snow has been seen in France........the next time I right I
may well be stuck in a snow storm in Portsmouth!