PHEASANT ISLAND - France & Spain Ile des Faisans / Isla de los Faisanes / Konpantzia

Location - France/Spain border; Capital - France - Paris; Spain - Madrid; Population - Pheasant Island - none; Currency - Euro

Coronavirus meant flights were being cancelled, and the train from Lisbon to the French border had been withdrawn. So I took an overnight bus from Evora to Madrid, followed by another one to the French border at Hendaye. Even though Madrid was in lockdown the bus to Hendaye was completely full?! But I got to see another weird geo-political location in the form of Pheasant Island - October 2020.

A recent version of the 10 Euro note

The Bidasoa River divides the Basque frontier town of Irun in Spain (left) from the French town of Hendaye (right)

Looking in the opposute direction I walked towards the quirky political machination that is Pheasant Island, straight ahead, an uninhabited island in the middle of the river

The only population these days is the birdlife, as access is forbidden, although maintenance and gardening is still carried out. Representatives of each nation also meet there every six months to hand sovereignty over, while the Wikipedia page says the Naval Commands of France & Spain land on the island every five days. Blimey! - Pheasant Island

The monument on the left commemorates the signing on the island of the Pyrenees Peace Treaty between France and Spain in 1659 - Pheasant Island

I crossed the bridge from Spain to France and popped in to a local bar in Hendaye. Loving the toilet, constructed in the shape of a wooden barrel

Since 1659 sovereignty has passed between France and Spain over 700 times - Pheasant Island

I continued walking from Pheasant Island to the coast, stumbling across this river boardwalk - Hendaye

The bridge linking France and Spain, Irun and Hendaye, with the railway bridge on the right - Hendaye

The train station at Hendaye is an important WWII landmark

In the Meeting of Hendaye in 1940, Adolf Hitler and Spanish dictator Francisco Franco discussed Spain's conditions for joining the Axis Powers - Hendaye

Sunset over Hendaye then to Paris the following morning, a 30min dash across the city by Metro and the Eurostar to London with 5min to spare..

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LINKS

www.atlasobscura.com - Atlas Obscura's page on Pheasant Island

www.bbc.com - BBC summary

www.hendaye-tourisme.fr - Hendaye tourist board's page on Pheasant Island

https://en.wikipedia.org - Wikipedia entry

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