Stage 10: Florac to Saint Julien d'Arpaon, France
Bow down to whomever scheduled this section. A very short 9 km/5 mile day to Saint Julien d'Arpaon. Can you believe it? The usual route is Florac to Cassagnas but all available hotels/gites, etc. were fully booked for this night. Unfortunately, this means that tomorrow's route will be a very long 28 kms/17 miles. Going to have to find some way to shorten this. We're both running on empty. Stevenson was suffering and running on empty before this stage and he was a lot younger than we are. I think that perhaps I am getting a little too old for this...
Before leaving, a visit to...yes...the Pharmacie for more tape, Second Skin and bandages. I always come equipped but we've probably gone through an entire box of bandages and spent 90 Euros on supplies for ex-Marine's feet. New bandages on his feet, we took our time leaving Florac since there was no hurry. Along the main N106, highway across town, into the Mimente Valley. Over the Tarnon River and an uphill.
Today, we followed orange horse trail marks as well as the red and white GR waymarks. Climbing (what else) high above the River Mimente, to the hamlet of La Borie, stony tracks, on a narrow footpath through a wooded ravine. Many Chestnut trees in the Cevenne area. Actually, "many" is a gross understatement. There are hundreds of thousands of Chestnut trees. Chestnut was the staple diet in the 16th century and an important source of food and income. (I didn't know that. Only know "...chestnuts roasting on an open fire...") The tree was also used to built furniture and the foliage fed to livestock. It was too early for them to take on the green fuzzy appearance that we saw in Alsace last Fall but there were quite a few prickly brown dried-up ones on the trail. They are sharp and remind me of sea urchins.
The flies are loving us again but the trails are easy in comparison to yesterday's death march. The last meadows. The last downs across the highway and uphill to the Domaine des 3 Tilleuls, a combination gite/Chambres d'hotes/Pension. There is a ruined castle abandoned since the revolution above this small town/hamlet dating from the 12th century. No more walking. No more climbing. The Domaine has a gigantic garden with hammocks and easy chairs. The perfect spot for a rest...
Out of all the people on the trail (extreme sarcasm, hardly any), who is staying at the Domaine des Trois Tilleuls? The two people from Aix en Provence with Loustique! Nice conversations over dinner and wife's sister lives in Florida. They are on their way to St. Germaine de Caleberte tomorrow, St. Jean du Gard the day after and perhaps our paths will cross again.
It's arranged that Madame's son will drive us to St. Germain d'Calberte tomorrow. Two long days in a row are more than we feel necessary. If there was no choice, we'd gut it out but there is a choice and driving it will be.
Spectacular "Fun Ship" Cruise Specials
